Producer - director Vidhu Vinod Chopra made his directorial debut with Murder At Monkey Hills in 1976 that won him the National Award, which is the Top Honour given by the Government of India.Two years later in 1978, this young FTII (Film & Television Institute of India) graduate made a documentary film called An Encounter with Faces, which was nominated for the Academy Awards in 1979. The poignant documentary highlighting the plight of India's destitute children, also won the Grand Prix at the Tampere International Short Film Festival.
While critical praise and recognition came to him with these early works, the maverick director then went on to make his first mainstream Hindi film called Sazaa-e-Maut (Death Row) in 1981. While critical and popular acclaim is hard to come by simultaneously, Mr Chopra is one producer - director who has perfected the art and his body of work is testimony to this. Movies like Khamosh, Parinda, 1942: A Love Story, Kareeb and Mission Kashmir, which were directed by Mr Chopra, were hailed by critics and audiences alike - thus bridging the gap between critical and popular cinema.
The year 2003 was a year of firsts for Chopra. Moving away from direction, he wrote his first script, handed over the directorial reigns to a debutant and also made his first solo production under his banner with Munnabhai M.B.B.S. The movie, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, went on to become one of the most popular films Indian cinema has ever seen. So impressed was the West by this movie that leading Hollywood studio Twentieth Century Fox acquired the rights of the film's screenplay from Chopra and will be adapting it into an English film.
The movie's sequel Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) propagated the Mahatma Gandhi's principles and portrayed them in a new light. The 'Gandhisim' wave that spread across India, post the release of the movie was unprecedented. Also in the pipeline is the third installment in the series called Munna Bhai Chale Amerika. Munna Bhai is the first ever successful Indian movie franchise. A firm believer of talent, Chopra also wrote and produced another debutant director's film - Parineeta. Directed by ad man Pradeep Sarkar, the movie went on to receive critical and popular acclaim and awards galore.
After a hiatus of seven years, Chopra took up the director's baton yet again with the dramatic action-thriller Eklavya - The Royal Guard. The movie won critical acclaim from the Indian and world press alike. 'A lost film by David Lean' is what L.A. Times touted it as.Vinod Chopra Films also has a co-production deal with Anil Ambani's Reliance BIG Pictures that was announced at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Two films to be made under this deal are a mainstream English language film Broken Horses starring Oscar nominated Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke, which is being directed by Chopra and a romantic fantasy adventure Taalismaan, which is based on an epic novel, to be directed by Ram Madhvani.Vinod Chopra Films is one of the most buzzing production houses in India. The best acting talent in India from Amitabh Bachchan to Aamir Khan have worked with Vinod Chopra Films.