Paromita Vohra
Paromita Vohra is an award-winning Indian filmmaker and writer. She is known for her documentaries on subjects such as urban life, desire, pop culture and gender.[1] She has also written the screenplay of the award-winning feature film Khamosh Pani.[2] Her film production company Parodevi Pictures[3] is based in Mumbai. She writes a column Paro-normal Activity for the Sunday Mid-day[4] and also wrote a weekly column for Mumbai Mirror.[5]
Paromita Vohra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Filmmaker and writer |
| Known for | Making documentaries |
| Notable work | Khamosh Pani, Unlimited Girls, Q2P |
| Relatives | Anil Biswas (grandfather) Parul Ghosh (great-aunt) |
Biography
Vohra lives in Mumbai.[6] She is the daughter of Shikha Vohra,[7] who in turn was the daughter of the music composer Anil Biswas by his first wife Ashalata Biswas, an actress who worked in Hindi cinema during the 1930s and 1940.[8] Vohra studied mass communication in Miranda House at the University of Delhi (1986 – 1989).[9]
Vohra co-founded Agents of Ishq, an online platform for positively representing sex in India through various media forms.[10] She is also its current creative director.[11] Agents of Ishq has multimedia content in English and Hindi[10] and helps readers access comprehensive sexuality education, focusing on the three aspects of sex education, sexual experience and sexual etiquette.[12] Vohra has indicated that the platform should talk about "desire, freedom, gender, equality, and choice".[13] and a place where young Indians can access the right information about sex.[12]
In its 7 years of existence, Agents of Ishq has reached over 24 million people online and has been showcased as one of 10 global sexuality projects of excellence by UNESCO
Work
In her three-decade career, she has worked as a director, writer, actor, installation artist, curator, actor and a teacher, repeatedly breaking new ground.
Films
Vohra is among the few filmmakers who opened up new languages of documentary filmmaking, mixing fiction and non-fiction to create a uniquely personal and playful form. The hallmark of her work is its accessible, eclectic, humorous treatment of complex conceptual subjects – from public toilets to food politics, from feminism to Shahrukh Khan - while always breaking new ground both intellectually and artistically.
In 2013, Time Out Mumbai listed her as one of ten people who have changed the way we look at film in India. Her films have been internationally broadcast and released, and her work has been exhibited at the Tate Modern, The Wellcome Trust Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Art, and the CSMVS Museum (previously Prince of Wales), Mumbai.
She has also acted as ‘Aunty 303’ in the Channel V promos of the same name and had a cameo in the film English, August.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Language(s) | Director | Producer | Screenplay | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Annapurna: Goddess of Food | English | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1999 | A Woman's Place | English | Yes | |||
| 2000 | A Short Film about Time | English | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2002 | Unlimited Girls | English | Yes | Actor | ||
| 2004 | Work In Progress | English | Yes | |||
| 2004 | Cosmopolis: Two Tales of a City | English | Yes | |||
| 2005 | Where's Sandra? | English | Yes | |||
| 2006 | Q2P | English | Yes | |||
| 2008 | Morality TV and the Loving Jehad - Ek Manohar Kahani | Hindi, English | Yes | |||
| 2012 | Partners in Crime | English | Yes | |||
| 2013 | Connected Hum Tum, Season 1 | Hindi, English | Series Director |
| Year | Title | Language(s) | Producer | Screenplay | Dialogues | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Skin Deep | Multilingual | Yes | |||
| 2002 | A Few Things I Know About Her | English, Hindi, Rajasthani | Yes | |||
| 2003 | Khamosh Pani/Silent Waters | Punjabi | Yes | |||
| 2004 | If You Pause - in a Museum of Craft | English, Hindi, Rajasthani | Yes | |||
| 2005 | The House on Gulmohar avenue | English, Hindi | Script Consultant |
Vohra's other notable works as a screenplay and dialogue writer include Chotay Shah, directed by Sabiha Sumar and produced by Zee Zindagi, Raat Akeli Hai/No More Lonely Nights Story by Srinivas Sunderrajan.
She was a writer for 3 Films on Ethnic Conflict which were a collection of three short fiction films around the theme of ethnic conflict to be used as discussion tools for the People’s Decade of Human Rights Education, If You Pause: In a Museum of Craft directed by Sameera Jain, Skin Deep directed by Reena Mohan, Bollywood Inc produced by UTV for BBC, Videocon Flashback produced by Channel V and The Stuntment of Bollywood for National Geographic.
She was also a script consultant for The House on Gulmohar Avenue directed by Samina Mishra and Toda Stories directed by Anjali Punjabi.
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Language(s) | Director | Producer | Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Main aur Meri Body | Hindi, English | Yes | ||
| 2016 | The Amorous Adventures of Shakku and Megha in the Valley of Consent | Marathi, English | Yes | Sangeet Bari | |
| 2018 | Love in the Garden of Consent | Hindi, English | Yes | Co-produced by Parodevi Pictures and Nirantar | Tinder |
| 2020 | Aika to the Baika | Marathi, English | Yes | Co-produced by Parodevi Pictures and Majlis Legal Centre | |
| 2021 | #SorryThankYouTataByeBye | Hindi, English | Yes | Co-produced by Parodevi Pictures and Oxfam India |
Fiction & Non-Fiction Writing for Print
Vohra has an extensive body of fiction and non-fiction writings published in academic journals such as India Quarterly, BioScope and Jump Cut. Some of her narrative non-fiction work includes East is East/Aar ya Paar in Cinema-City, Osmosis in Recess: The Penguin Book of Schooldays and The One Billion Rupee Home in “Bombay Meri Jaan” (Penguin).
She has also written the educational guide for the use of film as a tool for discussion and with a special focus on Law, Patriarchy and Gender to accompany the film A Woman’s Place which has been widely used internationally by at least 200 institutions.
Journalism and Other Writing
Vohra is also an occasional contributor to Yahoo! Originals, Outlook, India Today, Time Out, Tehelka, Gallerie, Economic Times, Indian Express, Times of India, Wall Street Journal, Asian Age, Man’s World, Vogue, Elle on issues of popular culture, urban life, cinema,feminism and food.
With Ram Devineni, Vohra co-wrote Priya's Mirror, the second chapter to Priya's Shakti, a 2016 augmented realityinfused comic that focuses on acid attacks and violence against women.[14][15]
Multimedia Art
Along with making documentaries and writing, Vohra has also created multimedia projects such as sound installations for Project Cinema City, a 2012 exhibition on cinema, the city, and archiving contemporary culture, So Near Yet So Far,[16]which travelled to the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
Workshops
Vohra also conducts worshops on writing for film, finding your own creative approach, analyzing popular culture and gender across prestigious colleges and organisations such as NALSAR University, Indian School of Business, Video Volunteers, Open Space, Pune, Majlis, Mumbai, Delhi University, Mumbai University, IIM Bangalore, British Council, Cordoba University and J.Walter Thompson and Associates, (JWT), Delhi.
Artist in Residence
She has been an artist in residence at University of California, Santa Cruz (2023), Northwestern University (2017), University of Boulder (2017), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2015, 2016) and at the Seachange Residency in Provincetown (2007) and received grants from the Ford Foundation, Global Fund for Women, India Foundation for the Arts, PSBT, the Jan Vrijman Fund for Documentary, the Packard Foundation and the Goethe Institut among others.
Awards & Recognitions
| Year | Title | Awards | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | A Few Things I Know About Her | National Award for Best Documentary and Silver Conch for Documentary at Mumbai International Film Festival, | Writer |
| 2003 | Khamosh Pani/Silent Waters | Award for Best Screenplay, Kara Film Festival | Screenplay |
| 2004 | Cosmopolis:Two Tales of A City | Award for Best Experimental Documentary at Digital Film Festival, | Writer, Director |
| 2006 & 2007 | Unlimited Girls | Women’s New Award for Best Film, Women’s Film Festival in Seoul, 2006 and Aina News Award (2007) | Writer, Director |
| 2007 | Q2P | Best Documentary Award at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and Best Documentary Award at Stuttgart Film Festival, | Writer, Director |
| 2008 | Morality TV and the Loving Jehad | Best Short Documentary, IVF, Kerala | Writer, Director |
| 2012 | Partners in Crime | Best Documentary, Ladakh Film Festival, 2012, and Special Jury Mention, SIGNS | Writer, Director |
| 2020 | Aika to the Baika | Best campaign video, Ladli Gender and Media Awards | Director |
| 2021 | #SorryThankYouTataByeBye | Best campaign video, Ladli Gender and Media Awards | Director |
Filmography
- Paromita Vohra filmography-director
- "Goddess of Food - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "A Woman's Place - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "A Short Film About Time - BFI". British Film Institute. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Unlimited Girls - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Work in Progress - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Cosmopolis - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Where's Sandra? - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Q2P - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Morality TV and the Loving Jehad - PSBT". Public Service Broadcasting Trust. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Partners in Crime - Magic Lanterns Movies". Magic Lantern Movies. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- Paromita Vohra filmography-contributor
- "Skin Deep". Majlis. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- A few things I know about her (DVD Video, 2002). WorldCat. OCLC 773789002. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Khaamosh Pani:Silent Waters". IMDb. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "IIHS Library Catalog - If you Pause - Details for in a Museum of Craft". Indian Institute for Human Settlements. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- The House on Gulmohar Avenue (DVD Video, 2005). WorldCat. OCLC 85785293. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
References
- Aitken, Ian (31 October 2011). The Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film. Routledge. p. 405. ISBN 978-0-415-59642-8. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- Kamath, Sudhish (11 February 2005). "Khamosh Pani". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 May 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- "Parodevi Pictures | About". www.parodevipictures.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- "The 'Women In Labour' Podcast: Filmmaker Paromita Vohra on adopting narratives free of patriarchy". Firstpost. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- "Articles by Paromita Vohra". Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- "Filmmaker-artist Paromita Vohra's new installation urges to not shy away from pleasures aural and oral". The Indian Express. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- "Ashalata Biswas". Cinemaazi. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- Pandya, Sonal (17 October 2016). "Down memory lane: Ashalata Biswas". Cinestan. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- Nathan, Archana (2 April 2015). "And I make documentaries". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- Almeida, Rhea (December 2018). "How 'Agents of Ishq' is Helping India Talk About Sex". Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- "The Team - Agents of Ishq". Agents of Ishq. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- Mantri, Geetika (30 September 2016). "Singing condoms, podcasts and memes: 'Agents of Ishq' is on a mission to make sex ed fun". The News Minute. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- Cook, Ian M; Udupa, Sahana (6 September 2019). "Online Gods Ep 4: Rumours and the Agents of Ishq". Economic and Political Weekly. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
External links
- Separation Anxiety: The Schisms and Schemas of Media Advocacy; An Indian Filmmaker Working in the World (Paper by Paromita Vohra published by The University of Chicago Press, 2008)
- An evening with Indian filmmaker/writer Paromita Vohra (Lecture - Brandeis University, 2010)
- Dancing to His Own Bollywood Tune By Paromita Vohra for WSJ opinion, 2011)
- On the Aesthetics and Ideology of the Indian Documentary Film: A Conversation(By Arvind Rajagopalan & Paromita Vohra,for BioScope: South Asian Screen Studies, 2012)
- 'Queue to Pee' raises a stink about toilets (Article for DNA India on Q2P, 2013)
- (Vogue India, August 2014)
- And I make Documentaries (April 2, 2015 Interview)
- Remaking the “Political” in Social Documentary (Interview Paromita Vohra - Camera Obscura 1 May 2017)
- Films work by form (March 19, 2017 Interview)
- Each Journey Is Different And Valid, As Long As There Is Consent: Paromita Vohra (July 12, 2018 Interview)
- Interview: Paromita Vohra - TARSHI (August 1, 2018 Interview)
- (Review-Unlimited Girls, 2020)
- Films, Feminism, Paromita (Podcast Interview - Paromita Vohra, Jan 2020)
- The Stories We Tell (Podcast by Women in Labour, Apr 2020)
- Public Displays of Affection with Paromita Vohra (Podcast Interview - Marine Lines with Raghu Karnad, 2021)
- Without-pleasure-politics-there-can-be-no-meaningful (Interview for Indian Express,Oct 2021]
- Is distance learning an equaliser in an unequal education system? (Article for Goethe-Institut Oct, 2021)
- How Dare You? (Article by Paromita Vohra for socialtextjournal.org, April 2023)
- Interview Paromita Vohra - The Third Eye (May 4, 2023)
- Vasantasena’s Lychpin, Memory Games and Re-Membering in Pathaan: A Reading in Three Scenes – Paromita Vohra (July 3, 2023)