Bhubaneswar: National Award winner filmmaker Himansu Sekhar Khatua was appointed as Director of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata on Saturday. The appointment of Khatua has been approved by The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
Khatua, a native of Khatuapatna in Bhadrak, is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. He started his career as a professional audiographer but later moved into film direction.
His debut film was Shoonya Swaroopa (1996), which not only received the award for Best Feature Film in Odia at the 44th National Film Awards, 1997 but participated and earned accolades across several international film festivals including Rotterdam, Gottenberg, Pesaro, Cinema Jove, and Sochi International Film Festivals. The film also received five State Awards in major categories including the Best Feature Film and Best Director’s Award.
His other feature film Kathantara (2005) also bagged eight major State Awards as well as Best Feature Film in Odia at the 53rd National Films Awards, 2006.
Besides the feature films, Khatua has made many documentaries and short films on varied socio-cultural issues. He was also a part of the Biju Pattanaik Film and Television Institute of Odisha, Cuttack.
Presently, he is the Chief Executive Officer at KIIT University and looks after the administrations of the School of Film and Media Sciences, School of Fashion Technology, School of Mass Communication and is the Chief Managing Director of the Kalinga Media and Entertainment Private Limited (KMEPL).
