Pushpendra Singh (Director) Age, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Profession(s)	Actor, Director, Producer, Screenplay writer
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 10" (178 cm)
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Salt and Pepper
Career
Debut (as a director)	Film: Lajwanti (2014)
Awards	• Netpac Award at the Jeonju Film Festival for his film Laila Aur Satt Geet (2020) • Golden Heynal Award under the Best Music Documentary category at the Krakow Film Festival for his film Maru Ro Moti (2020) • Best Director Award for his film Laila Aur Satt Geet at the Hong Kong International Film Festival (2020)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	Year, 1978
Age (as of 2024)	46 Years
Birthplace	Saiyan village, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
School	Birla High School, Pilani, Rajasthan Note: He completed his schooling in 1996.
College/University	• Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh • University of Lucknow • Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Maharashtra • Berlinale Talents
Educational Qualification(s)	• BBA at Jiwaji University • Master of Tourism Management at University of Lucknow (2001) • Acting Course at FTII (2006-2008) • Filmmaking Course at Berlinale Talents [1]Pushpendra Singh – Facebook
Hobby	Reading
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married [2]Pinkvilla
Marriage Date	Year, 2018
Family
Wife/Spouse	Sumit Singh (actress)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Pushpendra Singh

• During his time in school, Pushpendra Singh cultivated a deep interest in movies. During an interview, he mentioned that the school faculty would show movies to the students during weekends. He not only watched the films but also recreated scenes, including the film’s dialogues. He further said,
  

  I studied in a boarding school where every Saturday we were shown Hindi movies. Occasionally we were shown a Malayalam or an Hollywood film. But, it was during the vacations that once I saw ‘Pather Panchali’ on Doordarshan and related to the images despite it being in Bengali.”

• In an interview, Pushpendra mentioned that his passion for filmmaking developed from his experience as a theatre performer in Delhi. He further said,
  

  It was while working with Barry John in his theatre group in Delhi, we would not only act but even direct small acts based on certain themes. Barry exposed us to Cinema outside India and since then I was interested in directing a film one day.”

• Pushpendra worked as a professor at the FTII for a short while before commencing his career as a filmmaker and actor.
  

  Pushpendra’s photo taken while he was studying at FTII

• He bagged the roles of a character named Jainath and a carpenter in the Hindi drama film Aadmi Ki Aurat Aur Anya Kahaniya in 2009. The film received the Venice Horizons Award in the Special Mention category at the Venice Film Festival.
  

  A poster of Admi Ki Aurat Aur Anya Kahaniya

• In 2011, he appeared as Imran in the film Trishna in which he acted along with the renowned actress Freida Pinto.
  

  Pushpendra Singh on the sets of a film

• In the 2014 film Lajwanti, apart from directing, he took on multiple roles as a producer, actor, and screenplay writer. The story of the film was influenced by Lalleshwari, a 14th-century poet from Kashmir known as Lalla or Lal Ded, and it was set against the backdrop of the Kashmir conflict. Lajwanti was featured in several film festivals in 2020, including the Berlin International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Jeonju International Film Festival.
  

  A plaque announcing the general screening of the 2014 film Lajwanti at FTII

  During a media interaction, he claimed that he obtained a portion of the film’s funding through a public campaign where people contributed funds, both while the film was being made and after its completion.

• He bagged a role in Chaita Ki Ek Dupahari, a Summer Afternoon, a short film released in 2014.

• In the 2017 film Bioscopewala, Pushpendra acted as a leader of the militants.

• In the same year, he directed and wrote the script for the film Ashwatthama, which was shown at the Busan International Film Festival, Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, and Dharamshala International Film Festival. While talking about the film, in an interview, he said,
  

  It started with religion… How we see religion, the way it shapes us and affects us. It is all from my memory. I was brought up in Chambal. The whole film is like a dialogue with myself. How I was influenced… It had a negative as well as positive impact on me as well. The film addresses how religion can be misused and can be a support as well in our low days. It helps you overcome the bad times as well. You have something to do every day, a ritual to complete every day and it keeps you engaged.”

  

  Pushpendra Singh getting honoured at an international film festival

• In 2019, he both directed and penned the script for the hybrid movie Maru Ro Moti.
  

  A still from Pushpendra Singh’s film Maru Ro Moti

• He was both the director and the scriptwriter for the film Laila Aur Satt Geet, which was released in 2020.

• He appeared in the Nocturnal Burger, a 2023 short film.

• He directed and wrote the screenplay for the film Ajmer 92 in the same year. The movie depicts a true story about a major crime that took place in Ajmer, involving the gang rape and extortion of more than a hundred young girls from schools and colleges. A Muslim organization named Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind appealed to the Indian government to ban the movie’s release in June 2023. Maulana Mahmood Madani, the president of the organization, argued that the film could create a rift between Hindus and Muslims within the nation. Maulana Mahmood talked about it, in an interview, and said,
  

  Movies and social media are being used to link criminal activities with a particular religion which certainly will harm our shared heritage. Chishti Ajmeri is popularly known as a messenger of peace and harmony in the country.”

  However, Pushpendra justified the film’s screening by asserting that it accurately portrays real-life events and is not the propagandistic film that the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind alleged it to be.