Nationality Indian | Name Dhvani Desai | |
The kids already know about animation: Dhvani Desai on ICFFI
Dhvani Desai (born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is an international and Indian award-winning animation filmmaker and a poet. She is best known for her animation film " Manpasand - the Perfect Match " produced by the Children's Film Society of India (an autonomous body of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India). " Chakravyuh " ( The Vicious Circle ), her another film about promoting awareness of India's Right to Information Act (RTI) was produced by the Films Division and released publicly on the occasion of the 8th Anniversary of the RTI Act by the Public Concern for Governance Trust ( PCGT) led by Padmabhushan Shri Julieo Rebeiro, Indian Merchants' Chamber ( IMC ) Anti Corruption Cell and Bombay Chartered Accountants Society in Mumbai. Her animation studio Metamorphosis has produced numerous animations and special effects for advertising films.
Contents
- The kids already know about animation Dhvani Desai on ICFFI
- Manpsand The Perfect Match by Dhvani Desai 2007
- Early life
- Career
- Awards
- Other achievements
- References

Manpsand (The Perfect Match)- by Dhvani Desai (2007)
Early life

Born in Mumbai,Desai hails from a well respected illustrious family. Her father Dr.Sudhir Desai is an acclaimed poet, thinker, scholar and her mother Tarinibahen Desai is a distinguished modern short story writer in Gujarati . Her elder sister Sanskritirani Desai is also a leading Gujarati poet. and her brother Sanskar Desai a senior documentary filmmaker.Her grandfather late Surendrarai Bhaurai Desai, a lawyer and a known social reformist in the region had worked extensively for the upliftment and rights of the tribals. His life and work has been mentioned in the textbooks of Primary & Secondary grade education of Gujarat.
At an early age, she started painting and writing poetry. She also acted in children's professional plays, and travelled across Gujarat to perform on stage. She also appeared on TV and Radio as a child artiste.
Career
Desai gained a Master of Business Administration degree from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management and Higher Studies after completing her Bachelor of Science in Statistics from Elphinstone College, Mumbai. She joined the Government Law College, Mumbai and later gained a post-graduation diploma in Computer Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.
Desai entered the field of animation in 1991. She worked as a trainee at a computer animation studio, where she learnt 2D animation. After this, she joined Xavier's Institute of Communication in Mumbai for formal training in 3D animation, before working in two animation studios. Desai then joined the Computer Graphiti (at the time, a pioneer studio in the field of Indian animation), before establishing her own animation studio Metamorphosis in Mumbai.
Desai co-directed a short animation film The Mahatma with her elder brother depicting the principles of Gandhiji, which was produced by the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation. The film was selected at the Tehran International Animation Festival in 2001 and at the Mumbai International Film Festival.
Desai directed the 11-minute long Children's Film Society of India-produced Manpasand — The Perfect Match. It was screened three times at the 9th Hamburg Children's Short Film Festival., and won a Bronze World Medal in the Home Video – Children's Programmes category at the 2008 New York Festival's Film and Video Awards. The Panchatantra-based tale (using the Vaishnavite Sanjhi art style, a form of stencil art took over two years to make, with 42 artists working on it.
It was nominated in many international film festivals including festivals in Germany, Canada, China, Greece, Poland, Slovak Republic and Turkey. — it was also nominated in the International Animation Film Festival in Hollywood, as well as being selected for the International Competition of Animated Films for Children and Youth in the Czech republic in 2007 and being shown at Hyderabad's The Golden Elephant during the 15th International Children's Film Festival in November 2007 and as the Inaugural film at the Asian Women's Film Festival in New Delhi in 2008. Desai expressed surprise that the film had not been considered for the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2008.
Desai has also worked on cartoon and animated titles produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India.