Biography

R. Balakrishnan, also known as Balki, is a prominent Indian filmmaker and screenwriter known for his unconventional storytelling style.

After completing his education, Balki began his career in advertising and made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed film Cheeni Kum (2007) in 2007. The film starred Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu and received widespread appreciation for its unique storyline and the actors' performances.

Balki's next film, Paa (2009), featured Amitabh Bachchan in a remarkable performance as a child suffering from progeria, a rare genetic disorder. The film was a commercial success and won several awards, including the 2009 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Balki continued to make thought-provoking films, such as Shamitabh (2015), which explored the relationship between a mute actor and his voice actor, and Ki & Ka (2016), which challenged gender stereotypes by depicting a house husband and a career-oriented wife. His film, Pad Man (2018), addressed menstruation's stigma and promoted menstrual hygiene.

His short film called Chup (2022) was released in February 2021. Chup has been widely appreciated by critics and audiences alike for its sensitive portrayal of a complex issue and its ability to spark a conversation around it.

Besides his filmmaking career, Balki wrote several successful ad campaigns, including the famous Daag Ache Hain for Surf Excel. He also produced the TV series Chup (2022) and the film Mission Mangal (2019)).

Balki is married to Gauri Shinde, a renowned director and filmmaker. The two first met when Balki was looking for a writer to work on his ad films, and Shinde was recommended to him. They eventually fell in love and married in 2007. Despite their busy schedules, they collaborated on several projects, with Balki producing Shinde's films and Shinde working on the scripts for Balki's films.
- IMDb mini biography by: official_review