[3] Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in a Kashmiri family,[1][4] Kaul first joined FTII, Pune as an Yearbook photographer and later shifted to the acting course, where noted film director Ritwik Ghatak was a teacher, graduating in 1966.

[5][dubious – discuss] He was a nephew of the actor-director Mahesh Kaul, who made films like Raj Kapoor starrer Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968).

Critics[5] opined in "Mani Kaul's cinematic conception, fiction and documentary films have no clear demarcated dividing line."

The Russian writer’s short story A Gentle Creature inspired Nazar, shot in low, chiaroscuro lighting."

His films effortlessly employed temporality to create a deep spatial landscape in which human emotions oscillated with an incendiary provocation.

This cinematic gesture was so subtle that if one were not attentive the meaning would be lost.”[13] Mani Kaul won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie four times.