# Shirish Kunder (शिरीष कुंदर)
**Shirish Kunder** (शिरीष कुंदर; born 1973) is an Indian filmmaker who works as an editor, writer, director, composer, and producer in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema).[1](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2136734/) He first became known as a film editor on mainstream Bollywood films such as *Main Hoon Na* (2004) and *Om Shanti Om* (2007), then moved into directing with *Jaan-E-Mann* (2006), *[Joker](https://www.edgepedia.org/joker-2012-film)* (2012), and the Netflix film *Mrs. Serial Killer* (2020).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145655/) He is married to choreographer and director [Farah Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/farah-khan).[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, Mangalore, Karnataka, India[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145655/) |
| Professions | Editor, writer, director, composer, producer, sound department[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/shirish-kunder/credits/3030452762/) |
| Editing debut | *Champion* (2000); has more than 15 films edited to date[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) |
| Directing debut | *Jaan-E-Mann* (20 October 2006), which he also wrote, edited, and scored[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder/filmography/director/) • [3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) |
| Best-received directed film | *Jaan E Mann*, 50% critics / 76% audience on Rotten Tomatoes; *Joker* (2012) is his lowest at 0% / 22%[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder) |
| Short film | *Kriti* (22 June 2016), an 18-minute thriller starring Manoj Bajpayee, later the subject of a plagiarism accusation[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder/filmography/director/) • [7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Short-films-Kriti-and-Bob-Same/articleshow/52912222.cms) |
| Family | Married to Farah Khan; triplets Czar, Diva, and Anvya[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) |
## Early life and editing career
Kunder was born in Mangalore, Karnataka, and raised in Mumbai.[8](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/shirish-kunder/biography.html) He took a degree in electronics and communications engineering from SDM College of Engineering and Technology in Dharwad and worked for Motorola before entering film.[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography)
His entry into Bollywood was as an editor, beginning with *Champion* in 2000.[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) Through the 2000s he edited a steady run of Hindi films, including *Aankhen* (2002), *Calcutta Mail* (2003), *Main Hoon Na* (2004), *Socha Na Tha*, *Waqt: A Race Against Time*, and *[Om Shanti Om](https://www.edgepedia.org/om-shanti-om)*.[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/shirish-kunder/credits/3030452762/) IMDb lists 22 editor credits for him, alongside 5 writer, 5 composer, and 4 director credits.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145655/) The film that brought him wide recognition was Farah Khan's *Main Hoon Na* (2004), starring [Shah Rukh Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shah-rukh-khan).[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) Two of the films he edited score highly on Rotten Tomatoes' aggregation: *[Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women](https://www.edgepedia.org/matrubhoomi)* (2003) at 88% and *Main Hoon Na* at 82%.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder)
## Directing
**Jaan-E-Mann (2006).** Kunder's first film as director starred [Salman Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/salman-khan), Akshay Kumar, and [Preity Zinta](https://www.edgepedia.org/preity-zinta). He wrote the story, edited the film, and composed its background score.[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) It received positive reviews from critics but did not succeed at the box office,[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) and it remains his highest-rated film as a director on Rotten Tomatoes at 50% with critics and 76% with audiences.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder)
**Tees Maar Khan (2010).** Directed by his wife Farah Khan, the film was written and produced by Kunder, who also served as editor and composer.[9](https://www.fandango.com/people/shirish-kunder-369082/film-credits) It was poorly received by critics, scoring 7% with critics and 21% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes,[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder) though audiences liked it more than critics did and it was declared a semi hit.[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography)
**Joker (2012).** His third film as director, starring [Akshay Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/akshay-kumar) and [Sonakshi Sinha](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonakshi-sinha), was a science-fiction comedy that he also produced and wrote.[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) The film was a box-office failure, described as a disaster,[3](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography) and scored 0% with critics and 22% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder)
## Kriti and the plagiarism dispute
After Joker, Kunder took what the *Times of India* described as a seven-year self-imposed sabbatical, broken by the short film *Kriti* (2016), an 18-minute psychological thriller starring [Manoj Bajpayee](https://www.edgepedia.org/manoj-bajpayee) released online.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Short-films-Kriti-and-Bob-Same/articleshow/52912222.cms) The film initially met generally positive reviews from viewers and the film fraternity.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Short-films-Kriti-and-Bob-Same/articleshow/52912222.cms) Shortly afterward, the Nepali director and photographer Aneel Neupane publicly accused Kunder of lifting the plot of *Kriti* almost scene by scene from his short film *Bob*, which Neupane said had been completed in October 2015 and released on YouTube on 12 May 2016.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Short-films-Kriti-and-Bob-Same/articleshow/52912222.cms)
## Mrs. Serial Killer and later work
Kunder wrote and directed *Mrs. Serial Killer*, a crime thriller starring Manoj Bajpayee and [Jacqueline Fernandez](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacqueline-fernandez), released on 1 May 2020; he also edited it.[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder/filmography/director/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145655/) On Rotten Tomatoes it scored 15% with critics and 46% with audiences.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder)
He has also worked in other crew roles. Television Guide credits him as sound designer on *Main Hoon Na* and as composer on *Jaan-E-Mann*, *[Tees Maar Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/tees-maar-khan-2010-film)*, and *Joker*, and lists lyrics and promo-design credits as well.[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/shirish-kunder/credits/3030452762/)
## References
1. [Shirish Kunder, elCinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2136734/)
2. [Shirish Kunder, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145655/)
3. [Shirish Kunder Full Biography, BollywoodMDB](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/shirish-kunder-nm-5066/biography)
4. [Shirish Kunder Credits, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/shirish-kunder/credits/3030452762/)
5. [Shirish Kunder Filmography, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder/filmography/director/)
6. [Shirish Kunder Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shirish-kunder)
7. [Short films 'Kriti' and 'Bob' Same?, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Short-films-Kriti-and-Bob-Same/articleshow/52912222.cms)
8. [शिरीष कुंद्र जीवनी, Filmibeat Hindi](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/shirish-kunder/biography.html)
9. [Shirish Kunder Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/shirish-kunder-369082/film-credits)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Indian and South Asian film directors › Hindi cinema directors › Contemporary Hindi directors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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