Jayaraj
Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair | |
---|---|
Born |
Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair 4 August 1960 Kottayam, Kerala, India |
Occupation | Director, screenwriter, producer |
Years active | 1990–present |
Spouse(s) | Sabitha Jayaraj |
Children | 2 |
Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair, often credited as Jayaraj, is an Indian Malayali filmmaker known for directing mainstream as well as art house films. His notable film include, Vidyarambham (1990), Johnnie Walker (1992), Kudumbasametham (1992), Paithrukam (1993), Highway (1995), Desadanam (1996), Kaliyattam (1997), Karunam (2000), Shantham (2000), Kannaki (2002), 4 the People (2004), Daivanamathil (2005), Makalkku (2005), Adbhutam (2006), Gulmohar (2008), Loudspeaker (2009), Pakarnnattam (2012) and Ottaal (2015).
Biography
Jayaraj was born on 4 August 1960 to a middle-class family in Kottayam, Kerala, India. His father was N. Rajasekharan Nair and mother, Savithri R. Nair. He completed his Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication. During his stay at Thiruvananthapuram, he attended film festivals including the International Film Festival of Kerala and watched many world classics.[1] Kurosawa's Rashomon and DeSica's Bicycle Thieves were among them, and they influenced him immensesly.[2] After his studies in Thiruvananthapuram, he met noted director Bharathan who was a neighbor of his sister in Madras, Tamil Nadu. Bharathan was impressed by Jayaraj and made him his assistant director for Chilambu(1986). Jayaraj then went on to be the assistant to Bharathan in six more films including the critically acclaimed Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam (1987) and Vaishali (1988). Jayaraj debuted as director with Vidyarambham (1988). His early career mainly produced commercially oriented films like Aakasha Kottayile Sultan (1991), Johnnie Walker (1992), High Way (1995), Thumboli Kadappuram (1995) and Arabia (1995).
Notable in his early career were Kudumbasametham (1992), Paithrukam (1993) and Sopanam (1993). Paithrukam was critically acclaimed but was subject to criticism for its conservative, religious philosophy. Desadanam (1997) was a milestone in his career. With the film, he was considered a serious film-maker by the critics. It was followed by another critically acclaimed film, Kaliyattam (1997) which was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. It won him the National Film Award for Best Direction.
In 1999 Jayaraj started his nine-film series project Navarasa with Karunam, followed by Shantham(2000). Shantham won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. The third in the Navarasa series was Bheebhatsa, a Hindi film. A fourth film in the series, Adbutham, is planned and Jayaraj has set his aim to complete the shooting in less than 2 hours 14 minutes with single camera at a time.[3] He reportedly said in an interview to Rediff.com when inquired about the shooting time "In less than ten hours. It may end in five or even two hours. You never know."[4]
Of late he has been doing commercial and art films and is successful in both genres. While Thilakkam (2003) and 4 The People (2004) were huge commercial successes Kannaki (2002), Makalkku (2005), Daivanamathil (2005) and Ottaal (2015) were critically acclaimed. A sequel to 4 the People came in 2005: By the People which was a flop.[5] Despite that, Jayaraj continued the sequel the trilogy titled Of The People, as of December 2007.[6]
Jayaraj's wife Sabitha Jayaraj is a state award-winning costume designer and an actress.
Awards
- International awards
Film | Year | Award (s) |
---|---|---|
Daivanamathil | 2005 | Best Film Award in Spain, Madrid International Film Festival |
Karunam | 2000 | Golden Peacock Award, International Film Festival of India- Awards from Federation of International Film Societies, Berlin International Film Fest, Special Mention in Kerala International Film Festival. |
Shantham | 2000 | Best Cinematography in Festival De 3 Continents, France |
Desadanam | 1996 | Special Mention at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in competition section. |
- 1996 : Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Desadanam
- 1997 - National Film Award for Best Director - Kaliyattam
- 2000 : Best Film - Shantham
- 2005 : Best Film on National Integration - Daivanamathil
- 2007 : Best Director (Non Feature Films) - Vellapokkathil - The Deluge
- 2014 : Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation - Ottaal
- 1992 - Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film: Kudumbasametham
- 1996 - Kerala State Film Award for Best Director : Deshadanam
- 1997 - Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value : Kaliyaattam
- 1999 : Kerala State Film Award for Best Film - Karunam
- 2015 : Kerala State Film Award for Best Film - Ottaal
- Filmfare Awards South
- 2000 - Best Director : Karunam
- 2000 - Best Film : Karunam
- V. Shantharam Awards
- 1997 : Kaliyattam
- 2000 : Shantham
- John Abraham Awards
- 2000 : Karunam
- 2;12 : Vellapokkathil - The Deluge
- Ramu Karyatt Awards
- 1996 : Desadanam
- P. Padmarajan Awards
Filmography
Title | Year | Language | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Veeram | 2016 | Malayalam Hindi English |
Part 5, Navarasa series. Also writer | |
Ottaal | 2015 | Malayalam | [7] | |
Camel Safari | 2013 | [8] | ||
Pakarnnattam | 2012 | [9] | ||
Naayika | 2011 | [10] | ||
The Train | 2011 | Writer credits | [11] | |
Loudspeaker | 2009 | Writer and producer credits | ||
Gulmohar | 2008 | |||
Vellapokkathil | 2008 | |||
Of The People | 2008 | Writer and producer credits | ||
Sila Nerangalil | 2008 | Tamil | ||
Anandabhairavi | 2007 | Malayalam | ||
Aanachandam | 2006 | |||
Adbhutam | 2006 | Part 4, Navarasa series | ||
Aswaroodan | 2006 | |||
Daivanamathil | 2005 | |||
By the People | 2005 | |||
Makalkku | 2005 | |||
Yuva Sena | 2005 | Telugu | ||
Rain Rain Come Again | 2004 | Malayalam | ||
4 the People | 2004 | |||
Thilakkam | 2003 | |||
Kannaki | 2002 | |||
Bhibatsa | 2002 | Hindi | Part 3, Navarasa series | |
Millennium Stars | 2000 | Malayalam | ||
Karunam | 2000 | Part 2, Navarasa series. Also produer | ||
Shantham | 2000 | Part 1, Navarasa series | ||
Sneham | 1998 | |||
Thalolam | 1998 | |||
Kaliyattam | 1997 | |||
Desadanam | 1997 | Producer credits | ||
Arabia | 1995 | |||
High Way | 1995 | |||
Thumboli Kadappuram | 1995 | |||
Paithrukam | 1993 | |||
Sopanam | 1993 | |||
Johnnie Walker | 1992 | |||
Kudumbasametham | 1992 | |||
Aakasha Kottayile Sultan | 1991 | Story credits | ||
Vidyarambham | 1990 |
References
- ↑ cinemaofmalayalam.net: Profile
- ↑ "Jayaraj: A director's profile". Rediff.com movies. December 20, 2005. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
- ↑ [Limca book of world record]
- ↑ Rediff.com: Interview
- ↑ The Hindu: Jayaraj comes with `By the People' now
- ↑ Sify.com: Jayaraj & People are back!
- ↑ "'Ottal' is more than an environmental film: Jayaraj". Manorama Online.
- ↑ "Love in the sands of Pushkar". The New Indian Express.
- ↑ P.K.Ajith Kumar (14 January 2011). "Lambs to the sacrifice". The Hindu.
- ↑ "Another new film on Shrividhya". The Indian Express. 21 January 2011.
- ↑ "Jayaraj ropes in Mammootty for Track With Rahman". Oneindia.in. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
External links
- Jayaraj at the Internet Movie Database
- All in the name of God The Hindu - 5 July 2005