Nandan Saxena

Nandan Saxena, a successful director with three National Film Awards The National Film Awards gets presented every year >> Read More... in his kitty, is an Indian filmmaker, Director of Photography, and a former journalist. Nandan Saxena completed his schooling in N.C. Jindal Public School and attended Kirori Mal College, the University of Delhi, where he pursued his Bachelor’s in literature. Nandan Saxena completed his Master’s degree in English Language and Literature, General from Delhi University. He excelled in all sorts of extra-curricular activities and also, he served as the President of the Student Union for a year. As both his parents are teachers, Nandan Saxena firmly believed in being a catalyst to change the world.

So, despite studying literature, he took up journalism as his career. He worked as a television journalist for news organizations. Nandan Saxena got married to Kavita Bahl   Multiple National Award-winning Indian director >> Read More... , a fellow journalist. After their marriage, he got posted in North-East India Bureau Chief for Northeast file. The situations there when compared to Delhi took aback them. They worked in North-East for two years before returning to Delhi in 1996. Once they landed in Delhi, Nandan Saxena and Kavita Bahl handed in their resignations. The sole reason why they left their job that paid them well was to act in the situation rather than not being able to do anything.

After quitting their jobs, Nandan Saxena and Kavita Bahl started Top Quark Films. He has associated WITH Door darshan, Films Division of India, Al Jazeera English, and more as a director and producer. Nandan Saxena had a breakthrough year in 2011 with the release of his documentary ‘Cotton for My Shroud’, which talks about the serious issue of the suicide of cotton farmers from Vidarbha in Maharashtra. The film results from his five years of hard work. Started the filming in 2006, the documentary got released in 2011. Cotton for My Shroud won the Best Investigative Film Award at the 59th National Film Awards. Their next film, ‘Candles in the wind,’ received the Special Mention Award at the 61st National Film Awards.

In 2014, Nandan Saxena, along with Kavita Bahl, directed and produced a documentary named ‘I Cannot Give You My Forest.’ Set in the backdrop of the forests of Odisha, the story revolves around the Kondh Adivasis, who are not ready to let go of their forest. For the third time in 2014, Nandan Saxena won the National Award for Best Environment Film Including Agriculture, for ‘I Cannot Give You My Forest’ at the 62ND National Film Awards. Some of his other works are Wings, Lakshmanrekha, Dammed, Krishna’s Waiting Room, and A Stitch in Time. Besides being a producer and director, Nandan Saxena is also good at cinematography, editing, and screenplay.