Chandra Prakash Dwivedi

Chandra Prakash Dwivedi is an Indian film script writer and director with films like “Pinjar”, “ Zed Plus” and “ Mohalla Assi” to his credit. In spite of venturing both into cinema and television, he is best known for directing the famous TV serial “ Chanakya” which was an epic success. Dwivedi also essayed the title role of Chanakya, one of the most influential political diplomat and strategist ever known. In 2009, Dwivedi was honored with the Cultural Catalyst Award by the South Asian Cinema Foundation “in recognition of his commitment to exploring India’s ancient culture and history in television and cinema”. Dwivedi started his career as a medical professional but developed interest towards Indian literature which made him give up his profession. Thus, he began working in theatre and was also the programming division head at ZEE TV. He was born in Sirohi district of Rajasthan in the year 1960. He has one daughter Nayanika Dwivedi with his ex-wife Mandira Dwivedi.

His achievements include winning the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration as well as the Guild Award for Best Debut Director for his film “Pinjar”- a tragic love story set during the Partition of India. He has also won the Indian Telly Jury Award for Best Dialogue for his serial “ Upanishad Ganga ‘Upanishad Ganga’ was a 2012 television drama seri >> Read More... ”. He draws inspiration from maestros like Shyam Benegal Shyam Benegal is a renowned Indian director and sc >> Read More... and Govind Nihalani Born on 19 August 1940, Govind Nihalani hails from >> Read More... . His interest and knowledge of Indian literature and history are something to be acknowledged and appreciated. He very well fits the description of “a director with a difference”.

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Chandra Prakash Dwivedi is an Indian film director/scriptwriter, who is mostly known for directing the 1991 television epic Chanakya. He played the lead role of the political strategist Chanakya, which is an inspiration for millions. His other famous project is the 2003 movie Pinjar, a tragic love story portraying the Hindu-Muslim tensions during the Partition of India, which based on Amrita Pritam's novel of the same name. Dwivedi has directed the 1996 TV series Mrityunjay, which based on the life of Karna, a major character from the epic mythological Mahabharata.

He won the Videocon Best Director award for the same. Dwivedi is a qualified medical professional, but gave up his profession because of a keen interest in Indian literature, and started working in the theatre instead. In the late 1990s, he got the position of programming division head at Zee TV. During his stay at Zee, Dwivedi tried his retelling the Mahabharata ( Ek Aur Mahabharat Ek Aur Mahabharat or One More Mahabharat in Englis >> Read More... ) but had to cancel the experiment after 14 episodes because of a poor response from advertisers and viewers. The remake of Chanakya again failed to attract advertisers.

He wrote the dialogues for the 2001 Doordarshan TV series on Chhatrapati Shivaji Click to look into! >> Read More... . In February 2008, Bobby Bedi Bobby Bedi is a renowned producer and director in >> Read More... stated that he had been planning a new Mahabharata series with Dwivedi as director. Later, in April, he disassociated himself from the TV series due to pressure brought on as a result of competition from Balaji Production’s Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki. In 2008, Dwivedi directed a TV serial based on the Upanishads named Upanishad Ganga. He is currently working on The Legend of Kunal, a movie based on the life of Kunal, who is the son of Emperor Asoka.

In 2009, the South Asian Cinema Foundation awarded Dwivedi with its Cultural Catalyst Award for recognition of his commitment to exploring India's ancient culture and history in TV and popular cinema. In January 2011, his movie Mohalla Assi shot around Assi Ghat of Varanasi and based on Dr. Kashi Nath Singh's famous novel. The movie went into production with shooting starting in Film City, Mumbai. The movie has Sunny Deol Sunny Deol is a film actor, director and producer. >> Read More... as the lead actor.