B. Lenin is a versatile filmmaker with a passionate indulgence in the art of film making since 1962. He is the son of Mr. A. Bhim Singh, an acclaimed director of several blockbuster Tamil and Hindi movies. Lenin started his career as an Assistant Editor at V. Santharam Studios, Mumbai, and later worked as Assistant Director to his father. He then went on to become an acclaimed editor. As a natural progression, he stepped into Direction and made some distinctively creative and memorable films.
In his illustrious cinematic journey spanning over five decades, Lenin was part of several genres and trends of films from action thrillers to romantic melodramas, from big budget commercial entertainers to low-budget art fares. The Indian celluloid world also carries a chapter of Lenin with over 120 contributions in five languages. He has the rare distinction of being the Editor of two Academy Award entries from India namely: “Nayagan”, a 1987 Tamil language release and “Guru”, released a decade later in 1997 in the Malayalam language.
Lenin has won 5 National Awards including the awards for Best Direction and Best Editing. His short film “Knock Out” won Ismalia Critics Award for Best Short Film at Cairo International Film Festival in 1994 and the prestigious Indian Panorama Award. He is still recognized as one of the pioneers of Short-film making in India.
He has served as the Chairperson of Oscar Selection Committee of FFI in 2011 and National Film Awards of Indian Panorama in 2013.
Many of his friends call him ‘Swamy’ for his spiritual inclinations. This unassuming and soft spoken gentleman is absolutely devoted to his profession and shies away from the arc lights of pomp and fame.
When he is not behind the camera and editing table, he shares his knowledge and vision as a visiting faculty to several film institute’s including FTII, Pune and BOFTA in Chennai.
An epitome of modesty, Lenin is a mentor to many.