# Jabbar Patel

Dr. Jabbar Patel (born 23 June 1942) is a former paediatrician and a Marathi-language theatre and film director of India. His production of Vijay Tendulkar's play Ghashiram Kotwal, in 1973 is considered a classic in Modern Indian Theatre. He has received several accolades, including seven National Film Awards, eight Maharashtra State Film Awards, seven Filmfare Awards Marathi. Patel received Filmfare Marathi Lifetime Achievement Award at 7th Filmfare Awards Marathi. He was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1978. In 2005, he was honoured with the V. Shantaram Award, Maharashtra's highest award in the field of cinema. In 1982, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country.
He is the maker of classics films in Marathi cinema, like, Samna, Jait Re Jait (Mohan Agashe, Smita Patil), Umbartha (Smita Patil, Girish Karnad), Sinhasan (Nana Patekar, Shriram Lagoo, Reema Lagoo) Some of his other films are, Mukta, Ek Hota Vidushak, and Musafir (Hindi). His most acclaimed film is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar released in 1999. He won the 1995 Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration for his Marathi film, Mukta.

## Personal life

Patel was born in 1942 in Pandharpur in present day Indian state of Maharashtra. While growing up, his family was the only Muslim family in a Hindu-Brahmin neighbourhood of Solapur. His father was employed in Indian Railways. He obtained his early school education in Haribhai Deokaran High school Solapur. He qualified as a doctor, specialising in paediatric medicine from B. J. Medical College in Pune. He and his wife, a gynecologist ran a clinic in Daund near Pune. The couple have two daughters.

## Career

Patel started acting while in elementary school. In Solapur, he lived with Shriram Pujari, who was an influential personality in that city. Staying at his home, Jabbar Patel was able to take a closer look at the people from Marathi theatre world who used to stay at the Pujari residence. The roles he played in his high school play Chaphekar, in the silent drama, Hadacha Zunzar Aahes Tu, as well of Shyam in Tujha Aahe Tujpashi while in college were appreciated.
Patel started his career with the Marathi experimental theatre group, Progressive Dramatic association (PDA) founded by Bhalba Kelkar. In PDA produced plays, he acted as well as directed. He directed Vijay tendulkar's Ashi Pakhare Yeti for PDA which was a great commercial success. In 1972, Patel and colleagues such as Mohan Agashe, and Satish Alekar broke away from PDA over differences on staging their new production, Ghashiram Kotwal written by Vijay Tendulkar. They formed a new group called Theatre Academy. After Ghashiram Kotwal, the group produced Teen Paishacha Tamasha, an adaptation of Brecht's Threepenny Opera in 1974.
He wrote the lyrics of the song "Raya Asa Zombu Naka Angala" from the film Samna. He has worked on the film based on the life and work of Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.
For Jabbar Patel, tackling a political subject is not something new. Whether it was Umbartha, Jait Re Jait, or Sinhasan for the silver screen, or Ghashiram Kotwal for the stage, he has handled political subjects. His recent film is also political based "Yashwantrao Chavan: Bakhar Eka Vaadalaachi".
Jait Re Jait (1977) is a musical milestone in the history of Indian cinema, and expresses the stories of a forgotten tribe through dance and a total of 19 songs. Next came Sinhasan (1981) made in a montage style with 35 characters, both won the National Awards. One of Patel’s most acclaimed works is Umbartha (1981), a film featuring Smita Patil as the superintendent of a woman’s reform home.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
| 1974 | Samna | Yes | | Debut film |
| 1977 | Jait Re Jait | Yes | | National Film Award for Best Marathi Feature Film |
| 1979 | Sinhasan | Yes | Yes | Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Film |
| 1982 | Umbartha | Yes | Yes | National Film Award for Best Marathi Feature Film, Filmfare Award for Best Film – Marathi |
| 1986 | Musafir | Yes | Yes | |
| 1986 | Maharashtra | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1987 | Mi SM | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1988 | Pathik | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1989 | Laxman Joshi | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1990 | Forts of Maharashtra | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1990 | Indian Theatre | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1991 | Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1992 | Ek Hota Vidushak | Yes | | National Film Award for Best Marathi Feature Film |
| 1994 | Mukta | Yes | | Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration |
| 2000 | Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar | Yes | | |
| 2006 | Hans Akela - Kumar Gandharva | Yes | | National Film Award for Best Biographical Film |
| 2006 | Teesri Azadi | Yes | | |
| 2007 | Antardhwani: Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma | Yes | | |
| 2014 | Yashwantrao Chavan: Bakhar Eka Vaadalaachi | Yes | Yes | |

## Awards
### National Film Awards

Source:
* Samna
* Jait Re Jait
* Sinhasan
* Umbartha
* Ek Hota Vidushak
* Mukta
* Hans Akela - Kumar Gandharva

### Maharashtra State Film Awards

* Samna
* Jait Re Jait
* Sinhasan
* Umbartha
* Ek Hota Vidushak
* Mukta

### Filmfare Awards Marathi

* Samna
* Jait Re Jait
* Sinhasan
* Umbartha

## Festival circuit

Jabbar Patel is the chairman of the Pune Film Foundation, and the festival director of the Pune International Film Festival. First Edition of PIFF was started in year 2002 and has been running annually.