A prolific writer and filmmaker, who, over the many decades of her life, has managed to merge the distinct lines between mainstream and parallel cinema, Sai Paranjpye stands tall amongst the many legendary figures of Indian Cinema. Her body of work has not only been a focal point for addressing critical social issues but also paved a path for later generations of filmmakers to include ideas of social and cultural relevance in their work. Indeed, it is a point of fact that Paranjpye’s work was also a contributing factor to the perpetuation of regional Indian cinema at the time, helping it not only gain recognition in mainstream circles but also flourish without compromising on its core themes and philosophy.
Born, in 1938, to a Russian father and an Indian mother, Paranjpye’s parents divorced shortly after her birth and she was raised in her maternal grandfather’s household, R.P. Paranjpye, a noted mathematician and educationist who served as India’s High Commissioner in Australia from 1944 to 1947. It was a fortunate turn of fate that Paranjpye was born to a family who were already involved in the world of cinema. Her mother, Shakuntala Paranjpye, was a renowned actress in her own right, working alongside the likes of celebrated filmmakers such as V. Shantaram. Paranjpye’s uncle, Achyut Ranade, was also a noted filmmaker in the ’40s and ’50s and he played a crucial role in nurturing Paranjpye’s passion for storytelling and filmmaking. As a child, she would often visit her uncle’s house who would share stories with her, conveying them in the format of a screenplay. This would mark her first exposure to the world of cinema and the wonders of storytelling.
Beginning her career as an announcer at All India Radio (AIR), Paranjpye would soon go on to get involved with the Children’s Program at AIR.
Over a gradual period of time Paranjpye has written and directed numerous plays, for adults and children alike, in both English and other regional languages. Her directorial debut came with ‘The Little Tea Shop’, a movie released directly to television in 1972. It went on to win the Asian Broadcasting Union Award at Teheran. Eight years later, she released her first feature film, ‘Sparsh’, which was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards, including the National Film Award. Following that, she went on to direct the comedies ‘Chashme Buddoor’ and ‘Katha’. Paranjpye’s other works include ‘Angootha Chhap’ (1988), a film aimed at the National Literacy Mission, ‘Disha’ (1990), which discussed the issue that immigrant workers faced in the country and ‘Chaka Chak’ (2005), a movie that was aimed at raising awareness about the myriad environmental issues we face.
Paranjpye’s most noted work was, perhaps, her 1993 documentary, titled ‘Choodiyan’, which examined the anti-liquor agitation in a village in Maharashtra. ‘Choodiyan’ was awarded the National Award for Best Film on Social Issues. Additionally, Paranpye released ‘Suee’, a documentary which explores the lives of drug users, touching on the treatment, care and community support that they receive. ‘Suee’ was aired on Doordashan in December of 2009, as part of its campaign to raise awareness about AIDS. In 2006, Paranjpye was awarded the Padma Bhushan, in recognition of her immense contribution to Indian Cinema.
Paranjpye’s lifetime has borne witness to an extensive body of work, one that is marked by the idea of delivering meaningful ideas and content in the format of entertaining cinema and also creating a culture of an audience that is aware about the relevant socio-cultural issues that we face as a society.
Through her work, Sai Paranjpye has cultured an idea of meaningful storytelling, one that is punctuated by her own strength and core ideas but also a larger idea of doing better, of being better as a collective.
