Kaushal Oza

Kaushal Oza is an Indian independent filmmaker from Mumbai, Maharasthra. He is a director and writer who works predominantly in the Hindi film industry.  He has been part of many award-winning projects over the years. After his schooling, Kaushal took up commerce and law in his college. However, he soon realized that the course is not his cup of tea and that his forte lies in theatre and drama. He was part of the drama society in college and would perform roles with much conviction. He also used to take part in intercollegiate competitions. Despite taking law, he had no interest in pursuing it, which he soon realized on getting into the course. He dropped law studies midway and completed B. Com. For him, this was just a degree to fall back on.

Meanwhile, he got interested in writing and direction, and meticulously utilized every opportunity he got to excel in the fields. More than directing plays, he was interested in directing films as he considered his imagination to be more visual. To add a bit of professionalism to his works, he attended a course in filmmaking. After much deliberation, he got into the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) with a serious intention of mastering the craft of film making. He studied film direction and screenplay writing from the institute.

Kaushal is a two-time recipient of the National Awards. His debut short film itself earned him his first. In 2010, through the short film titled Vaishnav Jan Toh, he was awarded the National Award for ‘Best Debut Director of a Short Film.’ In 2013, he directed his second short film, Afterglow, which won the National Award for the Best Short Film on Family Values, earning him his second. His films had also reaped a myriad of awards in Kolkata, London, Delhi, and Mumbai, and were also showcased in numerous film festivals, including international film festivals.

Some of them include film festivals that were held in Clermont-Ferrand, Florence, Setubal, New Jersey, Madrid, Ljubljana, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Singapore, Mumbai, Potsdam, Beijing, Kolkata, Cochin etc. Some of his other recognized works include The Miniaturist of Junagadh, which won the Best Actor Award at IFFSA Toronto 2021. Besides filmmaking, he is interested in writing. He is an author and has written and published works like Cricket in the Valley, and The Roses of Sarajevo. He is the founder of a production company by the name of Kabira Seeking.