BATUL MUKHTIAR is an award-winning multi-genre filmmaker. She works in Mumbai since over 25 years.
Her recent films MY SONA (2024), KITTY KELLY (2024) and MUMU SHELLEY (2021) are female-oriented black comedies. Her feature CHALTI KYA KHANDALA is under post-production.
Her film KAPHAL (2013) won the Golden Lotus National Award for Best Children’s Film and Best Director, Live Action at the Golden Elephant International Children’s Film Festival of India. It was nominated at Zlin FF 2014 for Best Children's Film under Children’s Jury Main Prize and Golden Slippers. KAPHAL was shot in a remote hilly village of Garhwal with local children. It screened at festivals like MAMI, Goteborg International Film Festival, Zlin International Film Festival for Children & Youth, Busan International Kids Film Festival, Chicago South Asian Film Festival & Saga Stockholm Women’s International Film Festival. It is currently playing on MUBI.
Her children’s film LILKEE (2007) also continues to be shown at festivals, classrooms and film clubs around the world.
Batul shot a documentary in earthquake-devastated Bhuj, 150 SECONDS AGO (2001) which has screened at prestigious festivals like Cinema Du Reel, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival & Yamagata Documentary Dream Show.
Batul studied Film Direction & Screenplay Writing at Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. Both her student films PHOBHABAI and NAZAR KA DHOKHA screened at Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival & Curtas Vila Do Conde International Film Festival.
Batul also works as a producer on international documentaries for BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, Al Jazeera, Arte, CBC, NatGeo, YLE & VPRO. Some of her work as creative producer includes BAFTA- nominated documentary REAL SLUM DOG CHILDREN OF MUMBAI & Dan Reed’s TERROR IN MUMBAI. She has also worked on BAD BOYS BILLIONAIRES and MUMBAI MAFIA, currently on Netflix.
Batul served on the National Award Jury in 2015 and works on several juries and selection committees for Film & Television Institute of India, National Institute of Design, Films Division, Indian Documentary Producers Association, Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, Toto Fund for Arts and MAMI Half-Ticket amongst others.
She conducts workshops in documentary and screenplay writing at National Institute of Design, Film & Television Institute of India and Shristi College of Design.
Batul writes short stories and blog about films and books at http://batulm.wordpress.com/. Her scripts have been selected at various prestigious labs like Drishyam Sundance Lab, Sundance Development Track & NFDC Screenwriters Lab.