Anshul Chauhan (born 1986) is an Indian film director, producer, and former animator based in Japan. He is best known for directing films such as December (2022), Kontora (2019), and Bad Poetry Tokyo (2018). Beyond directing, Chauhan has also contributed as an animator to projects such as Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Tron: Uprising.
Early life and education
Chauhan was born in Mainpuri, Agra, in Northern India in 1986, one day after his grandfather had died.[1] His father was a "strict military man" who schooled Chauhan at a military academy in Rajasthan.[2] Chauhan went to university and studied geography.[3] He later developed an interest in animation and Japanese history after being influenced by his favourite anime, Naruto.[4]
Career
After graduating, Chauhan became an animator in 2006 and animated shows such as BBC's children's show Everything's Rosie and Disney's Tron: Uprising.[5] He was also part of the production of Delhi Safari.[6] After relocating to Tokyo in September 2011, He joined Square Enix and animated for video games such as Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III along with animating TV shows such as Transformers: Robots in Disguise.[7]
In 2016, Chauhan founded Kowatanda Films, his own production company, to start directing films.[7] Initially, he only made short films. He later went back to India to direct his first feature film with no intention to return to Japan, however, when he finished, he lost the film due to a faulty hard disk drive.[4] He later moved back to Japan and directed his first feature film, Bad Poetry Tokyo (2018), which won him the Best Narrative Feature Film at the Venice Film Week and the Grand Prize for Best Film at the Brussels Independent Film Festival.[3]
After making Bad Poetry Tokyo, Chauhan was approached by a producer who asked him to write another script after being impressed by his film. Chauhan spent six to seven months writing a script about bullying at a Yokosuka military academy. However, the producer got scared and left after reading it, considering it to be anti-government.[8] After this, Chauhan wrote his second feature film, Kontora (2019), which was the first Japanese release to win the Grand Prix Award for Best Film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[9] He stated that his inspiration for Kontora was from war diaries of Japanese soldiers.[8]
In 2022, Chauhan directed his third feature film, December (2022),[10] featuring Shogen of Brillante Mendoza’s Gensan Punch.[11] Production on the courtroom drama film began in February in Tokyo, and focused on a separated couple reuniting after the murderer of their daughter is given a retrial.[9] December was nominated for the Kim Jiseok award at the 27th Busan International Film Festival.[12] In 2024, he announced that he was working on a new film titled Tiger, which would star Takashi Kawaguchi, Maho Nonami, and Yuya Endo, that was planned to be released in 2025.[13] In September 2025, Tiger had its international premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival. It features LGBTQ+ themes and is his fourth film to be set in Japan.[14][15] It won the Hylife Vision Award at Busan in the "Visions – Asia" category.[16]
In November 2025, Chauhan established Kowatanda Films India, an Indian branch of his production company; it is run by Chauhan, Mina Moteki, and Sohrab Bozorgchami. Kowatanda Films India will collaborate with actress Shweta Tripathi and her production company Bandarful Films on Nava, a horror film. It will be his first film in India.[17]
Filmography
Film
As director and producer
| Year | Title | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tokyo Apple | Short film | |
| 2016 | Soap | Short film | [18] |
| What's Left of Us | Short film | ||
| 2017 | Kawaguchi 4256 | Short film | [18] |
| 2018 | Bad Poetry Tokyo | Feature film | [19] |
| 2019 | Kontora | Feature film | [1] |
| 2021 | Leo's Return | Short film | [20] |
| 2022 | December | Feature film | [7] |
| 2025 | Tiger | Feature film | [15] |
As animator
| Year | Title | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Lego Hero Factory: Savage Planet | Animator | [21] |
| 2012 | Delhi Safari | Animator | |
| Gladiators of Rome | Animator | ||
| 2015 | Guardians of Oz | Animator | |
| 2016 | Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV | Animator | |
| Gantz: O | Animator |
Television
As animator
| Year | Title | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Back at the Backyard | Animator; 5 episodes | [21] |
| 2008 | FarmKids | Animator; 4 episodes | |
| 2011 | Everything's Rosie | Lead animator; 26 episodes | |
| 2012 | Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot | Animator; 26 episodes | |
| Tron: Uprising | Animator; 15 episodes | ||
| 2013 | Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures | Animator; 11 episodes | |
| 2014–15 | Transformers: Robots in Disguise | Animator; layout artist; 12 episodes | |
| 2018 | Record of Grancrest War | Animator; 3 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | UFC Undisputed 3 | Animator | [21] |
| Skylanders: Giants | Animator | ||
| 2016 | Final Fantasy XV | Animator | |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | Animator | |
| 2020 | Final Fantasy VII Remake | Animator |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pushing against the grain of Japan's film industry, Hadfield, James. The Japan Times(18 March 2021). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ An Indian take on making a Japanese film, Wadhwa, Megha. The Japan Times(18 March 2020). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Indian who made a Japanese movie. The Hindu(28 March 2020). Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 An Indian Filmmaker Brings a Unique Perspective to Japanese Cinema, Kuwahara, Rika. Nippon.com(18 June 2020). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ An Indian director's take on Japan's courtroom reality, Eagen, Daniel. Nikkei Asia(20 August 2023). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ Anshul Chauhan. Festival Scope Pro. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Now showing: Anshul Chauhan's Template:'DecemberTemplate:' is a compelling tale about grief and retribution, Steen, Emma. Time Out Tokyo(5 April 2023). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Interview with Kontora Director Anshul Chauhan [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2020], Jason, Genki. Genkinahito(15 July 2020). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Berlin: Japan-Based Filmmaker Anshul Chauhan Preps Court Room Drama Template:'DecemberTemplate:', Brzeski, Patrick. The Hollywood Reporter(13 February 2022). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ NYAFF 2023: Interview With Anshul Chauhan, Director of DECEMBER, Pryor, VN. Cinapse(6 August 2023). Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ Template:'Gensan PunchTemplate:' Star, Producer Reteam with SC Films for Template:'DecemberTemplate:' (EXCLUSIVE), Hopewell, John. Variety(28 April 2022). Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ↑ BIFF Interview: Shogen, Nominee of Jiseok Awards 2 Years in a Row, Teresa, Maria. Haps Magazine(2022-10-15). Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ↑ Anshul Chauhan's Template:'TigerTemplate:' Kicks Off Filming with an ensemble cast, Kotzathanasis, Panos. Asian Movie Pulse(1 September 2024). Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ↑ Anshul Chauhan’s new film TIGER, an LGBTQ+ Drama Set in Tokyo, to premiere at Busan International Film Festival 2025. Asian Movie Pulse(19 August 2025). Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 부산국제영화제, 신예→중견 감독 총출동...독립영화 23편 공개. Naver(August 19, 2025). Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ↑ BIFF, '비전 - 한국, 아시아' 선정작 23편 공개…독립영화의 새로운 가능성. Naver(August 19, 2025). Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ↑ Anshul Chauhan Launches Kowatanda Films India, Partners With Shweta Tripathi on Horror Feature Template:'NavaTemplate:' (EXCLUSIVE), Ramachandran, Naman. Variety(24 November 2025). Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Interview with Anshul Chauhan: I think people tend to mistake love for romance, Kotzathanasis, Panos. Asian Movie Pulse(18 May 2020). Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ↑ Template:'Bad Poetry TokyoTemplate:': Indian director's first feature reveals major talent, Schilling, Mark. The Japan Times(16 January 2020). Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ↑ Short Film Review: Leo's Return (2021) by Anshul Chauhan, Kotzathanasis, Panos. Asian Movie Pulse(21 August 2021). Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Anshul Chauhan | Director, Producer, Animation Department. IMDb. Retrieved 11 December 2023.