https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=B._K._KaranjiaB. K. Karanjia - Revision history2026-08-01T02:45:08ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=B._K._Karanjia&diff=488641&oldid=prevTrevor51P0492 at 20:43, 19 April 20262026-04-19T20:43:06Z<p></p>
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'''Burjor Khurshedji Karanjia''' (21 December 1919 – 25 June 2012) was an Indian film journalist and editor. He was the editor of ''[[Filmfare]]'' for 18 years, followed by ''[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]'' which he edited for 10 years. He also remained the chairman of the [[National Film Development Corporation of India]] (NFDC).<ref name=toi>{{cite web | title = Film scribe B K Karanjia passes away | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Film-scribe-B-K-Karanjia-passes-away/articleshow/14379393.cms|date=25 June 2012| accessdate = 26 April 2014 | work = The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web<br />
|title=Film journalist B.K. Karanjia, former NFDC chairman, dead <br />
|newspaper=Hindustan Times <br />
|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/film-journalist-b-k-karanjia-former-nfdc-chairman-dead/article1-877546.aspx <br />
|accessdate=26 April 2014 <br />
|url-status=dead <br />
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426224820/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/film-journalist-b-k-karanjia-former-nfdc-chairman-dead/article1-877546.aspx <br />
|archivedate=26 April 2014 <br />
|df=dmy <br />
}}</ref><br />
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==Early life and background==<br />
Karanjia was born and brought up in [[Quetta]] (now in Pakistan). He was named after his maternal grandfather, Burjorji Patel, a merchant in the [[Baluchistan]] region of British India. His family shifted to Bombay (now Mumbai) following the [[Partition of India]] in 1947. Here he lived in [[South Mumbai|South Bombay]] in a building known as 'Quetta Terrace', close to the [[Jinnah House]], along with his brother [[R. K. Karanjia]], who became a noted investigative journalist and founded ''[[Blitz (newspaper)|Blitz]]''.<ref name=toi/><ref name=hindu/> He studied at [[Wilson College, Mumbai]] and it was here that he first developed interest in films. In 1934, a group of students from the college were taken on a study tour to [[Bombay Talkies]] studio in [[Malad]]. There he saw the shooting of German director [[Franz Osten]]'s film ''Always Tell Your Wife'' with Najmal Hussain and [[Devika Rani]], which left him mesmerised.<ref>{{cite web | title = Beyond the limelight | author = B K Karanjia | publisher = Harmony Org | url = http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id=7481 | year = 2009 | accessdate = 27 April 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140209081543/http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id=7481 | archive-date = 9 February 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref><br />
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==Career==<br />
Karanjia started his career with the [[Indian Civil Services]] (ICS) after passing the exam in 1943, however within a few months of joining, he left services as he didn't enjoy the work in the Supplies department. He instead joined as a literary assistant in the National War Front organisation in India. Subsequently, he chose to become a film journalist. In between, he also joined the [[Godrej Group]], as publicity manager at their Malaysia factory.<ref name=hindu/><ref name=tri>{{cite web | title = Gallery of memories|publisher=The Sunday Tribune | url = https://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060129/spectrum/book6.htm |date=29 January 2000|author=Himmat Singh Gill| accessdate = 27 April 2014 }}</ref><br />
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In time he became the editor of the film magazine ''[[Filmfare]]'', a [[Times of India]] publication, where he worked for the next 18 years. During his tenure, the magazine almost doubled its circulation and he even tried to sort out the scandals associated with the [[Filmfare Awards]].<ref name=hindu/><br />
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After his retirement from Filmfare, [[Ramnath Goenka]] offered him a stint as an editor at ''[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]'' of [[Indian Express]] group. Here for 10 years, he offered constant criticism to the film industry through his editorials. He went on to start two film magazines, ''Cine Voice'' and ''Movie Times''; but these were started without much infrastructure and Karanjia ended up losing a lot of his family inheritance in these ventures. He also authored several books on the [[Indian film industry]] and several biographies.<ref name=toi/><ref name=hindu>{{cite news| title = Writing for pleasure|author=V. Gangadhar| url = http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/01/29/stories/2006012900220500.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070502093648/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/01/29/stories/2006012900220500.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2 May 2007 |date=29 January 2006| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]|accessdate = 26 April 2014 }}</ref><br />
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Karanjia was the founder of the Film Finance Corporation, which later became the NFDC with him as its chairman. In time, it started financing art films made on a low budget, initiating what is now known as [[Parallel cinema]], through the late 1970s and '80s.<ref>{{cite web| title = Former NFDC chairman BK Karanjia dies at 92|publisher= IBNLive| url = http://ibnlive.in.com/news/former-nfdc-chairman-bk-karanjia-dies-at-92/267484-8-66.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120627135405/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/former-nfdc-chairman-bk-karanjia-dies-at-92/267484-8-66.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 27 June 2012 |date=23 June 2012| accessdate = 26 April 2014}}</ref><br />
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The film ''[[Pestonjee]]'' starring [[Anupam Kher]], [[Naseeruddin Shah]] and [[Shabana Azmi]], was based on his story about two Parsi friends. He also wrote dialogues of the film and co-wrote the screenplay with the director [[Vijaya Mehta]].<ref>{{IMDb name|0438904}}</ref> At the [[35th National Film Awards]], it won the award for [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi|Best Feature Film in Hindi]].<ref name="35thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/35th_nff_1988.pdf|title=35th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|accessdate= 6 March 2013}}</ref> His well-received autobiography, ''Counting My Blessings'' was published in 2005.<ref name=tri/><br />
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==Personal life==<br />
B. K. Karanjia was married to Abad (Allbless).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20051128/books2.html|title=India Today Magazine Issue - Dated September 20, 2021}}</ref> He lived in [[Bandra]], a Mumbai suburb. Later in life, after the death of his wife in 2005, he shifted to [[Sopan Baug]] area in [[Pune]] in 2007, where he died at Jehangir hospital at the age of 92. He was survived by daughters, Routton and Delshad, and son Yuzud. His elder brother, Russi died five years prior to him.<ref name=toi/><br />
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==Bibliography==<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=More of an Indian: A Novel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p9kQAAAAMAAJ|year=1970|publisher=Sindhu Publications}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Rustom Masani: Portrait of a Citizen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIsfAAAAMAAJ|year=1970|publisher=Popular Prakashan}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Masks and faces (a collection of short stories)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ehaAAAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=Vikas Pub. House|isbn=9780706946673}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=A many-splendoured cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fItIAAAAMAAJ|year=1986|publisher=New Thacker's Fine Art Press}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Blundering in Wonderland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wONkAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Vikas Publishing House|isbn=978-0-7069-4961-2}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Godrej: The builder also grows|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ7tAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Penguin Books}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=B. K. Karanjia|title=Give me a Bombay merchant anytime!: the life of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bt., 1783–1859|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZMvsAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=University of Mumbai}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Final victory: the life and death of Naval Pirojsha Godrej|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fMrsAAAAMAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Viking|isbn=9780670896448}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Braham S. Sood|author2=B. K. Karanjia|title=An alien in Bollywood: an autobiography (of the spouse of Kamini Kaushal)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JEHbAAAAMAAJ|year=2000|publisher=UBS Publishers' Distributors|isbn=9788174762764}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej|author2=B. K. Karanjia|title=Abundant living, restless striving: a memoir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PcvsAAAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Viking|isbn=9780670912056}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Vijitatma: founder-pioneer Ardeshir Godrej|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AsrsAAAAMAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Viking|isbn=9780670057627}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=B. K. Karanjia|title=Counting My Blessings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FnlDhbhhB-QC|year= 2005|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-670-05849-5}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist|2}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Karanjia, B. K.}}<br />
[[Category:1919 births]]<br />
[[Category:2012 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:People from Quetta]]<br />
[[Category:Indian magazine editors]]<br />
[[Category:Parsi writers]]<br />
[[Category:The Times Group people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Express Limited people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian film critics]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian biographers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]<br />
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]<br />
[[Category:The Times of India journalists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian journalists]]<br />
[[Category:Journalists from Mumbai]]</div>Trevor51P0492