Tribute: Pritish Nandy

Noted poet, journalist, and film producer Padma Shri Pritish Nandy passed away at 73. He suffered a cardiac arrest in Mumbai on the 8th of January this year. 

He has made immense contributions to the world of journalism and has been considered a pioneering figure by his colleagues. As the editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, an English-language weekly news magazine, his choice of content was brave and targeted towards attracting the urban readers of the 80s and 90s. As a columnist, he has also written opinion pieces for The Times of India, Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Sangbad Pratidin and Mumbai Mirror. In the 1970s, Nandy wrote incisive articles about the Bangladesh Liberation Movement, for which the government of Bangladesh awarded him the Bangladesh Liberation War Award in 2012.

In 1993, Nandy started his own media company Pritish Nandy Communications, and made landmark contributions to Indian television. His chat and business shows, such as The Pritish Nandy Show which aired on Doordarshan and Fiscal Fitness: The Pritish Nandy Business Show on Zee TV respectively, brought him widespread popularity and success. He also produced several other popular television shows, including Mr Gaayab, Ek Raja Ek Rani, Raj Kahani, Sanjog and Yudh amongst others. His alternative lifestyle show, New Horizons, for Doordarshan and Zee TV Network. won the Screen Videocon Award. It was hosted by Maneka Gandhi.

In 2001, Nandy donned the hat of a film producer and made significant films that ushered in the ‘multiplex era’ in India. Films like Sur (2002), Jhankaar Beats (2003), and Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006), featured strong narratives, urban-centric characters, melodious and peppy music, and most importantly, were very contemporary in their sensibilities. The stories of these films catered to the elite crowd with an appetite for true-to-life, mature, and meaningful cinema. It was also a peak period in the career of actor Rahul Bose, who rose to prominence in several films made during this time. However, the later films made by Nandy’s production house failed to create a lasting impression.

The most important film made by the production is Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003), a period political drama directed by Sudhir Mishra. The film depicts a subversive tale of the Indian nation and its societal and political setup from the 1960s to the 1970s. The fallacies of human thought, the incoherence of human action, and the innumerable choices that shape the nation become recurring themes of the narrative. With its depiction and subsequent disillusionment with Nehruvian socialism, Mishra’s political drama recalls a time when revolution was in the air, offering a commentary on society—love is blind, and so is the lust for power. The film was screened at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival (2004), the Edinburgh Film Festival, and the Commonwealth Film Festival in Manchester, among others. At the 2006 Filmfare Awards, the film won awards for Best Story and Best Debut Actor.   

In the age of streaming platforms, Pritish Nandy Communications produced two web series for Prime Video: Four More Shots Please! (2019-2022) and Modern Love Mumbai (2022), earning critical acclaim for their creative efforts. 

Pritish Nandy, a pioneering figure in the world of Indian art, culture, and literature. He has behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire artists, writers, and thinkers across generations.

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