PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Born in 1938, K BIKRAM SINGH did his MA in Political Science in 1958 and MA in history in 1960 from Delhi University. After a short stint as lecturer in history, he joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service in 1962. During his service with the Government of India, he has held a number of important positions, including Joint Director Food Corporation of India, Joint Director Planning (Railway Board), Joint Director Film Festivals and Director Film Policy in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

His interest in serious cinema goes back to the 1960's when he became a member of 'Film Forum', a film society of Mumbai/Bombay. In 1983 he took voluntary retirement from Government of India service to become a full time filmmaker.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

In 1984 he produced a feature film called 'Andhi Gali' (Blind Alley), directed by Budhadeb Dasgupta. He was also its Associate Director. Later he worked as Executive Producer of the well-known film 'New Delhi Times', directed by; Ramesh Sharma.

He has produced and directed more than 60 documentaries. Some of these have participated in the International Film Festivals, in India and abroad. A few of his well-known documentaries/TV series are 'CONTEMPRARY INDIAN PAINTING', 'GREENING OF RALEGAN SHINDI' (On the work of environmentalist Anna Sahib Hazare), 'IN SEARCH OF LIMELIGHT' (On the Junior Artistes of film industry), 'BONDED LABOUR', 'LOOKING BEYOND' (a tourism series), 'SATYAJIT RAY: INTROSPECTIONS', 'JHILMILI STORY' (on the empowerment of rural women) and 'A PAINTERS PORTRAIT' (a 13 part series on contemporary Indian painters).

'SATYAJIT RAY: INTROSPECTIONS' that was completed in 1990 is his personal tribute to Satyajit Ray. This has been shown in several countries including Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, France, U.K. and U.S.A. and was in the Indian Panorama Section of India's International Film Festival in 1991. Museum of Modern Art, New York (MOMA) has acquired the non-theatrical rights of this film for U.S.A. and Canada.

ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM

K. Bikram Singh has a deep interest in issues relating to environment and tourism. He has made more than 20 documentaries related to environmental and social issues. Some of these are 'REBIRTH', 'A FRIENDLY PLACE' (1997) and 'ROOTS OF DATIA'. This film on the natural regeneration of barren land was awarded Special Jury Prize at the Romaninan Film Festival, 1998. The theme and story outline of his television serial,'KAHIN EK GAON' produced in 1995-96 was conceived by him in 1987-88 while shooting the documentary 'GREENING OF RELEGAN SHINDI'. This deals with the environmental regeneration of a village in Maharastra, led by the well-known environmentalist Anna Saheb Hazere.

In 1988-89 he had made a 10 part series on the lesser-known destinations of tourists interest called MUSAFIR for Doordarshan. An year later he collaborated with the well known travel writers HUGH and COLLEN GRANTZER to make a six part series called LOOKING BEYOND for tourism promotion for Doordarshan. He has made two films for the Department of Tourism , Govt. of India called MUSAFIR (1992) and THE HILL TRAIL (1993) and two films for the Department of Tourism, Govt. of Rajasthan called MEWAR A LIVING LEGEND and THE DESERT TRIANGLE.

PAINTING AND LITERATURE

During 1993-94 he researched, directed and produced a 12 part video series on the ' STORY OF INDIAN PAINTING'. This was followed by a 13 parts series called 'A PAINTERS PORTRAIT' on 13 contemporary Indian painters. In 1997 he made an hour-long video film on 'GLIMPSES OF INDIAN PAINTING' for the Ministry of External Affairs and in the same year made another hour-long film on 'PROGRESSIVE ARTISTS GROUP' featuring Souza, Raza, Hussain, Ara, Bakre and Gade for the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). This was followed by another film for the NGMA on the art of printmaking called 'THE ART OF MULTIPLE ORIGINALS' in 2002 and a film on the painter K G Subramanyan called 'A RABBIT'S LEAP IN THE MOONLIGHT' in 2004. The critics have hailed theses films as landmark works on contemporary Indian painting.

In 1999-94 he did an 8 part series called 'KAVITA SHATI' and another 4 part series called 'KAVI AUR KAVITA' on the contemporary Hindi poets for Mahatma Gandhi Antarrastriya Hindi Viswavidyalaya. He has also made film for the the two eminent Hindi poets Kedarnath Singh and Kunwar Narain.

FEATURE FILMS

Apart from ANDHI GALI, which he had produced in 1984, he directed a feature film called 'TARPAN (THE ABSOLLUTION)' in 1994 for the National Film Development Corporation, which had given it the Best Script Award. 'TARPAN' has participated in the Panorama Section of India's International Film Festival in 1995, and has received the Aravindan Award for the Best Deut Film.

'TARPAN'has participated in the Moscow International Film festival (1995), Montreal World Film Festival (1995) and Chicago Film Festival (1995). K. BIKRAM Singh was awarded the Nagiub Mahfouz Award for 'TARPAN at the Cairo International Film Festival in 1995. In 1995 he produced and dircted a telvision feature film called 'SRIJAN' on the theme of environment and rural development. This has been shown on Doordarshan i.e. Indian national television feature film called 'SRIJAN' on the theme of environment and rural development. This has been shown on Doordarshan i.e. Indian national television.

OTHER IMPORTANT WORKS

In 1997-98 he produced and directed a television series called 'WITHOUT MALICE' for STAR TV. This is a satirical review of the history of post-Independent India (1947-1998) through published political cartoons. This series has received very wide critical notices in the press.

In 2001, he cdompleted a video documentary on Lester James Peries, the celebrated Sri Lankan film director called 'THE WORLD OF PERIES'. Apart from exploring his work as filmmaker this film also deals with the lifelong friendship of Peries with Satyajit Ray. In the same year he made another video documentary called 'OF LIFE AND DEATH' for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT) that explores the meaning of life, death and immortality in contemporary times. Both these were in the Competitive Section of Mumbai International Film Festival 2002. Since then he has made two more films for PSBT 'A MIDDLE CLASS REBELLION' (2002) on changing values of Indian middle class and 'PASSING ON' (2003) that deals with the problem of transmitting the folk music tradition of the Langa and Manganiyar communities of Rajasthan, to the next generation.

GENERAL

He has been the president of North India Films Association, Member Central Selection Panel for the Featdure Films for Indian Panorama Section of the Indian International Film Festival (1991), Chairman, Selection Panel for the Non-Feature Films of Indian Panorama (1992), and Chairman, Short Films Jury for the NISCORT Film Festival (1999). He was the member of the Selection Panel for films for the 8th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation films (2004). He is a life member of Indian Film Director's Association, member of Indian Documentary Producer's Association, Western India Film Producer's Association and Indian Film Writers Association.

He also writes a fortnightly column on life, literature and the arts called BIMB PARTIBIMB in the major Hindi daily JANSATTA. CINE ARTS INDIA is his proprietary concern for making film and video productions.

ADDRESS

K.Bikram Singh, INE ARTS INDIA, 242, SFS Flats, Hauz Khaz, New Delhi- 110016, INDIA.
Telephone: -91 11 2686 6923, 2656 4253.
Tele Fax:- 91 11 2686 6923
Mobile: - 9811484448,
Email:bikram@nda.vsnl.net.in