Draft:Matiur Rahman (Indian Science Filmmaker)

Matiur Rahman (Indian Science Filmmaker)



Matiur Rahman (born December 1957) is an Indian science filmmaker, science communicator, and author of "India's First in Science and Technology: A Journey in Images." Matiur Rahman has produced over 337 non-fiction science documentary television programmes. He is best known for his award-winning science films "Ghar Le Chal - Take Me Home," "Beyond Bicycle," "Temple Treat," and "Re-motion Knee". He is the CEO of the Television Programme Company and the founder and president of START (Search for Truth and Return to Science), an Indian non-profit organisation that promotes scientific temper through the art, craft, and technology of modern media.

Early Career

Rahman earned an M.Sc. in Zoology and an M.A. in Mass Communication from the A. J. K. Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, both in New Delhi. He later received advanced training from The European Institute for the Media at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom under the Technical Cooperation Training Programme between India and the UK. He has also served as the director of the Audio Visual Research Centre at the University of Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) during 1998–1999...

Career as a Science Filmmaker

During the past three decades and a half, he has been engaged in researching, scripting, and directing science films. So far, he has produced over 337 broadcast television programmes. His work has been duly recognised and he has received six national awards, two international awards, three special jury awards, one special prize, and one award for best editing.

He is a recipient of several awards, including the ‘National Electronic Media Award’ from the National Innovation Foundation, ‘Best Entry’ award at the global video challenge of the ministry of external affairs, and ‘Incredible India’, Bhaktha Kabirdas Puraskaram from ‘World Hindu Heritage Foundation’, ‘Bronze Beaver, Silver Beaver, and Special Jury Awards’ from Vigyan Prasar, and the Educational Media Festival for Commonwealth Asia’ award from the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, Canada.

Notable Awards and Achievements

Matiur Rahman was honoured with a ‘Bronze Beaver’ award for his film Beyond Bicycle at the 1st National Science Film Festival of India in 2011, and a special jury award for his film Re-motion Knee at the 8th National Science Film Festival of India in 2018 , organised by Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. His film "Need of New Drugs for TB" also received a special jury prize at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) short film competition in 2013, organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. In 2015, at the 5th National Science Film Festival of India, he received a special award for his film Monumental Science in the Earth and Environmental Science Films category. Furthermore, his film Ghar Le Chal was nominated in the wildlife conservation category at the Environment and Wildlife International Film Festival and Forum in 2017, organised by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), New Delhi.





Workshops

Mr. Matiur Rahman has trained several aspiring Indian science filmmakers in the art and craft of science filmmaking.

Science Documentaries

Some of his well-known science documentaries include Ghar Le Chal, Re-motion Knee , Beyond Bicycle , The First Modern Scientist of India: J. C. Bose , and Techstart. His film "Temple Treat", depicted how the sculptural art at a few famous Odishan temples at Bhubaneswar, including Lingaraj and Parsurameswar, is in a deplorable condition. Matiur Rahman invited Prof. Obaid Siddiqui to appear on his TV show Mind Find, for which Mr. Rahman was later interviewed about his work. Mr. Rahman directed Challenge Chatni, a 13-episode TV series about technical solutions to real-life challenges



His interests range from writing newspaper articles to producing science films to instilling scientific temper. Mr. Rahman is the author of "India's First in Science and Technology: A Journey in Images"