Mayur Puri

Early life

Mayur hails from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where he did most of his education, including an M.A. degree from University School Of Languages and F.Y. Diploma In Dramatics from the Drama Department of Gujarat College (topped the university). He spent his early years in writing and directing for local theatre and television and after 8 years of experience he moved from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in late 1999 and immediately landed a job with Sanjay Gadhvi as his Chief Assistant Director. From the year 2000 he started writing screenplay and dialogues for films that he was assisting on. During his first year in Mumbai, he also wrote and acted in lead for a Gujarati play: Amastaa Amastaa (2001).

Film career

Mayur came to Mumbai in 1999 and started assisting Sanjay Gadhvi. Their association lasted for 3 films:

Tere Liye where Mayur worked as a Chief Assistant Director. Yash Raj Films, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002) followed soon after, which also was Mayur's first as a screenwriter. While working for this film, he had the opportunity to work up & close with Yash Chopra (Founder - Yash Raj Films) & Aditya Chopra (Creative Producer - Yash Raj Films).

On Yash Raj Films, Dhoom (2004) Mayur worked as an Associate Director. ‘Dhoom’ being an action film was a complete departure from YRF’s earlier romantic and family movies.

In 2004, Mayur quit working for Yash Raj Films and started to venture out as an independent screenwriter and lyricist.

My Name is Anthony Gonsalves (Adaptation of Julius Caesar) released to a lukewarm response but the big break as a screenwriter came with Om Shanti Om.

Mayur's writing in 'Om Shanti Om' was much appreciated with dialogues like 'Ek Chukti Sindoor' and 'Picture Abhi Baaki Hai Mere Dost' acquiring a cult status upon the release.

Mayur donned the hat of Creative Director for an Animation film titled Jumbo (2008) presented by Percept Picture Company starring ‘Voice of Akshay Kumar’.

He also co-wrote Blue (2009) which was the first Indian film to be shot extensively underwater at Bahamas with a Hollywood's top technicians involved in the making but it failed at the box-office. Next came Prince (2010 film) which Mayur wrote the dialogues for and also acted in a supporting role as P.K.

In 2009, Mayur took a sabbatical from Bollywood and founded a story-telling institute for young children called Story Circus and conducted a workshop for aspiring filmmakers in Goa with the help of Goa University. While he was busy with his activities Beyond Bollywood, Mayur's next hit at the box-office came in 2011 with Remo D'Souza's directorial debut F.A.L.T.U - the screenplay and dialogues for which Mayur had written a few years back.

After one of the sessions in Story Circus, Mayur bumped into Farah Khan who had come to pick her kids. While Mayur was still off Bollywood, Farah's Tees Maar Khan had released and she was starting to script her next project Happy New Year which she offered Mayur immediately. Also, around the same time, Pritam came back to Mayur and offered him to work on the songs of I Love New Year and Race 2. By 2012 Mayur returned to full-time writing with additional dialogue and lyrics of Remo D'Souza's next musical 'ABCD: Any Body Can Dance'. For this film's songs Mayur collaborated with music director duo - Sachin-Jigar. In 2013 he wrote 26 songs as a lyricist.

Happy New Year released in 2014, the dialogues of the film written by mayur were very well received. Apart from this, Mayur worked on the script of ABCD: Any Body Can Dance 2. His recent releases as a lyricist are Humshakals, Entertainment, Kick, All is Well and 'ABCD: Any Body Can Dance 2.

In a TV Interview with Komal Nahata it was indicated that Mayur is working on his directorial debut film which will be announced soon.

Film songwriter

As a songwriter, Mayur has closely worked with composer Pritam on the albums for Race 2 (2013), Singh Is Kinng (2009) and Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006), Chocolate (2005 film), Garam Masala, Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Fight Club - Members Only, Singh is Kinng, Jannat 2, Race 2, Shaadi Ke Side Effects. The latest release is 'Selfie Le Le Re' from Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) starring Salman Khan.

According to a Times Poll, "Be Intehaan" from the movie Race 2 was ranked as the 7th most Romantic songs of 2013.

Mayur also worked with A. R. Rahman on the songs "Aaj Dil Gustakh Hai" for Blue and "Alive" (Hindi version - Zindagi) for 'Provoked'.

Mayur has collaborated with music directors Sachin-Jigar on ABCD (2013), ABCD 2 (2015) and revamped Zoom (TV channel)'s song called "Turn On" and with Himesh Reshammiya on Kick.

Film director

Ahmedabad Theatre, Commercials, TV shows (including 'DharmYuddh') which was the first Gujarati daily soap (edited and wrote also).

MUMBAI: Tere Liye was the first Hindi Film Mayur started to work as a First Assistant Director. It marked the launch of the Music duos Jeet-Pritam who are now working as independent music composers. The film was entirely shot in Ramoji Rao Filmcity (Hyderabad).

Mere Yaar ki Shaadi Hai was Mayur's first break as a screenwriter. He was also the Chief Assistant Director on the film. It was a light-hearted Romantic Family Drama that was received very well.

Mayur worked as the Associate Director on the first installment of Dhoom.

Mayur then went on to be a Creative Director on an Animation film Jumbo starring Voice of Akshay Kumar, produced by Percept Picture Company

Story Circus

Story Circus - In 2010, Mayur founded an institute for young children (3-8 yrs) called Story Circus. The main concept of 'Story Circus' was to provide quality edutainment services for its patrons through story-telling and other audio-visual teaching aids.

FilmGoa

In 2011, Mayur started an initiative called Filmgoa - an effort to decentralize the mainstream film-making in India. It aimed to provide training and job support to aspiring film-makers and to facilitate film making activities in Goa. Mayur went on to give orientation lectures in more than 30 colleges in Goa, interacting with over 6000 students during this year long event. Out of hundreds of applicants from all over the country, 85 promising ones were chosen for a year long workshop, hosted by Goa University and Goa Tourism Development Corporation.