Om Raut

Om Raut is an Indian film director, writer & producer. He directed Tanhaji, a 2020 Indian Hindi-language Biography Period Action film starring Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, and Kajol. His film Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush (2015) won him the Filmfare Awards for Best Debut Director. The film starred Marathi actor Subodh Bhave. Om Raut has also produced films like City of Gold and Haunted – 3D, which was India's first stereoscopic 3D film. His film Tanhaji, released in January 2020, is also available in 3D.

Om was born in Mumbai and raised in Mumbai & New York. His mother, Neena Raut is a National film Award winner and TV producer, and his father, Bharatkumar Raut, is a senior journalist, well-known author, and a successful member of The Indian parliament (Rajya Sabha). His grandfather J.S. Bandekar (1925-2017) was a renowned documentary filmmaker and editor, who has won several National Awards as well as acclaims and mentions at the Cannes Film Festival.

Om has worked as a child actor in a number of theatre plays and ad films. He made his feature film acting debut with the lead role in Karamati Coat (1993). The film was loved by the audience from across the globe and won various accolades in number of film festivals.

Om has his post-graduate degree in films from the renowned Syracuse University, New York. He also holds a bachelors degree in Electronics Engineering from Shah & Anchor college of Engineering in Mumbai, India.

After completing his education, he started working as a writer and director for MTV Networks, NY. After his successful stint in the US, he decided to move back to India to be the vice-president of creative business at Valuable Group, promoters of UFO-Moviez, world’s largest satellite-based digital distribution platforms. Later, Om worked as the creative head of DAR Motion Pictures and was involved in producing critically acclaimed film like City of Gold (2010 film) (Lalbaug Parel in Marathi) & Haunted – 3D, the highest box office opener ever for an Indian horror film.

In 2012, along with his mother Neena Raut, who has been a prominent producer in Marathi film industry, he co-founded Neena Raut Entertainment. Their first feature film production was “Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush”, which also marked the directorial debut of Om and won him the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director.

Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush, Om's dream project, was his directorial debut and also Neena Raut Films' first feature-length production. The film is based on the life story of Bal Gangadhar Tilak - a social reformer and the freedom fighter of the Indian independence movement. The makers spent 1.3 crore on the visual effects of the film, which was the highest ever spent for a Marathi film. The film was praised by audience as well as critics. The Times of India gave 4 stars to the film adding "Very rarely does a Marathi film get a standing ovation from the audience and Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush is one of them".

"It was my dream to make a film on Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and therefore, I spent three years into research and planning, though it has taken only seven months to shoot the entire film. My entire team has worked very hard and I am sure, the film will make a great overall success," Om Raut said in an interview with Zee Talkies.

• Filmfare Award 2016: Best Debut Director for Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush
• 52nd Maharashtra State Awards 2015: Best Director for Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush

• Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush, Official Selection in Indian Panorama Section at International Film Festival of India (2015).
• Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush, Official Selection at 17th London Asian Film Festival (2015).
• 52nd Maharashtra State Awards 2015: Best Film for Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush