Amit Khanna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amit Khanna
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| Born | 1 March 1951 Delhi, India
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Film producer, lyricist, author, media executive |
| Years active | 1971 - present |
| Known for | Founder trustee of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image |
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Notable work
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Gudia, Sardari Begum, Bhairavi |
| Parents |
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| Awards | 3 National Film Awards |
Amit Khanna is a famous Indian film producer, director, writer, and journalist. He helped start and lead many important media companies. He was the first chairman of Reliance Entertainment. He also led the Producers Guild of India and helped create the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.
Did you know he is famous for creating the word "Bollywood"? This is the popular name for the Hindi film industry. Amit Khanna has won three National Film Awards for his work as a producer and a lyricist (someone who writes song lyrics).
Contents
About Amit Khanna's Life and Career
Amit Khanna studied at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He loved media from a young age, even when he was at St. Columba's School, Delhi. He has worked in many areas like theatre, radio, TV, journalism, and films.
He started his film journey in 1971 with the actor and producer Dev Anand’s Navketan Films. He helped make movies like Man Pasand. He has also written over 400 songs for films and other projects. Plus, he has written many film scripts.
In the 1980s, he started working in television as a producer and director. In 1990, he created Plus Channel. This was India’s first big entertainment company. It became the largest independent producer of TV shows. Later, he left Plus Channel to start Reliance Entertainment.
He also edited magazines like Tempus and Take-2. He wrote for many other magazines and newspapers. He was part of important groups like the Central Board of Film Certification. He also helped create the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.
Amit Khanna's Important Roles
Amit Khanna has been a key member of the Producers Guild of India. He is one of the few permanent members of its Council of Management. He has given speeches at big events for groups like Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). He has also served on more than 50 international government and trade groups.
Here are some of the important roles he has held:
- 1981: Member of the Film Federation of India (FFI), which is the main group for Indian films.
- 1985-2000: Vice President of the Association of Motion Picture & TV Program Producers for 17 years.
- 1989-2000: Managing Director and Group Editor for PLUS Channel, India’s first big media company.
- 1990-1994: Member of the Central Board of Film Certification.
- 2000-2015: Chairman of Reliance Entertainment.
- Founder Trustee: He helped start the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.
- President: He was President of the Producers Guild of India three times.
His Work in Films and TV
Amit Khanna began his film career in 1971 as an executive producer for Dev Anand's Navketan Films. In 1989, he helped set up Plus Channel. This company made TV shows, movies, and music. It also managed events.
Many films made by Plus Films won National Film Awards. In 1996, Amit Khanna won two awards as a film producer. He won for Gudia (Best Feature Film in Hindi) and Sardari Begum (Best Feature Film in Urdu). Plus Channel also made India's first audiobooks. They also started early business news shows on Indian TV.
In 2000, Khanna joined Reliance Entertainment and was its chairman for 15 years. Under his leadership, Reliance Entertainment became very important in Hollywood. In 2008, the company made deals to create movies with famous Hollywood actors. These included Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jim Carrey, and Nicolas Cage.
In 2008, Reliance Entertainment also teamed up with Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks SKG. They created a company called DreamWorks Studios. In 2009, they signed a huge deal to make and share movies with DreamWorks Studios.
Films He Worked On
Amit Khanna has worked on many films in different roles:
- 1973: Shareef Budmaash (Executive producer)
- 1976: Chalte Chalte (Lyricist)
- 1978: Des Pardes (Executive producer and lyricist)
- 1980: Man Pasand (Producer and lyricist)
- 1984: Sheeshay Ka Ghar (Director, writer)
- 1996: Bhairavi (Producer)
- 1996: Sardari Begum (Executive producer)
- 1997: Gudia (Producer)
TV Series He Produced
He also produced many TV series:
- 1986: Buniyaad (Executive producer)
- 1995: A Mouthful of Sky (Producer) - This was India's first English soap opera.
- 1995-97: Swabhimaan (Producer)
- 1997: Kabhie Kabhie (Producer)
As a lyricist, he wrote over 200 Hindi film songs. He often worked with music directors like Bappi Lahiri. He also wrote lyrics for about 200 songs released in music albums. In 1984, he directed three music videos for Nazia Hassan's album Young Tarang. He also wrote the opening songs for ten Indian TV series, including Buniyaad and Swabhimaan.
Awards and Recognitions
Famous magazines like Time and Newsweek have called Amit Khanna one of the top leaders in film and television worldwide. He has also given guest lectures at big universities like New York University. He was the first Indian to be on the jury for the International Emmy Awards.
Here are some of the awards he has won:
- 1987: Lifetime Achievement Award for Television from Uptron.
- 1996: National Film Award - Best Lyrics for Bhairavi.
- 1996: National Film Award - Best Hindi Film for Gudia.
- 1997: National Film Award - Best Urdu Film for Sardari Begum.
- 1997: TV Personality of the Year Award from Time magazine.
- 2015: Lifetime Achievement award for his work in film and television from the Norway Bollywood Festival.
Writings
Amit Khanna is now retired from film and organizational work. He spends all his time writing. He has written for many newspapers and magazines. He was an editor for Tempus and Take 2. He also wrote columns for The Economic Times and Business Standard.
He has also written books:
- Jan 2013: Anant Raag (Infinite Verse), a book of poetry.
- Dec 2019: Words Sounds Images: History of Media and Entertainment in India.
- He also co-authored the Encyclopedia of Bollywood.
He continues to write columns for online publications like The Wire and Open.
