Here is Onir's biography:
Onir is a renowned Indian filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, and editor, born as Anirban Dhar in Samchi, Bhutan. He spent his childhood frequenting cinemas and later pursued a degree in comparative literature at Jadavpur University in 1989. Onir received a scholarship to study film editing at SFB/TTC in Berlin, after which he returned to India and worked as an editor, scriptwriter, art director, music album producer, and song/music video director.
Onir directed and produced his first documentary film, "Falling Hero," on painter Bijon Chaudhary in 1992. He worked as the film editor, song designer, and song director for the film "Daman" directed by Kalpana Lajmi in 1999. His breakthrough film, "My Brother...Nikhil," based on the life of Dominic D'Souza, was released in 2005 and dealt with AIDS and same-sex relationships, making it one of the first mainstream Hindi films to address these topics.
Onir's subsequent films include "Bas Ek Pal" (2006),"Sorry Bhai!" (2007),and "I Am" (2011),a unique citizen-funded film project that explores the lives of single mothers, child sexual abuse, displacement, and LGBTQI+ rights. "I Am" received critical acclaim and won the Indian National Film Award for Best Film (Hindi) in 2011.
Onir has also produced "Chauranga" (2014),a film about class conflict set in rural India, and directed "Raising the Bar" (2016),a documentary featuring the lives of children and young people living with Down syndrome. His feature films include "SHAB" (2017),"Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz" (2018),and "Pine Cone" (2022),a semi-autobiographical film that premiered at the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.
Onir has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Diversity Award from Film Victoria Australia and La Trobe University at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the Engendered Spirit of Independent Cinema Award, and the Rainbow Warrior Award. He is currently working on a SonyLiv web series based on Rahul Pandita's book and a sequel to his 2011 National Award-winning film "I Am," titled "We Are."
