# Brahmanand S. Siingh

Brahmanand S. Siingh (born 3 May 1965) is a filmmaker and author from Mumbai, India. He is best known for the films Kaagaz Ki Kashti, a biopic on Jagjit Singh and his feature-length documentary on R. D. Burman, Pancham Unmixed: Mujhe Chalte Jaana Hai.

## Early life and education

Brahmanand S Siingh grew up in Purnia, Bihar. Later he moved to St Xavier's College Ranchi and eventually to Kolkata University for his English Literature Masters. His journeys into cinema, however, started within a year of his moving to Mumbai in 1993.

## Career

Brahmanand began writing about art and cinema in the 1980s, publishing articles in publications like The Telegraph, Statesman, Times of India, The Hindu, Indian Express, and The Independent. He also published online work during the dotcom boom. Brahmanand has published over 3,000 articles and features, essays, poems and short stories, as well as three biographical books, Strings Of Eternity, Diamonds & Rust and Lightness Of Being.
He began making films in the late 1990s, mainly producing biographical documentaries and independent films. He is most well known for his experiential biopics on figures like RD Burman and Jagjit Singh (Pancham Unmixed & Kaagaz Ki Kashti). "Strings of Eternity" and "Diamonds and Rust", co-authored with Gaurav Sharma, provide insights into the life, music and personality of maestro RD Burman.
Pancham Unmixed is a rare biographical documentary to have premiered at IFFLA, Los Angeles to a full house. The film also featured on Netflix and is currently streaming on iTunes. Pancham Unmixed was screened by PVR Cinemas on 24-25 Mar, 2018 in screens across the country. It also saw a rare telecast on National Geographic on 26 Dec, 2021. Kaagaz ki Kashti featured on Amazon Prime and travelled to various international film festivals.
He has also won the REX-Karmaveer-Chakra Awards, in partnership with the United Nations, for transforming lives through social impact projects and ideas of hope. Siingh's latest feature project, Jhalki, a feature film that attempts to create public awareness of child trafficking and child labor.
He has also sat on the jury of various international film festivals and award platforms, and conducts filmmaking and scriptwriting workshops.

## Filmography

As a director and/or producer.
| Year | Title |
| 1997 | Ashgari Bai |
| 1998 | A burden of Love |
| 1999 | Back to Nature |
| 2002 | Uncaging the Body |
| 2005 | Ragpickers |
| 2008 | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2011 | Chidiya Rain Basera |
| 2012 | Ambassador of Peace |
| 2015 | Knowing Pancham |
| 2015 | Through Our Eyes |
| 2016 | Riding on a Sunbeam |
| 2017 | Kaagaz Ki Kashti |
| 2019 | Jhalki |

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | For |
| 2003 | Apsara Film Producers Guild Awards | Best Short Film | Uncaging the Body |
| 2008 | IFFLA | Critics Special Mention | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2008 | Washington DC Film Festival | Audience Choice Award | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2009 | 57th National Film Awards | Best Compilation Film (Director) | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2009 | 57th National Film Awards | Best Compilation Film (Producer) | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2010 | AIFF | Best Documentary | Pancham Unmixed |
| 2016 | Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival | Audience Choice Award | Kaagaz Ki Kashti |
| 2016 | Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival | Best Documentary Award | Kaagaz Ki Kashti |
| 2019 | International Screen Awards (ISA 2019) | Platinum Award for International Feature Film | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Washington DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF 2019) | Best Director Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati (IFFCINCY 2019) | Best Feature Film Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Indian International Film Festival Of Boston (IIFFB 2019) | Best Social Cause Film Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | International Independent Film Awards Los Angeles (IIFA 2019) | Best Concept Platinum Winners | Jhalki |
| 2019 | International Independent Film Awards Los Angeles (IIFA 2019) | Best Screenplay Platinum Winners | Jhalki |
| 2019 | Boston International Film Festival (BIFF 2019) | Best Original Screenplay Award | Jhalki |
| 2019 | REX-Karmaveer-Chakra | Karmaveer Chakra Award | N/A |