Anurag Singh (filmmaker) explained

Birth Place:	Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Anurag Singh is an Indian documentary filmmaker known for his socio-political, human rights oriented films.^[1] He has worked with mass peoples’ movements, including the Narmada Bachao Andolan,^[2] National Campaign for People's Right to Information,^[3] and Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan^[4] His most famous films are "Kaise Jeebo Re" (1997 – Narmada valley displacement),^{[5] [6]} and "Right to Information" (1999 – Peoples’ demand for RTI, the landmark transparency legislation),^[7] which have been screened and won awards internationally.

Biography

Born in 1968 in Varanasi, India, Anurag comes from a small tribal village in Madhya Pradesh. His father Shyam Bahadur Namra was a noted poet and social reformer who worked extensively on education and tribal rights.^[8] Anurag's local wisdom and understanding are reflected in the themes and treatment of his films. Involved in photography, cinematography and filmmaking since 1984, Anurag directed his first film 'Manibeli' in 1989, and has since made more than half a dozen films including 'Battle For Peace', 'Kaise Jeebo Re' (How Do I Survive, My Friend), and 'Main Nahi Manga' (We Do Not Ask!).^[9] Anurag has also worked with Center for Development of Instructional Technology (CENDIT), an organization that pioneered using of audiovisual technology to communicate sociopolitical issues in India.^[10] In 1992 Anurag set up his own film production company Jan Madhyam Productions & in 2004 Rough Cut Productions with Jharana Jhaveri.

Filmography

• 1992: "Manibeli", a video on the police repression and people's struggle in the 1st village of Maharashtra State to be submerged by the controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam: Manibeli. 1992. 43 minutes. Hindi.^[11]
• 1992: "Battle for Peace", a video on the Burmese students in exile in India made with them. Aug 1992. 30 minutes. English^[12]
• 1997: "Kaise Jeebo Re! (How Do I Survive, My Friend)" A Documentary on the protest against the Narmada dam. 1997. 80 minutes. Hindi.^[13]
• 1999: "Main Nai Manga" a spot on the Right to Information as a basic need. Screened at Expo 2000, Hanover, Germany. March 1999 3.5 minutes. English (Digital)
• 2000: "Right to Information". 33 minutes. English (subtitled)

Awards

• "Right to Information" won Best Documentary, Transparency International, Prague, Czech Republic.,^[14] and was 2nd in the Best Non-Fiction award at the 2000 Mumbai International Film Festival.^[15]
• "Kaise Jeebo Re! (How Do I Survive, My Friend)" won YIDFF in 1999 in Yamagata, Japan.^{[16] [17]}

Notable screenings

• "Kaise Jeebo Re! (How Do I Survive, My Friend)" was screened at the 1997 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in Amsterdam, Netherlands.^[18]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mention of Director Anurag Singh, who had presented his film made along with his partner & wife Jharana Jhaveri"kaise jeebo re!" at Yale.. news.yale.edu. 24 April 2015.
2. Web site: List of people associated with Narmada Bachao Andolan . narmada.org.
3. Web site: Media page of Right To Information movement, India. righttoinformation.info. 2015-03-24. 2016-12-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220045423/http://righttoinformation.info/media/. dead.
4. Web site: media page of MKSS. mkssindia.org. 2015-03-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305160159/http://www.mkssindia.org/media/. 2016-03-05. dead.
5. Book: Acknowledgement in "The Algebra of Infinite Justice", Arundhati Roy. 2002. Penguin. 9780143029076. 312. 24 April 2015.
6. Book: Acknowledgement in "The Greater Common Good", Arundati Roy. The Greater Common Good. 1999. 8173101213.
7. Book: Right To know, right to live. 2002. IDASA Publishers. 9781919798424. 157. 24 April 2015.
8. Book: Sangharsh Anur Nirman, Authored by Shyam Bahadur Namra . 8126709960. 24 April 2015.
9. Web site: Website of Magic Lantern Foundation. Under Construction Films. 24 April 2015.
10. Web site: review of Anurag Singh's film "Manibeli" . downtoearth.org.in.
11. Web site: review of Anurag Singh's film "Manibeli" . Down To Earth. 24 April 2015.
12. Web site: Mention of Anurag Singh's film "Battle for Peace". news.yale.edu. 24 April 2015.
13. Web site: Online catalogue Cinemambiente, 2004. 24 April 2015. 30 April 2015. https://archive.today/20150430145056/http://archivio.cinemambiente.it/cineambi/ed2004/default_en.asp?pag=2&id=894&vis=1. dead.
14. Web site: Newsletter announcing "best documentary award". Transparency International. 24 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215734/http://www.10iacc.org/content-ns.phtml?documents=601&art=67. 3 March 2016. dead.
15. Web site: Best Non-Fiction Video Film up to 90 mins.. Mumbai International Film Festival. 24 April 2015.
16. Book: Brochure from Yamagata International Film Festival, 1999. 1999.
17. Web site: Yamagata Film Festival Online Catalogue, 1999. Yamagata Japan. 24 April 2015.
18. Web site: IDFA online catalogue 1997. IDFA. 24 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160312162116/https://www.idfa.nl/industry/tags/project.aspx?id=96d5ff8f-82fd-4fd7-99a5-a92b579a43d4. 12 March 2016. dead.