Film Critique, Film Maker & Author
Utpal Borpujari
Utpal Borpujari is a national award winning film critique, film maker, journalist and author based in New Delhi.
Born in Guwahati, Assam Mr Borpujari is winner of the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) Award for the Best Film Critic at the 50th National Film Awards of India, 2003. A geologist by training and M.Tech in Applied Geology from University of Roorkee (now IIT-Roorkee), he opted journalism as profession.
A member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), Utpal Borpujari has served on several prestigious film juries both in national and international platforms. The list includes Best Writing on Cinema, 51st National Film Awards of India, 2004, FIPRESCI Jury at the MAMI International Film Festival, Mumbai, 2006, FIPRESCI jury at the 34th Montreal World Film Festival, Aug 26-Sept 6, 2010. He has been in the panel of 10 critics & 10 directors at 40th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, 2009.
His association with the film world extends to being script consultant to the feature film “As the River Flows” (Hindi) / “Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipaare” (Assamese) by Bidyut Kotoky (produced by the National Film Development Corporation) and a consultant to Biswajeet Bora’s documentary “Angel of the Aborigines: Verrier Elwin”.
He is associated with Film Trust India, New Delhi (as a trustee); Assam Cine Art Society, Guwahati; Cine Art Society, Asom (CineASA), Guwahati; and Cineman, New Delhi and a regular writer on various aspects of cinema.
He has co-authored the book “Secret Killings of Assam” (Human Rights Law Network/Nanda Talukdar Foundation) with journalists Mrinal Talukdar and Kaushik Deka. Besides this his essays on film found place in other notable publications as well. Currently, he is developing scripts for feature films in Assamese/Hindi/English as well as concepts for several documentary films, apart from having completed shooting of a documentary.
After working as the chief assistant director in upcoming Hindi film Jalpari, directed by Nila Madhab Panda of I am Kalam fame, Borpujari has just completed a documentary titled ‘Mayong: Myth/Reality’ and is preparing for two feature films in Assamese and Hindi.