Jamil Dehlavi () (born 1944) is a London-based independent film director and producer of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

origin. Since he became a filmmaker in the 1970s, his work has been widely screened internationally, notable films including '' Jinnah'' (1998), about the partition of India and the birth of Pakistan, which won the Grand Prize at the Festival of the Dhow Countries, Best International Film at the World Film Awards in Indonesia, the Gold Award at Worldfest Flagstaff, Best Foreign Film at

Worldfest Houston The WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, founded in 1968, is an annual film festival held annually in April in Houston, Texas. Notable festival alumni include John Lee Hancock, who wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film '' The Blind S ...

, and was nominated for a Golden Pyramid at the

Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year since its inception, except for 2011 and 2013, when it was cancelled ...

Early life and education

Born in

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, to a

mother and an Pathan-Indian father who was a diplomat and subsequently travelled extensively between Asia and Europe, Dehlavi is fluent in five languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish and Urdu).Ali Nobil Ahmad (9 August 2018)
"Meeting Jamil Dehlavi - Pakistan's most intriguing filmmaker"
''The National'' (newsmagazine). Retrieved 25 October 2020. He studied at

Karachi Grammar School Karachi Grammar School is an independent, English-medium school located in 3 different campuses across Karachi. The main and oldest campus is located in Saddar, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is a highly selective, coeducational day school (formerl ...

, then at international schools in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, before going to

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

and

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. He graduated with a BA degree in Politics and French Literature and an MA (Hons) in Jurisprudence. He was subsequently called to the Bar at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

but never practised, preferring instead to go into the world of cinema.Alex Barrett (8 November 2018)
"Where to begin with Jamil Dehlavi"
(profile), British Film Institute website. Retrieved 25 October 2020. Dehlavi studied film directing at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where he was awarded an MFA degree.

Career

While studying in New York, Dehlavi trained as an actor with

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher. A member of Yiddish Theater's Adler dynasty, Adler began acting at a young age. She shifted to producing, directing, and teaching, founding the ...

and made his first feature film, ''Towers of Silence'', which he wrote, produced and directed. It won the Grand Prize at the Festival of the Americas. His next film, ''

The Blood of Hussain ''The Blood of Hussain'' is a 1980 Pakistani drama film directed by Jamil Dehlavi. The film was released in February 1981 in the UK. The film was banned throughout Pakistan as the military junta led by General Zia-ul-Haq toppled the government ...

'' (1980), was selected by the Director's Fortnight at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

and won the Grand Prize at the

Taormina Film Festival Taormina Film Fest (TFF) is an annual film festival that takes place at Taormina, Sicily, Italy, in July. It was established in 1955 in Messina, and in 1957 became Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina, until it moved per ...

. All of his subsequent films have also won major awards at film festivals all over the world. Dehlavi has worked on various projects for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Channel Four Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded entirely by its commer ...

, and French television, including ''Qâf – The Sacred Mountain'', which won awards at five environmental film festivals. He worked on ''Passover'', a

passion play The Passion Play or Easter pageant is a dramatic Play (theatre), presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus: his Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, trial, suffering and death. The viewing of and participation in Passion Plays is a traditional part of L ...

shot in

Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...

and made in collaboration with the celebrated flamenco guitarist

Paco Peña Francisco Peña Pérez (born 1 June 1942), known as Paco Peña, is a Spanish flamenco guitarist, composer and director of his Flamenco Dance Company. He is regarded as one of the world's foremost traditional flamenco players. Biography Born i ...

. Dehlavi has also worked in the Radio & Visual Services Division at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and as an associate professor in the School of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at

Habib University Habib University (HU) () is a university for Liberal arts education located in Karachi. Funded by the House of Habib, the Habib University Foundation was established in 2010, and was chartered in 2012 as an independent university. Based on a ...

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. In August 2018, the

BFI Southbank BFI Southbank (from 1951 to 2007, known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading repertory cinema in the United Kingdom, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Inst ...

presented a retrospective of his work entitled ''Between the Sacred and the Profane: The Cinema of Jamil Dehlavi'', which was described as "a rare opportunity to examine the contribution of one of the most intriguing and least understood figures of cinema." With screenings of several films held over the weekend of 10–12 August, the event also featured a conversation with Dehlavi.

Awards

* 1973: ''The Guitarist'' (starring Jamil Dehlavi & Ellen Pauwels) ::Gold Medal –

Atlanta Film Festival The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is an international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia and operated by the Atlanta Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Started in 1976 and occurring every spring, the festival shows a diverse r ...

* 1976: ''Towers of Silence'' (starring Judy Van Hook & Jamil Dehlavi) ::Grand Prize - Festival of the Americas * 1980: ''

'' (starring Salman Peerzada,

Kika Markham Erika S.L. "Kika" Markham (born 1940)''birth registered 4th quarter (Oct, Nov, Dec) 1940'' is an English actress. Early life Markham is a daughter of actor David Markham and writer Olive Dehn (1914–2007). She has three sisters, including Pet ...

, Durriya Kazi & Jamil Dehlavi) ::Director's Fortnight -

::Grand Prize –

::Gold Award –

::Gold Hugo Nomination Best Feature Film –

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

* 1984: ''Qâf – The Sacred Mountain'' (short documentary film, also known as ''Qâf'') ::Best Environmental Film – Jackson Hole Mountain Film Festival ::Special Jury Award – Telluride Mountain Film Festival ::Silver Gentian Best Mountain Film – Trento Mountain Film Festival ::Diable d'Or – Les Diablerets,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

::Best Environmental Documentary – Worldfest Houston * 1986: ''Born of Fire'' (starring

Peter Firth Peter Macintosh Firth (born 27 October 1953) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC One programme '' Spooks''; he is the only actor to have appeared in every episode of the programme's ten-series lif ...

Suzan Crowley Suzan Crowley () is an English-American actress, best known for her role as Maria Rossi in '' The Devil Inside''. Filmography Film Television References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crowley, Suzan Living people 20th-cent ...

) ::Official Selection – Avoriaz Film Festival ::Catalan Award – Imagfic Madrid ::Gold Award Best Feature Film – Worldfest Houston ::Gold Hugo Nomination Best Feature Film – Chicago International Film Festival * 1992: ''

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

'' (starring

Melissa Leo Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Critics' Choice A ...

James Wilby James Jonathon Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English actor. Early life and education Wilby was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father. He was educated at Terrington Hall and Sedbergh School, studied for a degree in M ...

Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Her career in the Hindi cinema, Hindi film industry has spanned Shabana Azmi filmography, over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist paral ...

Zia Mohyeddin Zia Mohyeddin (; 20 June 1931 – 13 February 2023) was a British-Pakistani film actor, producer, director, and television broadcaster who appeared in both Pakistani cinema and television, as well as in British cinema and television throughout ...

) ::Panorama –

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

::Special Jury Prize – Dinard Film Festival ::Gold Hugo Nomination Best Feature Film – Chicago International Film Festival * 1996: ''Passover'' (short film starring

Jorge de Juan Jorge de Juan García (born 6 June 1961) is a Spanish film and theatre actor, producer and director, known artistically as Jorge de Juan. In 2016 he founded the Spanish Theatre Company (STC) which is the first charity in the history of the Briti ...

& Belen Fernandez) * 1997: ''

Passion in the Desert ''Passion in the Desert'', or ''Simoom: A Passion in the Desert'', is a 1997 film from director Lavinia Currier based on the 1830 short story " A Passion in the Desert" by Honoré de Balzac. The film follows the ventures of a young French officer n ...

'' roducer(starring

Ben Daniels Ben Daniels (born 10 June 1964) is an English actor. Initially a stage actor, Daniels was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Never the Sinner'' (1991), the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for ''900 Oneonta'' ...

Michel Piccoli Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli (27 December 1925 – 12 May 2020) was a French actor, producer and film director with a career spanning 70 years. He was lauded as one of the greatest French character actors of his generation who played a wide vari ...

) * 1998: '' Jinnah'' (starring

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a career spanning more than sixty years, Lee became known as an actor with a deep and commanding voice who often portrayed villains in horr ...

James Fox James William Fox (born William Fox; 19 May 1939) is an English actor known for his work in film and television. Fox's career began in the 1960s through roles in films such as '' The Servant'' and ''Performance''. He is also known for his role ...

Maria Aitken Maria Penelope Katharine Aitken (born 12 September 1945) is a British theatre director, teacher, actress, and writer. As an actress, Aitken has been twice nominated at the Olivier Awards, in 1980 for ''Private Lives'' and in 1985 for ''Wast ...

Shashi Kapoor Shashi Kapoor (pronounced �əʃi kəpuːɾ born Balbir Raj Kapoor; 18 March 1938 – 4 December 2017) was an Indian actor and producer known primarily for his work in Hindi films. He is considered as one of the greatest and most successful acto ...

)"Jamil Dehlavi's 'Jinnah' to be screened in Lahore"
''

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Lakson Group'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the '' Intern ...

'' (Pakistan), 6 March 2019, Retrieved 24 October 2020. ::Grand Prize –

Zanzibar International Film Festival Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization establis ...

::Best International Film – World Film Awards, Indonesia ::Gold Award Best Foreign Film – Worldfest Flagstaff ::Silver Award – Worldfest Houston ::Golden Pyramid Nomination –

* 2006: '' Infinite Justice'' (starring Kevin Collins &

Raza Jaffrey Raza Jaffrey (born May 28 1975) is a British actor who is known for his roles as Zafar Younis in the BBC One spy drama series '' Spooks'' (2004–2007) and Neal Hudson in the CBS medical drama '' Code Black'' (2015). He also had a recurring role ...

) ::FIPRESCI International Critics Prize ::Best European Feature Film – European Independent Film Festival, Paris ::Robert Rodriguez Prize for Excellence – Hollywood DV Festival ::Critic's Prize –

Amiens International Film Festival Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

::Audience Award Best Film – Florence River to River Festival ::Special Jury Award – Worldfest Houston ::Best Supporting Actor:

- Karafilm Festival, Karachi * 2010: ''

Godforsaken ''Godforsaken'' () is a 2003 Dutch drama film directed by Pieter Kuijpers from a screenplay he co-wrote with Paul Jan Nelissen. It stars Tygo Gernandt, Angela Schijf, and Egbert Jan Weeber. The film received a Golden Film (100,000 visitors), an ...

'' (starring Annabel Wright, Trevor White & Nick Ashdon) ::Golden Palm Award – Mexico International Film Festival ::Special Jury Remi and Best International Film Award – Worldfest Houston ::Best Actress Nomination: Annabel Wright – Milan International Film Festival, Italy ::Best European Feature Nomination - European Independent Film Festival, France ::Best Film Nomination – Beverly Hills Hi-Def Film Festival ::Best Digital Film Nomination – Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt ::Best Film Nomination – Portobello International Film Festival, London * 2014: ''Seven Lucky Gods'' ::Grand Prize,

Tirana International Film Festival The Tirana International Film Festival (TIFF) is an Academy Awards qualifying film festival and one of the major annual events taking place in Tirana each year. It was the first international cinema festival in Albania. This cultural event was cre ...

::Best Feature Film –

Canada International Film Festival The Edgewater Casino is a former casino that was located at 760 Pacific Blvd South Vancouver, British Columbia. It was in operation from 2005 to 2017. History The Edgwater Casino opened in February 2005. In 2006, the casino was acquired by Par ...

::Gold Lion Award –

Barcelona International Film Festival Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a pop ...

::Best Feature Film – Honolulu Film Awards, Hawaii ::Best Feature Film – Delhi International Film Festival ::Special Jury Prize – Worldfest Houston ::Best Actor (

Nik Xhelilaj Kreshnik Xhelilaj (born 5 March 1983), known professionally as Nik Xhelilaj, is an Albanian-born Turkish actor. He began his international career with the film The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider, directed by Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani, and has st ...

) – Worldfest Houston ::Best Actress Nomination (

Alison Peebles Alison Peebles (born 1953) is a Scottish actress, director, and writer in theatre, film, and television. She is a co-founder of Communicado, a Scottish theatre company. Early life Peebles trained as a painter at Edinburgh College of Art. Career ...

) – Worldfest Houston ::Best Original Screenplay – St. Tropez International Film Festival ::Best Lead Actress (Alison Peebles) – St. Tropez International Film Festival ::Bronze Palm Award – Mexico International Film Festival ::Best Foreign Film Nomination – Phoenix Film Festival ::Best Production Design Nomination (Jamil Dehlavi) – Milan Film Festival ::Best Supporting Actress Nomination (Kate Maravan) – Milan Film Festival ::Best Supporting Actor Nomination (Christopher Villiers) – Madrid International Film Festival * 2016: ''Blood Money'' (short film) ::Short Film Corner – Cannes Film Festival ::Best Picture – West Coast International Film Festival, USA ::Honorable Mention Award – Berlin International Film Awards ::Finalist – Polish International Film Festival

References

External links

Dehlavifilms
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dehlavi, Jamil 1944 births Living people Alumni of the University of Oxford British film directors British film producers Columbia University School of the Arts alumni Film directors from Karachi French people of Pakistani descent Karachi Grammar School alumni Muhajir people Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Pakistani emigrants to the United Kingdom Pakistani male film actors Pakistani people of French descent People educated at Rugby School Place of birth missing (living people) Film directors from Kolkata