Biography

Chhatrapal Ninawe is an Indian filmmaker, director, and screenwriter who has emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary Indian cinema. He gained international recognition with his debut feature film Ghaath (2023), which marked him as a promising talent on the global film festival circuit. Ninawe's breakthrough came with Ghaath, which was selected for the prestigious Berlinale Panorama section in 2023 and received a nomination for the GWFF First Feature Film Award. His directorial excellence was recognized when he received the 15th Giuseppe Becce Award as Best Director at the Berlinale 2023, an honor presented by Cineclub Verona and Fedic magazine. The journey of Ghaath began earlier when the project won the WIP Lab award at the NFDC Film Bazaar in 2020, demonstrating early industry confidence in Ninawe's vision. The film continued its successful festival run with selections at several prominent Indian film festivals, including the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), and Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF). In 2022, Ninawe was selected to participate in Berlinale Talents, the Berlin International Film Festival's summit and networking platform for emerging filmmakers, further establishing his reputation as a filmmaker to watch in the international cinema landscape. Through his work, Ninawe represents the new generation of Indian filmmakers who are creating cinema that resonates both domestically and internationally, bringing fresh perspectives to the global film community.
- IMDb mini biography by: Vivek Agrawal