Prem Vaidya joined the Films Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India in 1954 during its golden age. He retired in 1985 as Director / Producer. During this period he filmed major events in the country for ‘Indian Newsreel’ and documentary films. He received The Ezra Mir Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 from the Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA). Some of his prominent assignments are listed below:
- 1990 : Cosmic Dance of Siva Directorial assignment for Dr. Karan Sing's production.
- 1990 : Vanashri te Dhanashri - Assignment for script and Direction, for Govt. of Maharashtra.
- 1986 : The Soil That Was Ours : Assignment for Script and Direction on Goa's Freedom Movement.
- 1985 : The Great Salt March - Assignment for Script and Direction on Mahatma Gandhi's Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi in 1930.
- 1985 : Kalapani: A Pilgrimage - Assignment for script and Direction.
The Film was selected for the Indian Panorama during Filmotsava-1986.
- 1985 : From Bondage to Knowledge : UNICEF assignment on Non-formal Education.
- 1984 : Against the Current - Assignment as Co-Director and as Co-Producer for Sir Edmund Hillary’s Ganga Expedition.
Received Diploma at 10th Mednarodni Festival Sportenga in Turistionega Film Kranj, Yugoslavia; Ritwik Ghatak Memorial Award and Cash Prize, Calcutta, 1985.
- 1984 : Veer Savarkar : Assignment for Research, Script writing and Direction for a biographical documentary film on revolutionary and freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Received Filmfare Award for the Best Documentary of the Year at the 31st Annual Filmfare Award ,1984, Mumbai.
* Certificate at Filmotsava, 1984, Mumbai.
* Diploma at Tashkent Film Festival, 1984.
* Critics Award for the Best Documentary Film of the Year by Uttar Pradesh Film Journalist Association, 1985.
- 1984 : Plant Tissue Culture : Assignment as Producer.
The film received Nicola Tesla Bronze Medal at the 13th International Film Festival at Belgrade.
- 1982 : Baba Amte : Scriptwriting assignment for a documentary film on Baba Amte.
The film received Special Diploma of Honor at Cracow International Short Film Festival, 1982.
- 1982 : ASIAD-82 - Assignment for covering IX-Asian Games in Delhi.
Received Bronze Medal and Certificate.
- 1981 : Steadfast Wisdom - A documentary film on Acharya Vinoba Bhave, Script & Direction.
- 1980 : Participated in a worldwide Film Script Competition for the United Nations "Human Settlement Programme’. Shared the third prize for the script On the March of Rehabilitation.
- 1979 : Conquest of Kanchenjunga - Directorial assignment.
Received Golden Trophy at the 36th International Sports Film Festivals, Rome-1980.
- 1978 : At BBC on deputation for training in production techniques in the field of documentary and TV.
- 1977 : From the Ocean to the Sky - Assignment as one of the Cameramen for a documentary film on the first Everest conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary’ Ganga Expedition.
Awards and screenings : Grand Prix Citta di Trento for the Best Film at The International Mountaineering And Exploration Film Festival in Trento, Italy, April, 1980; Red Ribbon at The American Film Festival, May, 1980.
- 1974 : Man In Search Of Man: Assignment as Director for documentary film on vanishing tribes of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Also shared the work of Cinematographer.
* Received Silver Rajat Kamal and Cash Prize at the 22nd National Film Festival for the Best Information Film of the Year.
* Certificates at International Film Festival, Berlin, 1975; International Film Festival, Bombay; International Film Festival of Social Documentary, Italy, 1975.
* Diploma at 13th International Film Festival Brisbane, 1978
- 1971 : East Pakistan in Turmoil -Volunteered to go inside East Pakistan to cover the activities of Mukti Bahini (freedom fighters) for Special Indian Newsreel and Documentary. This coverage was done when Pakistan had broken-off diplomatic relations with India.
- 1971 : Birth of a Nation: Bangladesh: Worked inside Bangladesh and covered war with West Pakistan. Received cash award.
- 1968 : UNCTAD assignment with United Nations for documentary film.
- 1966 : Report On Drought -As Cameraman and Associate Director for Documentary and for Indian Newsreel on drought in U.P. & Bihar. One show of this film on Norwegian TV network in Oslo resulted in contribution of Rs. 25 lakhs from the Labour Movement in Norway for the drought-stricken people of U.P. and Bihar.
- 1966 : Alaknanda Expedition to cover Alaknanda River-Raft expedition by three-member-team where two of the expedition members lost their life.
- 1965 : Indo-Pak War: To cover front line war in Jammu-Chumb and Jammu-Sialkot sectors for Indian Newsreel and documentary.
- 1965 : Visit to Tashkent to cover the Tashkent Conference and the demise of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri for Special Indian Newsreel and documentary.
- 1964 : Visit to USSR, UK, Ireland to cover the state visit of the President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan for Indian Newsreel and documentary.
- 1964 : Visit to Cairo with Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to cover the Non-Aligned Conference for Indian Newsreel.
- 1964 : Visit to Burma to cover the State visit of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri for Special Indian Newsreel and documentary.
Books
- 2009 : Memorable Assignments on Moving Images
- 1997 : Memorable Documentary film on Revolutionary Freedom Fighter Veer Savarkar
- 1996 : Savarkar : A Lifelong Crusader
