Rajat Arora
| Rajat Arora | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rajat Arora July 23, 1975 Delhi, India |
| Other names | Rajat Arora |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 2005 – present |
Rajat Arora (Born 23 July 1975) is an independent writer in the Indian film and television industry; widely known for his films The Dirty Picture (2011), Kick (2014) and Taxi No. 9211 (2006). He has also written the blockbuster hit and critically acclaimed Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010).
Rajat is currently working on BAADSHAHO, with Milan Luthria and Ajay Devgn.[1] The movie is expected to hit screens in the second half of 2016. He is also working on AZHAR, a biopic on the most controversial Indian cricket captain,[2] with Balaji Telefilms. The movie is slated to release on May 13, 2016. Rajat is also working on untitled film for Multi Screen Media (MSM).
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Early life and education
Born and brought up in Delhi, Rajat is a BCom(Hons) graduate from Delhi University. He is also an alumnus of Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida.[3]
In the late '90s, Rajat was 21 when he left his South Delhi family for Mumbai,[4] raring to "struggle" and achieve his childhood dream. Within months he was introduced to Sridhar Raghavan — who was then writing C.I.D and Aahat. Soon, Rajat who was started as the dialogue writer, began contributing towards the story and screenplay for Aahat and C.I.D.[5]
Career
Rajat’s first break in Bollywood was as a dialogue writer for Bluffmaster (2005). The film was written by Sridhar Raghavan and directed by Rohan Sippy. The dialogues of the movie were termed to be fantastic by veteran film critic Taran Adarsh.[6] While the movie received a warm response at the box office, critics described the dialogues as quotable. [7]Some went on say the dialogues were the highlight of the movie and were outstanding.[8]
He then collaborated with director Milan Luthria on Taxi No. 9211 (2006). The slice-of-life story, high on drama and action, written by Rajat was applauded by many and described as impeccable by critics.[9] Taxi No. 9211 went on to become one of the highest grossing films of 2006.
After Hattrick (2007) and Chandni Chowk to China (2009), Rajat teamed up with Luthria again for Once upon a time in Mumbaai (2010). He muscled the single-screens' melodrama into multiplexes by channelling the '70s dialoguebaazi. The movie won many accolades from critics and viewers alike for its direction and its powerful and engaging screenplay.
Komal Nahta quotes 'Rajat Arora has penned an interesting story and padded it up with a highly engrossing screenplay that doesn’t let the viewer lose grip for even a moment. Arora’s dialogues, of course, are absolutely fantastic, many of them clapworthy.'[10]
His next film, The Dirty Picture (2011) saw him double up as a lyricist[11] for the chartbuster ‘Ooh La La Tu Hai Meri Fantasy’. The movie was an instant blockbuster hit and was widely accepted by the masses and appreciated by critics alike.
The writer-director combo of Rajat and Milan who had achieved tremendous success with Once Upon A Time In Mumbai and The Dirty Picture, teamed up again to deliver another blockbuster success – Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Doobara! (2013). The dialogues of the movie were said to be applause worthy and were the cherry on the cake.[12]
His next was as a script and screen play writer for Salman Khan starrer Kick (2014). As a Eid release, Kick received an overwhelming response at the box office. The total worldwide collection crossed INR 300 crores and was the highest grosser of 2014.[13]
Kick was followed by Akshay Kumar starrer Gabbar is Back (2015).
Filmography
Television
Before his foray into Bollywood, Rajat Arora was the story, screenplay and dialogue writer for prime time Indian television shows. He has written over 100+ episodes of C.I.D and Aaht.
Films
With almost 11 years under his belt as an independent writer in Bollywood, Rajat has written dialogues, screenplay, story and lyrics for multiple movies and songs respectively.
| Year | Film | Story | Screenplay | Dialogue | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bluffmaster | Yes | |||
| 2006 | Taxi No. 9211 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | Hattrick | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2009 | Chandni Chowk to China | Yes | Yes | ||
| Blue | Yes | ||||
| 2010 | Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2011 | The Dirty Picture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2013 | Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Doobara! | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2014 | Kick | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2015 | Gabbar Is Back | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Awards and Accolades
In 2004, Rajat was awarded 'Best Teleplay Writer' by the Indian Televesion Academy. He even has an entry as the co-writer for C.I.D in the Guinness Book of World Records for 'Longest Single Shot Episode'.
Rajat has also been awarded the Hindi Seva Samman for his literary contribution towards Hindi Language.[14]
| Year | Movie | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai | Zee Cine Awards | Best Dialogues |
| Producers Guild Film Awards | Best Screenplay | ||
| Global Indian Film and Television Honours | Best Dialogues | ||
| 2012 | The Dirty Picture | Zee Cine Awards | Best Dialogues |
| Screen Awards | |||
| Producers Guild Film Awards | |||
| IIFA Awards | |||
| Global Indian Film and Television Honours | |||
| The Dirty Picture (Song: Ishq Sufiyana) | Mirchi Music Awards | Best Lyrics | |
| People's Choice Awards India | Favourite Lyrics |
References
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