John Matthew Matthan
John Mathew Matthan (also John Mathew Mathan/John Mathew) is an Indian filmmaker from the southern state of Kerala. He is known for his 1999 Bollywood film Sarfarosh, starring Aamir Khan and Naseeruddin Shah
John Matthew Matthan | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation | Film director |
Years active | 1999-present |
Notable work | Sarfarosh |
Film career
John started his career as an assistant director on the epic movie Gandhi, directed by Sir Richard Attenborough. Also working on Gandhi was Govind Nihlani, who Matthan would later assist for several films before shifting to directing advertisements.[1]
In the early 1990s, Matthan started his own production company in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai called Cinematt Pictures Pvt Ltd. The company, which also involved Matthan's brother George, released its first feature film entitled Sarfarosh in 1999. Matthan began work on Sarfarosh in 1992. Seven years were spent on the research, pre-production, and production of the film until it was finally released to both critical and commercial success.
After Sarfarosh, Matthan started working on a script which involved the issue of brain drain. However, after the tragedy of 9/11, the script lost its pertinence and Matthan moved on to another idea that germinated in the form of Shikhar (2005).[2] Although critically acclaimed, the film did not fare too well at the box office.
In 2007, Matthan began work on his next film titled A New Love Ishtory. Written by Vipul K Rawal and starring Himesh Reshammiya and Niharika Singh, the film was completed in 2009 but its release delayed to 29 September 2013 due to a falling out with Himesh Reshammiya and his record label T-Series.[3]
Matthan has begun work on a new film also written by Rawal that is ready to be shot after A New Love Ishtory is released. The film is both a political and historical thriller based on the writer's experience in the Indian Navy and true classified events.
Filmography
Year | Film | Language | Director | Producer | Writer | Assistant Director |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | Aakrosh | Hindi | Yes | |||
1982 | Gandhi | English | Yes | |||
1999 | Sarfarosh | Hindi | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2005 | Shikhar | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
2013 | A New Love Ishtory | Yes | Yes |
Awards
Year | Awards | Category | Film | Results | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 47th National Film Awards | Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Sarfarosh | Won | [4] |
45th Filmfare Awards | Best Screenplay | Won | [5] | ||
Best Film-Critics | Won | ||||
Best Director | Nominated | ||||
Accolades
- Chairperson jury feature film, Indian Panorama at prestigious 51st International Film Festival of India, Goa 2021.[6]
References
- Narayanaswamy, Harihar (12 December 2009). "Advertising and Indian cinema: Relationship bound to grow". The Economic Times. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- "The return of John Mathew Matthan". The Rediff. 29 December 2005. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- Lalwani, Vickey (15 April 2011). "T-Series to boycott Himesh Reshammiya". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- "47th National Film Awards (MIB, India)". Research Reference and Training Division (RRTD), India. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
- "Filmfare Awards 2000 winner list". India times. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- "Indian Panorama announces official selection for 51st International Film Festival of India, 2020". PIB GOI. 19 December 2020 – via Press release.