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Devashish Makhija Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 22, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth3 August 1977

Age46 Years

BirthplacePark Circus, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

ProfessionFilmmaker, Screenwriter, Graphic Artist, Fiction Writer, Poet

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Raghunath Makhija (d. 2019); Mother - Neeroo Makhija (d. 2001); Sister - Simiran Makhija

Devashish Makhija Biography

Devashish Makhija is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, graphic artist, fiction writer and poet from Kolkata. Known for socially rooted, critically praised

Early life and background

Devashish Makhija was born on 3 August 1977 in Park Circus, Kolkata, and grew up in a community shaped by the aftermath of the 1947 Partition. He attended Don Bosco School in Park Circus and later earned a degree in economics from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta. His family includes his parents Raghunath and Neeroo Makhija and an elder sister, Simiran. Makhija’s childhood and the volatile events he witnessed in his neighbourhood had a lasting impact on him and later informed his creative work.

During his school years he participated in debates, singing and dancing, and trained in karate, where he achieved national recognition in 1988. After college, he sought admission to a design course at the National Institute of Design but did not secure a place. He then completed an internship at an advertising agency and worked briefly at McCann before leaving to pursue a career in films in Mumbai.

Career

Makhija moved to Mumbai with the determination to break into film. In the city he took on a variety of odd jobs, lived in a shared room in a rehab colony behind Film City, and spent months cold-calling production houses from a film industry directory until he began getting opportunities. His early film experience included work with Anurag Kashyap on a project that was later shelved; he also researched and contributed to the project that became Black Friday.

He made his debut in the industry as an assistant director on Bunty Aur Babli (2005). Makhija wrote and directed a short film, Rahim Murge Pe Mat Ro, in 2008 and published a book of his graphic art and poetry, Occupying Silence, the same year. His first feature film as director, Oonga, premiered internationally at the New York Indian Film Festival in 2013; the film was made partly in Hindi and partly in Odia and helped establish his voice as a filmmaker concerned with real-life social issues.

Over the next decade he worked across formats—short films, feature films, books and scripts. His short films include El’ayichi (2015), Taandav (2016) and Cycle (2021). He authored a collection of 49 short stories, Forgetting, published by HarperCollins in 2015, and earlier wrote popular children’s stories such as When Ali Became Bajrangbali and Why Paploo Was Perplexed.

Makhija’s feature films have earned critical attention: Ajji (2017), Bhonsle (2018) and Joram (2023) are cited among his more prominent works. His writing and filmmaking have been recognized with several awards, including a Short Takes Award by Dailymotion in 2016, Best Film at the Mumbai International Film Festival the same year, a book award for young adults for Oonga in 2021, and film awards in 2024—Best Film (Critics) and Best Story at the 69th Filmfare Awards and Best Writing in Feature Film at the Critics Choice Awards.

In 2021 Makhija launched a production company, Makhijafim Private Limited; the first film produced under that banner was Joram (2023). Despite strong critical response, many of his projects have faced production challenges: he has experienced multiple shelved projects across his career and has spoken publicly about the financial precarity that often accompanies independent filmmaking.

Public profile

Makhija’s work is marked by a focus on social realities and political themes. He has spent considerable time researching subjects such as Naxalism and conflict in Kashmir to inform his storytelling, and he has said he prefers making films grounded in those realities rather than commercially driven romantic fare. His approach to writing is modern and device-based; he uses a computer, iPad and mobile to minimise paper use while drafting scripts and stories.

He has been open about health and personal hardships in public conversations. In interviews and on social media he has discussed medical issues he faced while filming and the financial difficulties related to independent filmmaking. A 2024 video interview that covered his struggles generated viral coverage and prompted him to clarify that parts of the discussion had been presented in a way that misrepresented his situation.

Latest updates

Most recently, Makhija sustained his creative output with Joram (2023), produced by his company Makhijafim Private Limited, and continued to receive recognition at major Indian award ceremonies in 2024. He remains active across film, short fiction and visual work, and continues to be identified publicly as a nature lover and a creator committed to telling difficult, realistic stories.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Devashish Makhija, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Joram

Feature film produced by Makhijafim Private Limited; released in 2023

2023
Cycle

Short film

2021
El’ayichi

Short film

2015
Taandav

Short film

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. Assistant director on Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
  2. Directed feature film Oonga (2013)
  3. Author of Forgetting (2015)
  4. Directed critically acclaimed films Ajji (2017) and Bhonsle (2018)
  5. Launched Makhijafim Private Limited (2021); produced Joram (2023)
  6. Winner of Best Film (Critics) and Best Story at the 69th Filmfare Awards (2024)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Devashish Makhija born?

Devashish Makhija was born on 3 August 1977.

What is Devashish Makhija known for?

Devashish Makhija is known for filmmaker, Screenwriter, Graphic Artist, Fiction Writer, Poet.

What is Devashish Makhija’s marital status?

Devashish Makhija's marital status is listed as Unmarried.