Kantilal Rathod

Kantilal Rathod was a Gujarati Indian filmmaker, animator, and director who had worked in the Gujarati and Hindi film industry. He was also a well-known painter. He was born on December 12, 1924. Kantilal Rathod’s place of birth is Raipur, India. But, he raised up in the Bengali atmosphere. He completed his studies at Shantiniketan in Arts. After that, he went to America to pursue his studies in Animation and Cartoon film at the Art Institute of Chicago. He received exposure to the films of Norman MacLaren, whose work immensely influenced him. He dedicated himself to making experimental films like animation and documentaries after returning to India. He belonged to the Indian nationality. Kantilal Rathod also took training in film animation in Calcutta and in Chicago.

He was in the charge of the cartoon unit of the Baptisha Vijayakar production unit, Hunnar Films. Later on, he branching out by forming his own company named Akbar Films. Therefore, he made several of art and industrial films. During 1954 – 56, he taught documentary film making and editing at Circus University, America. In the institute, he also made a short film titled “Cloven Horizon” about children’s paintings. This film was distributed by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and was judged as the Best documentary film in 1965. He also briefly worked with Scottish Canadians animator. He worked with William Norman McLaren, a Scottish Canadian animator, director, and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

Kantilal Rathod produced & directed a 1969 Gujarati social film “Kanku,” written by Pannalal Patel Pannalal Nanalal Patel was an Indian author primar >> Read More... . At the 17th National Film Awards The National Film Awards gets presented every year >> Read More... , the film received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Gujarati. It was critically acclaimed by critics in many film festivals across America, Europe, and Asia. In 1974, he directed the Hindi language film “Parinay,” produced by Samantar Chitra. The film won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration (aka the ‘Rajat Kamal Special Award for the Best Feature Film on National Integration” at that time).

It was presented by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF). In 1965, he received the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film at 13th National Film Awards for The Adventures of Sugar Doll. He was famous for making award-winning documentaries, including Strife to Stability (1969) and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1976). His notable short films are Pinjra (1968), Withering Flowers (1960), Peace-Tie Armada (1967), and Tested Berries (1973).