Nasimahamad.vitaniya at 09:30, 6 May 2026

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{{short description|Indian filmmaker}}
{{similar names|Mahmood Hussain (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date = October 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image = Mehmood Hussain, Indian filmmaker.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1950|03|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Muftibagh, Haldigadia, [[Jajpur]], [[Odisha]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2015|11|11|1950|03|11}}
| death_place = [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Odisha]]
| alma_mater = [[Sambalpur University]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]], [[Film and Television Institute of India|FTII]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Director|Producer|Author|Journalist|Academician}}
| years_active = 1981 – 2015
| spouse = Nasim Saher
| relatives = [[Hussain Rabi Gandhi]] (''elder brother'')
| awards =
}}

'''Mehmood Hussain''' was an Indian filmmaker, avant-garde auteur, director and author hailing from the Indian state of [[Odisha]]. Mehmood's feature [[films]] and [[documentaries]] had represented India in four International film festivals. His first feature film ''Unwanted'' was India's lone entry at [[Cannes film festival]], [[France]] in 1985. Mehmood has authored the book "''The Palestine Liberation Organisation : A study in ideology, strategy and tactics"'' for which he was bestowed with the honorary citizenship of the free Palestine state by the interim state of [[Palestine]]. In his 25 years of filming career, Mehmood had written, produced and directed 74 short films, various TV programmes, serials, documentaries and feature films. Mehmood's film "''Ulgulan''", is [[Odisha|Odisha's]] first period drama movie.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=A novel attempt in regional cinema|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2009/nov/06/a-novel-attempt-in-regional-cinema-101719.html|access-date=2020-06-28|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ghazal tribute to legendary poet|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/odisha/ghazal-tribute-to-legendary-poet/cid/476012|access-date=2020-06-28|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==

Mehmood Hussain was born in Mufti Bagh, [[Jajpur]] into the [[Tarakote Raj|royal family of Shergarh-Tarakote]] to Mohammed Muzammil Hussain and his wife, Bibi Sahiba Salma Khatoon. He was the great grandson of [[Raja Syed Ekram Ali|Tajdar e Tarakote, Raja Syed Ekram Ali]]. The notable Odia author and politician, [[Hussain Rabi Gandhi]] is his elder brother. Mehmood's grandfather Mohammed Dabiruddin was the last ruler of [[Tarakote State]].

Mehmood finished his schooling from Brajanath Bada Jena high school. He then matriculated from Sambalpur Zilla High school in 1965. Mehmood earned a graduation degree in Political Science from [[Sambalpur University]]. He went ahead and did his master's degree in political science from [[Delhi University]]. He did his MPhil and PhD from school of International studies at [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]], [[New Delhi]]. Mehmood later developed interest in filmmaking and decided to change his track. In 1981 he earned a diploma in Cinema (Direction) from the prestigious [[Film and Television Institute of India|FTII]], Pune.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==

Mehmood worked as a columnist for [[Times of India]] and had written several articles for The Hindustan times, Patriot, National Herald and [[Filmfare]]. He also worked as a correspondent for the English service of German Radio (''Deutsche Welle'').<ref name=":1" /> He served as the editor of Orissa Industry.

Frustrated with constant academic hurdles despite incessantly writing for leading reputed Indian dailies, weeklies and research journals like [[Times of India]], Hindustan Times, Patriot, National Herald, Economic & Political Weekly as well as authoring Palestine Liberation Organization, the then most well documented and pioneering work hitherto on a subject unknown to western world. The academicians of the University acted more often like bureaucrats to scuttle his academic career. He changed his track and joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) to become a director. His diploma film, The Unveiling, is still considered as a classic taught to students of film direction at FTII.
Fed up with constant academic hurdles set up by academicians who acted more often behaved bureaucrats to scuttle his progress, he changed the track and joined the [[Film and Television Institute of India]] (FTII) to become a director. His diploma film, ''The Unveiling'', is still considered as a classic taught to students of film direction at FTII. The second phase is often laced with his journalistic ventures. His life was a paradigm of struggle for an uncompromising existence on his own terms. Shunning commercial offers, he struggled to make his first feature film ''Unwanted'' (English/1985) which was a semi-autobiographical one that showcased his own political and existential philosophy. It represented India as the lone entry at Cannes in 1985, earning various International laurels . His craft was highly influenced by works of [[Antonioni]] and [[Fellini]]. His biggest limitation was the shoestring budget that his producers allotted. In between the phases of film making and struggle for survival, he often delved into journalism and masterfully analyzed the socio-economic-politico spectra of his time in various magazines, he worked as a [[radio journalist]] for German Radio (Deutsche Ville) and also edited magazines/weeklies. He also worked as a Producer and Director of Iranian Television and production in a leading Television Channel, [[ATN]]. He later gave up the job finding it too suffocating for his independent auteur driven creative art.

[[File:Mehmood Hussain.jpg|thumb|Mehmood Hussain directing]]

His short tele-documentaries and telefilms are often considered benchmark for Odia television medium which was hither to besotted with morbid, lunatic, loud and melodramatic story-telling. His Odia tele-serial ''Kunti Kuntala Sakuntala '' is a montage of three female characters sui generis referral work for tele-serial making of Odia and Indian Television ([[Doordarshan]]). His other compelling Odia Tele serial was ''Bajrabahu'' (Iron Hand). His 74 documentaries on various subjects ranging from biographical [[Maulana Abul Kalam Azad]] and other subjects bear ample testimony of classical cases of study in the making of film and television. His second and last feature film were ''Rashmi Rekha'' (Odia/1998) and ''Ulgulan'' (Sambalpuri-Odia/2009) respectively were each worth studying.

One can draw a parallel between the works of Mehmood Hussain and [[Ritwik Ghatak]] so far as they resemble in montage except that while Ghatak's last movie Jukti Tarko aur Gopo had a confusing ending while Mehmood answered the dilemma of Ghatak in Unwanted to create a new world.<ref name=":0" />

== Books ==

Mehmood had written and published two famous books namely :

* '''The Palestine Liberation Organisation''' : A study in Ideology, Strategy and Tactics. The book was released by the then Congress President, [[D. K. Barooah]] and the former [[Prime Minister of India]], [[Inder Kumar Gujral]], the then external affairs minister of India.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hussain|first=Mehmood|title=The revolutionary Arabs the unfinished agenda|date=2003|publisher=Independent Publ. Co.|isbn=978-81-85359-17-5|location=Delhi|language=English|oclc=249633485}}</ref>
* '''The Revolutionary Arabs : The Unfinished Agenda''', the book was released by the foreign minister of Palestine, [[Nabil Sha'ath]] on 31 August 2003.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Hussain|first=Mehmood|title=The Palestine liberation organisation: a study in ideology, strategy and tactics|date=1975|publisher=University Pub|location=Delhi|language=English|oclc=906138467}}</ref>

== Filmography ==

Mehmood has directed and produced 74 short films documentaries and TV serials on the culture, ethos, issues and art of India. Some of his notable short films include ''Geeta'', ''Historic Shahjahanabad'', ''Darool Waloom'', ''Prakruti Kola re Adivasi Mahila'' (A film on UNDP sub plan), ''Street Children'', ''Padadip Port'', ''Andhararu Alua'', ''Sixty years of Odia Cinema, part 1'', ''Sixty years of Odia Cinema part 2'', ''Rail Roko'', ''Children of Blind Alley'', ''Hindu temple art of Odisha'' and several others.<ref name=":0" />

His most notable film ''Unwanted'' received International Award Young Jury Prize at International Festival for Author's films, [[Sanremo]], [[Italy]]. Mehmood's other notable films include, ''Rashmi Rekha'' (1998) and ''Ulgulan'' (2009) which received 3 state film awards.<ref name=":0" /> Another short film ''Children of Darkness'' participated in the International Festival of TV films for children and youth, Prix Danube at [[Bratislava]], [[Czechoslovakia]] in 1991. His film ''A Cry Strangled'' on female foeticide inspired the [[Maharashtra]] government to ban the practices of [[amniocentesis]] for sex determination. Some of his classical biographical documentaries are on [[Maulana Abul Kalam Azad]] and [[Sitakanta Mohapatra]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Film
!Director
!Producer
!Writer
!Actor
!Cinematographer
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1983
| ''The High Priest of Revolution''
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1985
|''Unwanted''
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1987
|''Face to Face with Naxalism''
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1987
|''A date with Democracy''
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1988
|''The Path''
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1988
|''Garibi Hathao''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1993
|''Saint Poet Jashobant Das''
| {{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1993
|''Creative Handloom''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1998
|''Rashmi Rekha''
|{{yes}}
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2001
|''Tribals of Orissa''
|{{yes}}
|{{Yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2009
|''Ulgulan''
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|}

== Television ==
Mehmood has directed the classic ''Kunti Kuntala Shakuntala'' (four episodes) TV serial which was commissioned by Doordarshan and the Indian classic ''Bajrabahu'' (five episodes) specially commissioned by the director general of [[Doordarshan]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 12, 2014|first=Minati|last=Singha|title=national film festival: Jatin Das's film boost to art, culture |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Jatin-Dass-film-boost-to-art-culture/articleshow/28693364.cms|access-date=2020-06-28|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Mehmood Hussain married Nasim Saher. He has two daughters Nausheen Hanan Hussain and Farheen Hussain.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Multifaceted Husain's demise an irreparable loss|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2015/state-editions/multifaceted-husains-demise-an-irreparable-loss.html|access-date=2020-06-28|website=The Pioneer|language=en}}</ref>

== Death ==
Mehmood died on 11 November 2015 at his residence. He was suffering from [[brain cancer]].<ref name=":3" />

== Bibliography ==
• Mehmood Hussain, The Palestine liberation organisation : a study in ideology, strategy and tactics, OCLC: 906138467, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/906138467
• Mehmood Hussain, The revolutionary Arabs the unfinished agenda, OCLC: 249633485, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/249633485

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hussain, Mehmood}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian filmmakers]]

Mehmood Hussain - Revision history

Nasimahamad.vitaniya at 09:30, 6 May 2026