Nila Madhab Panda is an Indian film director, producer and social activist, who has made over 70 diverse cutting edge feature films, documentaries and short films. His films revolve around several socially relevant issues that are portrayed in an entertaining and hard-hitting manner. These films have been globally acclaimed and honoured and have justified the fact that films can be a powerful medium to bring about social positive turnarounds.

Early Life of Nila Madhab Panda
Nila Madhab Panda was born on October 18, 1973, in the town of Sonepur, in the Subarnapur district of the state of Odisha. He studied Entrepreneurship at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and learnt the intricacies of film making, which was the first stepping stone to his tryst with the medium where he has today achieved fame and global recognition. It has been a long journey that he has traversed from a small obscure village in one of the remotest parts of India to metropolitan cities all across the globe, insights of which he has drawn from his life and intellectually incorporated in most of his films.

Film Making Approach of Nila Madhab Panda
Nila Madhab Panda"s films have diverse socially relevant issues as the central theme, ranging from climate change to child labour, education to water and sanitation issues and many other developmental issues in India. While profusely showcasing these matters, Panda keeps his films entertaining.

Career of Nila Madhab Panda
Nila Madhab Panda founded Eleeanora Images, a multimedia production house in 1998. While shooting a documentary, Panda encountered a story that later went on to become "I Am Kalam", his first iconic Hindi feature film. The film released in 2011 and was screened in the market section at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010. The film was received with wide critical appraisal and was showcased in various international film festivals. A gripping watch lending out a simple message of providing an equal opportunity, "I Am Kalam" won numerous awards and global recognitions, which include 32 International Film Awards, 1 National Award, 2 industry awards (1 Filmfare and 1 Screen) and several nominations in over 60 international film festivals. His second feature film "Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid" released in 2012 and centres on the issue of female foeticide. It was also highly acclaimed and well received by the audience as well. His next film "Babloo Happy Hai" is a take on today"s youth and their mindset on the concept of love and sex that received mixed reviews. His most recent feature film is a drama, "Kaun Kitne Paani Mein", released in 2015 and dealing with water crisis in India. A satire set in rural India, the film focuses on the present day scenario and how water will become a scarce currency unless we save and manage it. It was critically acclaimed.

Awards and Recognitions received by Nila Madhab Panda
The most prestigious awards that Nila Madhab Panda and his thought provoking film works were honoured with are enlisted hereunder.

For "I Am Kalam":

•Best Feature Film in Chicago International Children"s Film Festival, 2011
•People`s Choice Award at the Montreal International Children`s Film Festival, 2011
•Best Feature Film Award at Silent River Film Festival (SRFF), California, 2011
•Best Director Award at Silent River Film Festival (SRFF), California, 2011
•â€œThe Don Quixote Prize” of the International Cine Club Federations at the Lucas International Film Festival, Germany, 2010
•Best Feature Film at the Lucas International Film Festival, Frankfurt, 2010
•Bronze Cairo for Best Feature at Cairo International Film Festival for Children, Cairo, 2012
•Best Feature Film from the Indian Panorama by the Young Jury at the 41st International Film Festival of India, 2010
•Best Debut Director at Aravindam Purashkaram, 2011
•Golden Elephant Award for the Best Screenplay at 17th International Children"s Film Festival, India, 2011
•Audience Favourite Choice at the Barbican London Children Film Festival, 2010

For "Jalpari":

•Audience Choice Award in Minsk International Film Festival in Belarus, 2012
•MIP Junior Kids Jury Award at Cannes in 2012

Besides the aforementioned recognitions, Nila Madhab Panda has most recently been honoured with the Padma Shri, India"s fourth highest civilian honour by the Government of India, in the field of Art - Film Direction and Production in 2016. He has also served in the juries of several national and international film festivals. He has also received UK Environment Film Fellowship in 2005 and United Nations Visual Media Fellowship in 2002. He has been awarded by the British Council`s Creative Futures Programme in 2007, with the Longest Journey Award.

Feature Films by Nila Madhab Panda
Nila Madhab Panda amongst his many varied films has directed the following feature films.