Dhvani Desai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dhvani Desai
Born	Mumbai
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Elphinstone College SVKM's NMIMS Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies Xavier Institute of Communication
Known for	Animation

Dhvani Desai is an Indian animation filmmaker, a person who helps organize film festivals, and a poet. She is famous for her artistic animated films like Manpasand (which means "The Perfect Match") and Chakravyuh (meaning "The Vicious Circle").

Early Life and Family

Dhvani Desai was born in Mumbai, India. She comes from a very creative family. Her father, Dr. Sudhir Desai, is a poet and a deep thinker. Her mother, Tarini Desai, writes modern short stories in the Gujarati language. Dhvani's older sister, Sanskritirani Desai, is also a Gujarati poet. Her brother, Sanskar, is a senior documentary filmmaker.

Journey into Animation

Dhvani Desai first studied Statistics at Elphinstone College in Mumbai. She then earned a business degree from SVKM's NMIMS. Later, she got a special diploma in Computer Management.

In 1991, Dhvani started her journey in animation. She began as a trainee at a computer animation studio. There, she learned about 2D animation. After that, she studied 3D animation at Xavier's Institute of Communication.

She worked at two animation studios before joining Computer Graphiti. This studio was a leader in Indian animation at the time. Dhvani worked on many advertisements there. She learned to mix 2D animation with live action and 3D. Later, she started her own animation studio called Metamorphosis in Mumbai. Her studio creates animations and special effects for commercials.

Films About Gandhiji

The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation produced a short animated film called The Mahatma. Dhvani Desai co-directed this film with her elder brother, Sanskar. They also made five other films. These films showed the important ideas of Gandhiji. These animated works were shown at the Tehran International Animation Festival in 2001. They were also featured at the Mumbai International Film Festival.

Manpasand - The Perfect Match

The Children's Film Society of India produced an 11-minute animated film. Dhvani Desai directed this film, called Manpasand (The Perfect Match). This film was chosen for many festivals around the world. It was shown in Germany, Canada, and other countries. Manpasand also won several international awards.

The story of Manpasand comes from the ancient Indian tales called the Panchatantra. The film used a special art style called Vaishnavite Sanjhi art. This is a type of stencil art. It took over two years to make the film. About 42 artists worked together on it.

Manpasand was nominated at the International Animation Film Festival in Hollywood. It was also shown at many other international film festivals. The film was screened at The Golden Elephant in Hyderabad in November 2007. This was the 15th International Children's Film Festival. It was also the first film shown at the Asian Women's Film Festival in New Delhi in 2008.

Chakravyuh - The Vicious Circle

Dhvani Desai also made a film called Chakravyuh (The Vicious Circle). This film was special because it was about a legal act. It helped people learn about India's Right to Information Act (RTI). This act helps citizens get information from the government.

The Films Division produced Chakravyuh. It was released on the 8th anniversary of the RTI Act. Many groups helped organize the event. This film has won several awards and nominations worldwide.

Dhvani Desai has also worked as a festival curator. She helps choose which animated films are shown at international film festivals. She has done this both in India and in other countries.

Awards and Recognition

Dhvani Desai has received many awards for her work:

• Gold Remi Award, 41st World Fest Houston, U.S.A. 2008 (for Manpasand — The Perfect Match)
• Bronze World Medal 2008 New York Film Festival
• Silver Award (Best Short Fiction of a Director), Indian Documentary Producer's Association, 2007
• Prix Danube Festival award, Slovakia 2008
• Award for Best Practices in RTI, Government of India, 2014
• Award from Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Govt of India, 2015
• Most Popular Film Award, Mumbai International Film Festival, 2014

Honors and Achievements

Dhvani Desai has also been honored in many ways:

• She was a jury member at the 66th National Film Awards in 2019. She judged films in the Non-Feature Category.
• She was a jury member at the Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES) in 2020.
• She was a jury member at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) in 2016 for the Animation Category.
• She was a Grand Jury member at New York Festivals in 2014.
• She was a jury member at the Third Eye Asian Film Festival in 2015.
• She was a jury member at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2022.

She has served as a jury member at many international film festivals both in India and abroad.