Prashant Naik

Prashant Naik is an Indian editor who is currently serving as the Head of the Editing Department at Subhash Ghai’s film school, Whistling Woods International. He was born and spent his childhood days in Odisha. Naik did his matriculation from Sundargarh-based BS High School and further studied LLB at Balangir Law College. He also pursued his M.Com degree in the subject of higher accountancy from Rajendra College, Balangir, in the year 1985. Naik wished to learn the art of movie editing, so he packed his bags and took admission in the respected Film & Television Institute of India, Pune.

In December 1991, he graduated with a PG Diploma degree in film editing. Prashant made his first popular short movie, Punaravritti, which got him the National Award for ’Best Short Fiction Film’ in 1992. In 1997, Shunya Swaroopa, an Odia language movie serving as Himanshu Khatua’s directorial debut, won the title of ‘Best Regional Film’ at the National Awards ceremony, garnering Naik his second National Award as principal editor. He continued to involve himself in the industry by reworking scenes for TV shows, motion pictures, advertisements, documentaries, and promotional pictures. Some of the TV series he’s worked on include Fans, Life, and You (FLU), Junglee Toofan Tyre Puncture, Women of India, Surabhi on the Doordarshan network, and Yule Love on Zee TV.

He did not limit himself to the world of entertainment, however. People don’t really know that Prashant was also the chief on-line editor for the televised live broadcast of the India-Australia pool stage fixture for the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup at the historic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Prashant eventually met Nila Madhab Panda Nila Madhab Panda, born on 18th October 1973 has z >> Read More... and first teamed up for the latter’s Climate’s First Orphan.

It was a documentary which highlighted the issue of submerged villages in Odisha, especially after the 1998 Super Cyclone. In 2005, he achieved a personal milestone in his career when he received the National Film Award for Best Editing in a Non-Feature Film for the critically-acclaimed Harvest of Hunger. In 2010, Prashant and Panda reunited for the hugely successful I Am Kalam. I Am Kalam received critical praise and was screened at renowned film festivals in cities like Berlin and Cannes. His recent projects include Shorgul and Das Capital Gulamon Ki Rajdhani.

Naik has expressed his interest in teaching on various occasions and has been teaching editing at various institutes. He had a two-year stint as a professor at his alma mater, FTII, from 2004 to 2006. After FTII, he is now at Whistling Woods International School. Prashant believes that the job of an editor is not a flamboyant one, but one that could help someone become a competent director, citing the greats such as Quentin Tarantino There are people who follow the created path and g >> Read More... and Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese is one of the most celebra >> Read More... as being examples. Naik also happens to be an Apple-certified FCP trainer. Naik admitted that he was initially rejected several times while applying for admission to FTII, but he did not lose hope and kept working hard to achieve his goals and reach the point where he is today.