Vivek Agnihotri

Biography

Vivek Agnihotri is an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, and public intellectual known for his work in Bollywood and his outspoken views on sociopolitical issues. Born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Agnihotri holds a degree in science and later pursued studies in management and advertising from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and Harvard University. Before entering the film industry, he had a successful career in advertising and media.

Career

Agnihotri began his film career in 2005 with the crime thriller Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets. Over the years, he directed films across various genres, including Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007) and Hate Story (2012). However, his major recognition came with films that had strong socio-political themes.

In 2014, Agnihotri directed Buddha in a Traffic Jam, a controversial political thriller that criticized what he perceived as the nexus between academia and Naxalism. The film was praised and criticized in equal measure, but it cemented his place as a filmmaker with a bold, ideological stance.

His biggest commercial and critical success came with The Kashmir Files (2022), a film that portrayed the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s. The movie sparked national debate, broke box office records, and earned Agnihotri the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration in 2023.

Following that, Agnihotri released The Vaccine War (2023), based on India’s scientific efforts in developing a COVID-19 vaccine. The film paid tribute to Indian scientists and aimed to instill national pride.

Apart from filmmaking, Agnihotri is also an author. His books, such as Urban Naxals and Who Killed Shastri? Delve into socio-political narratives and historical issues. He is married to actress Pallavi Joshi, who has also acted and produced many of his films.