Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni was born in Pune, India. He earned a law degree before switching to film, working as an assistant director and attending the Film and Television Institute of India. His thesis film, The Grinding Machine (2005), won a number of awards and screened internationally. His short documentary The Three of Us (2008) premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. The Wild Bull (2009), his first feature, premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival and was met with critical acclaim. His other films include the shorts The Spell (2010) and Dissolution (2010). The Temple (2011) is his second feature.
