Puneet Sira
Puneet Sira | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 3 December 1967 London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Film Director, Producer |
| Spouse | Vekeana Dhillon 2010–present |
| Children | Shaan Sira, Simran Sira |
| Awards | 2009 SAFF Director Award: Kisaan |
Puneet Sira is a British and Bollywood feature film director and producer who formed The Foundry which is actively developing and producing feature films and a slate of highly anticipated original IP premium content for OTT platforms..
His tenure at BBC Films provided the building blocks that launched his extensive career as director, writer and producer. Since then, he’s been the Executive Producer of Channel [V] for the Star TV Network. He’s produced and directed several dramas for television and feature films including the cult classic I - Proud To Be An Indian (2004), Jai Veeru (2009) and critically acclaimed Kisaan',[1] (2009) for which he received a Best Director honor. Virat Kohli’s Super V (2019), a Superhero animation series, directed by Puneet for Disney, Marvel HQ, Star TV Network, Hotstar and Baweja Movies is the highest rated show in the animation bracket in India..
Biography
Early career
Sira started his career as an actor in the UK at the age of nine where he worked with Rosemary Leach and Ben Kingsley as a beggar boy in Annie Besant, The Warrior's Return[2](1977) as part of The Velvet Glove series for the BBC, directed by Philip Saville. Puneet went on to star alongside Christopher Lee, Mickey Rooney, Oliver Tobias, Emma Samms and Peter Cushing in the feature film Arabian Adventure[3] (1979). He played the lead role of Majeed, directed by Kevin Connor. In the same year Puneet played Kasava Minor in the BBC series To Serve Them All My Days[4] (1979).
In 1980 Sira was the youngest member to participate in Comex 10, a commonwealth expedition sponsored by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[5] Founded by Lieutenant Colonel Lionel Gregory, OBE, Comex 10 was an expedition where 40 artistes from all commonwealth countries toured India performing variety acts in every city visited.
More acting work followed from How We Used to Live[6] (Yorkshire Television), Why Couples Break Up (Yorkshire Television), London's Burning (London Weekend Television), The Moneymen (London Weekend Television), The Park (Regent Productions), The Betrothed (LIFS) and the highly acclaimed Walkers Poppadoms Commercial, The Rocking Sikh directed by Paul Weiland.
Film-making career
Sira became an assistant director at BBC Films Department on films such as Hallelujah Anyhow[7] (1991) (Screen Two) starring Keith David, Sweet Nothing[8] (1990) (Screen One) and Can You Hear Me Thinking?[9] (1991) starring Judi Dench. He freelanced on Flying Colors (1993), Memsahib Rita (1994), Blue Baby (1994) before venturing into directing his own films like Strings (1996) which he also wrote and produced.
Sira was the director of the London Academy of Acting (a school founded by his father, Gurdial Sira in 1970), where he would teach acting for film. He set up an actors' agency, Talent Introduction Centre (T.I.C.), where he provided work for Asian actors in the UK.
Casting director was another title to Sira's credit: films such as Jinnah (1998) starring Christoper Lee, Flight[10] (1992) (BBC Screen One), directed by Alex Pillai, Immaculate Conception (1992) directed by Jamil Dehlavi, Memsahib Rita[11] (1994) and Frantz Fanon – Black Skin, White Mask (1996) directed by Isaac Julien. On the American feature film Passion in the Desert (1997) Sira worked on production.
Sira lectured on basic film making at Middlesex University and Italia Conti Acting Academy as a visiting lecturer.
In 1998, Sira became the executive producer for Rupert Murdoch's Channel V, (STAR TV), producing more than 22 television shows for the channel in Mumbai. He went on to produce and direct drama for television The Steal (2000) STAR TV, followed by Sanatta (2001) and Jataka Tales (2002) for Japanese television which Sira directed and produced with his partner Vikram Dhillon. Sira went on to direct the feature films I - Proud To Be An Indian (2004), Jai Veeru (2009) and Kisaan (2009).
As a screenwriter Sira wrote I - Proud To Be An Indian with Vekeana Dhillon. Together they have written the screenplay for the feature film Kurbani for Feroz Khan (FK International) and Spiceboy for Miracle Films. Sira had written The Steal and Sanatta.
Sira and Vikram Dhillon are partners in The Foundry, a production company which has developed several feature films as well as several IP for the major OTT platforms globally
Personal life
Sira married Vekeana Dhillon in 2010, an accomplished screenwriter and actress. Vekeana wrote Sira's I - Proud To Be An Indian, Jai Veeru, Kisaan and Super V.
Sira has two children Shaan Sira and Simran Sira.
He is the son of actor Mr. Gurdial Sira (1940–2013) and Asha Sira.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Designation | Genre | Company | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli's Super V | 2019- | Series Director | Superhero Animation Series | Disney, Marvel HQ, Star TV Network, Hotstar, Baweja Movies | |
| The Great Punjabi Luv Shuv Story | Under Production | Director / Producer | Web Series | Altbalaji / Eyeline Entettainment | |
| Ji Karda | Under Production | Producer / Story | Feature Film | Eyeline Entertainment | Dir: Vikram Dhillon |
| Pinky Moge Wali | 2012 | Special Thanks | Feature Film | Kapil Batra Productions | DIr: Vikram Dhillon |
| Kisaan | 2009 | Director | Feature Film | Sohail Khan Productions | SAFF L.A. Award: Director |
| Jai Veeru | 2009 | Director | Feature Film | Venus / Siddhi Vinayak Movies | |
| Kurbani | 2008 | Writer | Feature Film | F.K. International | DIr: Feroz Khan |
| MTV Arabia | 2006 | Director | Commercials | MTV Arabia / Raj Taru (Dubai) | |
| I-Proud To Be An Indian | 2004 | Director | Feature Film | Sohail Khan Productions | |
| Jataka Tales | 2003 | Director / Producer | Television | Kavya Films / Miracle Films | |
| Spiceboy | 2003 | Writer | Feature Film | Miracle Films | |
| Sanatta | 2002 | Director / Producer / Writer | Television | Miracle Films | |
| The Steal | 2000 | Director / Producer / Writer | Television | Star TV India | |
| [V] Dares You | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Challenge | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| The Juice | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Cool Maal | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Sophia's Choice | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Patli Galli | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Fashion Police | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Late Night [V] | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| [V] People | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| The Chair | 1999 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| First Day First Show | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Maang Ta Hai | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| By Demand | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Flashback | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| OYE | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| House Arrest | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Rewind | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Speak Easy | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| The Ticket | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| House of Noise | 1998 | Executive Producer | Television | Channel V (Star TV) | |
| Jinnah | 1998 | Casting Director | Feature Film | Petra Films (UK) | Dir: Jamil Dehlavi |
| Entertainment Tonight | 1988 | Self | Television | Talk Show | |
| Night Network | 1988 | Self | Television | London Weekend Television | |
| Strings | 1997 | Director / Producer / Writer | Film | Global Pictures (UK) | |
| Passion In The Desert | 1997 | Production Secretary | Feature Film | Roland Films (UK) | Dir: Lavinia Currier |
| Last Cloud on Margalla Hils | 1996 | Director | Theatre | Oval House Theatre (UK) | |
| Franz Fannon – Black Skin White Mask | 1996 | Casting Director | Television | BBC / Normal Films | Dir: Issac Julien |
| Flight | 1996 | Casting Director | Feature Film | BBC Films / Hindi Pictures | Dir: Alex Pillai |
| Memsahib Rita | 1994 | Assistant Director | Film | BBC Films / Leda Serene Films | Dir: Pratibha Parmar |
| Flying Colours | 1993 | Casting Director / Assistant DIrector | Film | N.F.T.S. | Dir: Alex Pillai |
| Blue Baby | 1993 | Assistant Director | Film | N.F.T.S. | |
| Immaculate Conception | 1992 | Casting Director | Feature Film | Dehlavi Films (UK) | Dir: Jamil Dehlavi |
| Hallelujah Anyhow | 1991 | Assistant Director | Feature Film | BBC Films | Dir: Matthew Jacobs |
| Can You Hear Me Thinking? | 1990 | Assistant Director | Feature Film | BBC Films | Dir: Christopher Morahan |
| Sweet Nothing | 1990 | Assistant Director | Feature Film | BBC Films | Dir: Tony Smith |
| The Betrothed | 1990 | "Arjun" Actor | Film | L.I.F.S. | |
| The Paradise Club | 1989 | "Elvis" Actor | Television | Zenith Entertainment | Dir: Murray Smith |
| Why Couples Break Up | 1989 | "Lover" Actor | Television | Yorkshire Television | |
| The Rocking Sikh | 1988 | "Rocking Sikh" Actor | Commercial | The Weiland Company | Dir: Paul Weiland |
| London's Burning | 1988 | "Indian Waiter" Actor | Television | London Weekend Television | Dir: John Reardon |
| The Money Men | 1987 | "Dealer" Actor | TV Movie | London Weekend Television | Dir: John Bruce |
| How We Used To Live | 1987 | "Sanjay" Actor | Television | Yorkshire Television | |
| Comex 10 | 1980 | Variety Act | Theatre | Commonwealth Expedition | Dir: Colonel Lionel Gregory
Sponsored by: The Duke of Edinburgh - Prince Philip |
| To Serve Them All My Days | 1980 | "Kasava Minor" Actor | Television | BBC Series | Dir: Ronald Wilson |
| Arabian Adventure | 1979 | "Majeed" Actor | Feature Film | EMI / Badger Films | Dir: Kevin Connor |
| The Four Feathers | 1978 | "Arab Boy" Voice (Uncredited) | Feature Film | Trident Films | Dir: Don Sharp |
| The Velvet Glove – Warriors Return | 1977 | "Indian Boy" Actor | Television | BBC Series | Dir: Philip Saville |
Awards
SAFF Awards:
- 2009: SAFF Award for Direction (Kisaan)
References
- ^ "Kissan (April 2009) – Under Production". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
- ^ "The Warrior's Return".
- ^ "Arabian Adventure".
- ^ "To Serve Them All My Days".
- ^ "Duke gives expedition royal finale". The Sunday Times. 21 December 1980.
- ^ "How We Used to Live".
- ^ "Hallelujah Anyhow".
- ^ "Sweet Nothing".
- ^ "Can You Hear Me Thinking?".
- ^ "Flight".
- ^ "Memsahib Rita". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.