Maneesh Sharma

Maneesh Sharma is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. He made his debut with the sleeper hit Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director. He garnered more success with the 2013 comedy-drama Shuddh Desi Romance and the 2016 thriller Fan. He also produced the 2015 drama Dum Laga Ke Haisha which won him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Born and raised in Delhi, where he lived in various parts of the city, including Pitampura. Maneesh did his schooling at Delhi Public School, R K Puram. Then he received a degree in English literature from Hans Raj College, Delhi University. At college, he was involved in the theatre society and shot his debut film in 2010 there. After his graduation he moved to California to study filmmaking at CalArts. Before moving to Mumbai, he was also involved in theatre in Delhi and was a dancer in a local musical troupe.

While studying filmmaking at CalArts, Maneesh worked as an associate director on Trona (2004), an English-German student film shot in Los Angeles.

Two months after his return from the US, he got a break and started his Bollywood career as an associate director and an assistant director on a number of Yash Raj Films productions such as Fanaa, Aaja Nachle and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, before making his feature directing debut with Band Baaja Baaraat (English title: Bands Horns and Revelry), based on a story written by himself, which was released on 10 December 2010. The film starred newcomer Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles, and was produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. Sharma's first outing as a director garnered him India's prestigious Filmfare Award in the Best Debut Director category.

His next film, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, was produced by Aditya Chopra and released on 9 December 2011. The critically acclaimed film starred Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma, who were also in Sharma's first film. Sharma's third film, Shuddh Desi Romance (English title: A Purely Desi Romance), released on 6 September 2013, and starred Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, and newcomer Vaani Kapoor in the lead roles. The film was screened in the Gala Presentation section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Maneesh Sharma's fourth film is Dum Laga Ke Haisha under the YRF Banner. Yash Raj Films has always had either Yash Chopra or Aditya Chopra produce movies under the banner, but Sharma is first independent producer. The film is directed by Sharat Katariya, and stars Ayushmann Khurrana. His next directorial venture is movie Fan, with lead star Shah Rukh Khan. Sharma's second production is Akshay Roy's debut film Meri Pyaari Bindu starring Parineeti Chopra and Ayushmann Khurrana.

• National Film Awards
  • 2015: Best Feature Film in Hindi - Dum Laga Ke Haisha
• Filmfare Award
  • 2010: Best Debut Director - Band Baaja Baaraat
  • 2010: Best Director - Band Baaja Baaraat (Nominated)

• "56th Idea Filmfare Awards 2011". Daily Times. 31 January 2011. 
• Nominations for 56th Filmfare Awards 2010 Bollywood Hungama.