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Onir Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 13, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 May 1969

Age54 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceThimphu, Bhutan

ProfessionFilm director, Film producer, Film editor, Screenwriter

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Aparesh Dhar; Mother - Manjushree Dhar; Brother - Abhishek Dhar; Sister - Irene Dhar Malik

Onir Biography

Onir (born Anirban Dhar) is an Indian filmmaker, editor, writer and producer known for socially conscious films such as My Brother... Nikhil and I Am. Born

Early life and background
Anirban Dhar, professionally known as Onir, was born on 1 May 1969 in Thimphu, Bhutan, to Bengali parents. He spent his early years in Bhutan where his mother shared a love of cinema that exposed him to classic films and influenced his decision to become a filmmaker. His family moved to Kolkata in 1986 after he completed school in Thimphu.

Onir attended Yangchenphug and Motithang higher secondary schools in Thimphu before studying comparative literature at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. He later received a scholarship to study film editing in Berlin at SFB/TTC, and used savings from that scholarship to make a documentary about the painter Bijan Choudhury. He describes himself as an atheist and is proficient in multiple languages, including Bengali, English, German, Hindi, Nepali, Oriya, Russian, and Tamil.

Career
Onir’s feature-film debut came in 2005 with My Brother... Nikhil, a socially engaged drama inspired by his research into the life of Dominic D’Souza, a swimmer and AIDS activist. The film, which dealt with the stigma faced by people with AIDS and same-sex relationships, screened internationally and won several audience and jury awards at festivals.

He followed with Bas Ek Pal (2006) and Sorry Bhai! (2007), films that met with mixed commercial outcomes but expanded his range as a director. In 2009 Onir released I Am, an anthology of four shorts addressing themes such as single motherhood, displacement, child abuse, and same-sex relationships. I Am received national recognition, including awards for Best Hindi Feature Film at the National Awards and other festival honors.

Onir has also worked in documentary and festival-oriented cinema. His documentary work includes Raising the Bar (2016), which follows young people with Down syndrome from India and Australia and earned documentary festival recognition, and Widows of Vrindavan (2018), which won Best Documentary at the Jagran Film Festival. In 2021 he directed SAMA: Symbols and Gestures in Contemporary Art of Italy and India, a film exploring cross-cultural aesthetics.

In fiction features, Shab (The Night) premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival in 2017 and played at other international festivals. Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz (2018) won the Audience Choice Award at the Jagaran Film Festival. His semi-autobiographical film Pine Cone premiered at the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival in 2023 and received festival honors including the Rainbow Warrior Award and recognition at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

Beyond directing, Onir co-founded Anticlock Films with actor Sanjay Suri in 2005 to support emerging filmmakers; the company has backed films that later appeared on platforms such as Netflix India. He has worked in roles ranging from editor and art director to music-album director and assistant director early in his career.

Public profile
Onir is openly gay and has spoken publicly about his sexual orientation and personal journey. He co-wrote a semi-autobiographical book with his sister, Irene Dhar Malik, titled I Am Onir and I Am Gay, released by Penguin Viking in 2022. He is known for addressing social issues—AIDS, gender, and LGBTQ themes—both in his feature films and in documentaries.

He is a trained guitarist, maintains an active fitness routine, and pursues outdoor interests such as travelling, hiking, cycling, and swimming. Onir is also a speaker who participates in motivational and film-related platforms.

Latest updates
In 2023 Onir announced he was developing a SonyLiv web series about the Pulwama attack, based on Rahul Pandita’s book, and that he was working on a sequel to I Am titled We Are. Pine Cone continued to gather festival attention through 2023, earning awards at queer film events.

Awards and recognition
Onir’s work has been recognized at national and international levels across film festivals and award platforms. Highlights include festival awards for My Brother... Nikhil, multiple honors for I Am including a National Award, documentary awards such as those for Raising the Bar and Widows of Vrindavan, and recent festival recognitions for Pine Cone. His contributions to queer cinema and diversity have been acknowledged with awards such as a Trailblazer/Likho award and festival-specific diversity honors.

Personal life
Onir remains unmarried. His parents, Aparesh and Manjushree Dhar, were both teachers. He has a brother, Abhishek Dhar, who is a theoretical physicist, and a sister, Irene Dhar Malik, who works as a film and television editor and co-authored his book. He lists favourite directors and influences that include Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray, Luis Buñuel, and Andrei Tarkovsky, and has expressed a preference for European cinema over mainstream Hollywood.
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Recent Work

Pine Cone

Semi-autobiographical feature that premiered at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and won festival awards.

2023
SAMA: Symbols and Gestures in Contemporary Art of Italy and India

Documentary examining contemporary art and craftsmanship across India and Italy.

2021
Raising the Bar

Documentary following young people with Down syndrome from India and Australia; winner at a documentary festival.

2016
I Am

Anthology feature of four shorts addressing social issues; recipient of National Award and other honors.

2009
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Career Highlights

  1. Debut feature My Brother... Nikhil (2005) brought international festival recognition.
  2. I Am (2009) won National Award and multiple festival honors.
  3. Co-founder of Anticlock Films to promote emerging filmmakers.
  4. Directed award-winning documentaries including Raising the Bar and Widows of Vrindavan.
  5. Pine Cone (2023) received festival awards and queer-cinema recognition.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Onir born?

1 May 1969

What is Onir known for?

Film director, Film producer, Film editor, Screenwriter

What is Onir’s marital status?

Unmarried