Aparna Purohit
Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video India
A postgraduate from the APJ Kidwai Mass Communication Research Center (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, Aparna Purohit has been working in the Mumbai film industry for over 15 years now. Having started her film career assisting directors such as Aparna Sen, Bharatbala and Naseeruddin Shah, Aparna soon graduated to production responsibilities.
Her corporate journey began with Sony Entertainment Television (2006-2007), where she worked as an Executive Producer on shows such as CID, Fear Factor, Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai etc. After working in Television for two years, she moved back to films when she joined UTV Motion Pictures (2007- 2008) and line produced films such as Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (Dir: Vivek Agnihotri) and developed films such as Hook Ya Crook (Dir: David Dhawan) and Philum City (Dir: Deven Khote).
She then joined Reliance Entertainment (2008-2010) in its formative years where she line produced films such as Abohman (Dir: Rituparno Ghosh; Bangla), Chak Jawana (Dir: Simerjeet Singh, Punjabi) and the National Award winner Well Done Abba (Dir: Shyam Benegal | 2010 National Film Award for Best Film in Other Social Issues’ category).
Post this, she moved to NFDC (2010) as a consultant, where she coordinated all aspects of Film Bazaar 2010; the year that the film market expanded its scope and for the first time invited delegates from all the SAARC Nations.
In 2010, December, Aparna joined Mumbai Mantra Media Ltd., the film arm of the Mahindra Group as Head – Creative Initiatives and managed the company’s collaboration with Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute on two important initiatives – Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award. She managed the Screenwriting Lab for three years (2011-2013) and coordinated all aspects including outreach and marketing the Lab, reviewing & evaluating the applications & screenplays, and inviting creative advisors from not just India, but across the world for a 5 day residential Lab.
After a successful three year association with the Sundance Institute, Mumbai Mantra conceptualized, designed and launched its own Lab – ‘The Mumbai Mantra CineRise Screenwriting Programme – 100 Storytellers a Year!’. The residential Lab which successfully concluded in August culminate into a Pitch Session where the revised drafts are pitched to Studio Heads, Independent Producers & Financiers, Film Festival Programmers etc.
In 2015, Aparna also produced a film-based chat show Jaane Pehchaane with Javed Akhtar for the EPIC television. She is also developing original, digital content for Cinetsaan Digital Pvt Ltd.
In 2014, Aparna became the Creative Head – Productions at Cinestaan Film Company, a film company launched by Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar. At Cinestaan, she supervised production on the company’s maiden production Mirzya being directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and was also developing several other projects.
Aparna had also dabbled with print journalism (The Times of India and The Indian Express), Radio (AIR FM Gold and Rainbow, Delhi) and ad-film making (Code Red Films, Bharatbala Productions).
Aparna is currently the Head of India Originals at Amazon Prime Video, India. She has developed and launched all Indian Originals on Amazon Prime Video includingInside Edge (International Emmys Nomination, 2018), Breathe, Comicstaan, Four More Shots Please!, Mirzapurand Made In Heaven.