✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →
Pradeep Sarkar (Director) photo for featured biography, wiki and celebrities profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Pradeep Sarkar (Director) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

Quick Info

Date of birth30 April 1955

Age71 years

BirthplaceCalcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, India

ProfessionFilmmaker

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpousePanchali Sarkar

FamilySon - Ronit Sarkar; Daughter - Raya Sarkar

Pradeep Sarkar (Director) Biography

Pradeep Sarkar was born on 30 April 1955 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. He moved from Kolkata to Delhi in 1971 to pursue his studies and graduated from the Delhi College of Art in 1979, finishing his course as a gold medallist.

Early life and background

Pradeep Sarkar was born on 30 April 1955 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. He moved from Kolkata to Delhi in 1971 to pursue his studies and graduated from the Delhi College of Art in 1979, finishing his course as a gold medallist. Of Bengali ethnicity, Sarkar later made Mumbai his hometown.

Career

Sarkar began his professional life in advertising. After completing his education he joined the Delhi-based agency Tulika and later moved to Grant Kenyon & Eckhardt, where he spent seventeen years and rose to the position of vice president. He then joined Kelvinator, where he directed his first commercial. Eventually he relocated to Mumbai and worked as Creative Director – Art with Vinod Chopra Productions, directing numerous advertisements for well-known brands.

In October 1997 he founded Wavelength Film Works Private, and the following month he established Apocalypso Filmworks Private Limited, taking on directorial responsibilities for both companies. His production houses produced ads for brands such as Catch, Eveready, Haier, Hero MotoCorp, LG, LIC, and Muthoot Finance.

Alongside advertising, Sarkar directed prominent music videos and album tracks in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Dhoom Pichak Dhoom by Palash Sen (1998), Ab Ke Sawan by Shubha Mudgal (1999), and Piya Basanti by K. S. Chithra and Sultan Khan (2000). He also worked as an editor on the 2003 film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.

He made his feature film directorial debut with Parineeta in 2005. That film brought him significant recognition and several awards. Sarkar continued to direct feature films through the 2000s and 2010s, including Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Journey of a Woman (2007), Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007), Lafangey Parindey (2010), Mardaani (2014) and Helicopter Eela (2018).

Beyond feature films, Sarkar worked in web series and short films. His credits include the comedy web series Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala for ZEE5 and AltBalaji, the short film Neel Samandar (2019) which he directed and wrote, and two ZEE5 series released in 2020 titled Arranged Marriage and Forbidden Love. In 2021 he served as an executive producer on the Bengali film Jokhon Ratri Name. In 2022 he directed Duranga, a ZEE5 web series adapted from the Korean drama Flower of Evil.

At the time of his death he had an unreleased film, Noti Binodini (2022), which had been announced with Kangana Ranaut attached in a lead role.

Public profile

Sarkar was often known by the nickname Dada. He married Panchali Sarkar, who is also a filmmaker. They had two children: a son, Ronit Sarkar, who is a playback singer, and a daughter, Raya Sarkar, an artist. Sarkar had a sister, Madhu Sarkar Kuriakose.

He received multiple industry recognitions across advertising and cinema. His advertising work earned him awards such as the Rapa Award and the Abby Award for Best Director (2003). Parineeta brought him several honors, including the Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction and a number of debut-director and newcomer awards from organisations such as Zee Cine, Apsara Film Producers Guild, Screen Awards, Stardust and the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.

Sarkar was known personally for his fondness for dogs; he kept a Chihuahua named Lilo and another dog named Yoda. His favourite dish was Kosha Mangsho.

Death and legacy

Pradeep Sarkar died on 24 March 2023 at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai. He was 67. His wife reported that he developed a high fever on 22 March that persisted, and when taken to hospital on 24 March he was diagnosed with pneumonia which led to respiratory complications. He was placed on a ventilator in the ICU and passed away between 3:10 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. the same day. His funeral took place that afternoon at the Santacruz Hindu Crematorium in Mumbai.

Latest updates

Sarkar's last credited web series was Duranga (2022) on ZEE5, and his final unreleased feature was Noti Binodini (2022). His body of work spans advertising, music videos, feature films, short films and streaming series, and he is remembered for bringing an advertising sensibility to cinematic storytelling.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is prepared from the public references listed below and reviewed for clarity. If you spot an outdated detail about Pradeep Sarkar (Director), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

Duranga

ZEE5 web series (adaptation of Korean drama Flower of Evil)

2022
Noti Binodini

Unreleased film (2022) at the time of his death

2022
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Directed debut feature film Parineeta (2005)
  2. Directed commercial campaigns and music videos for major Indian brands and artists
  3. Won multiple awards for Parineeta and advertising work
  4. Directed films including Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Mardaani and Helicopter Eela
  5. Directed web series and short films for streaming platforms
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.

?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Pradeep Sarkar (Director) born?

Pradeep Sarkar (Director) was born on 30 April 1955.

What is Pradeep Sarkar (Director) known for?

Pradeep Sarkar (Director) is known for filmmaker.

What is Pradeep Sarkar (Director)’s marital status?

Pradeep Sarkar (Director)'s marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Pradeep Sarkar (Director) married to?

Pradeep Sarkar (Director) is publicly listed as married to Panchali Sarkar.