Jyoti Kunkolienkar

Jyoti Kunkolienkar is from Goa. She has two very supportive daughters who help her in publishing her works. Jyoti Kunkolienkar is an Artist, scriptwriter, Director, Producer, Social Activist, and Filmmaker. She has more than 35 years of experience in the arts field and more than 30 years of contribution to literature. Although multi-talented, she sticks close to her roots, where she writes more about the resilient spirit of women in Goa. In an interview, she was once asked what are one/two films that had a profound impact on her. She had two such films. In 1993, “ Doordarshan Click to look into! >> Read More... ” started in Goa, which had sparked the interest in young Jyoti. Being so invested in it, she got the opportunity to be a part of the documentary team. The film, “ Mukta Muktha is a popular Kannada TV show on ETV Kannada >> Read More... ” is where Jyoti wrote the screenplay, and dialogues and also acted in it.

The second documentary that had a profound impact on her, was the one she made on Biana- A Story About the Sex Trade. It was a red-light area in Goa in the year 2000. She had interviewed 300 ladies for her new write-up. That experience, however, was something she had never felt before. It pained her to see how circumstances had forced those 300 women to take up such a job just to sustain their families. Her emotional pain was what struck her to write more supporting women. She has written four short stories and published them as of 2014 data. “ Samarpan Samarpan is a Hindi TV show that aired on the chan >> Read More... ” is the fourth book she published, which she had worked on for six years. The research and interviews she conducted ensured that her story would include all her minute observations about society.

Jyoti and her daughter Sampada Kunkolienkar, together, had won the award, “Sahitya Academy Award in Literature” and are the only mother-daughter duo to have achieved this as of April 2023. Being a famous writer and actor, she is also an ardent plant lover. She redecorated her home, leaving no corner bare, adding different kinds of plants in her entire house.

In 2017, Jyoti Kunkolienkar had been invited to be a member of the Censor Board for the year. The government had recognized her and recommended her as an advisory member, a post which she gladly accepted. In 2019, she received the “Recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award” by Lokmat Sakhi Manch. In 2020, she also had a Documentary CD launch at Goa Raj Bhavan by Honourable ex Dy. PM Shri. Lal Krishna Advani.