Sanjay Kak, born in Pune, India, in 1958, studied at the Delhi School of Economics. He is an independent documentary maker who began his career doing research for a series of scientific documentaries for Indian television. Hi directing debut came in 1983, with Kinaur Ke Log (The people of Kannaur), which spotlights the life of a Himalayan shepherd. In 1986 he co-founded Octave Comminications, a production company still active in New Delhi. His film In the Forest Hangs a Bridge (1999) won the Golden Lotus for best documentary at the National Film Award in India, and the Asian Gaze Award at the Pusan Film Festival in Korea.
