Nila Madhab Panda
Biography
Nila Madhab Panda is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter known for making socially relevant films in Hindi and Odia cinema. Born on 18 October 1973 in Sonepur, Odisha, he began his filmmaking career with documentaries and short films before moving into feature films.
He gained widespread recognition with his directorial debut I Am Kalam (2010), which received several national and international awards. His other notable films include Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid (2012), Babloo Happy Hai (2014), Kaun Kitney Paani Mein (2015), Kadvi Hawa (2017), Halkaa (2018) and Kalira Atita (2020).
In 2023, he created and directed the SonyLIV thriller series The Jengaburu Curse, which explores environmental issues, tribal communities and mining in Odisha. He received the Padma Shri in 2016 for his contributions to cinema.
