Navroze Contractor (1944–2023) was an Indian filmmaker and motorbike enthusiast. He was involved in India's parallel cinema movement and is best known for his work in Duvidha, Devi Ahilya Bai, Percy, Hun Hunshi Hunshilal, and Lalach.[1] He was the only male member of Yugantar, India's first feminist collective. His photos of jazz musicians are displayed at the Smithsonian Museum.[2][3]
He studied at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune before interning with Laszlo Kovacs.
In 2021, he published his first book Dreams of the Dragon's Children, based on his experiences filming a documentary in China during the mid-1980s. The book is a mix of travelogue, cultural commentary, and film history, offering a vivid portrait of China at a time of rapid transformation.[4]
On 18 June 2023, he died in a motorbike accident in Bengaluru.[5]
References
edit- ^ Gokhale, Shanta (21 June 2023). "Shanta Gokhale: The Navroze Contractor I knew". Scroll.in.
- ^ Joseph, Ammu (23 June 2023). "Navroze Contractor (1944-2023): A life well lived". Frontline.
- ^ "Navroze Contractor Photographs | Collection: NMAH.AC.0569". sova.si.edu.
- ^ "Dreams of the Dragon's Children by Navroze Contractor". Walnut Publication. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "Cinematographer Navroze Contractor killed in bike accident in Bengaluru". The Indian Express. 20 June 2023.