Dr. Biju | |
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Occupations |
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Years active | 2005–present |
Spouse | Vijayasree P |
Children | 1 |
Website | drbiju |
Bijukumar Damodaran, known mononymously as Dr. Biju, is an Indian homoeopathic doctor turned film director and screenwriter. He is best known for films such as Saira (2005), Veettilekkulla Vazhi (2010), Akasathinte Niram (2012), Perariyathavar (2013), Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (2016), Sound of Silence (2017), Painting Life (2018) and Veyilmarangal (2019).
Biju has received three National Film Awards, and his films have been screened at multiple international film festivals and won numerous awards including the Golden Goblet Award for Best Artistic Achievement at the Shanghai Film Festival 2019. His films were screened at festivals including Cannes, Montreal, Shanghai, Telluride, Moscow, Cairo, Iran (Fajr), Eurasia, Almaty, Jeonju, Tallinn, Oporto, Dhaka, IFFK and IFFI.
His latest film Adrishya Jalakangal , starring Tovino Thomas and Nimisha Sajayan, released in 2023. [1]
Biju debuted into films as writer and director with Saira (2005). It was first part of terrorism trilogy and in 2007 premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival. [2] [3] His second film Raman (2008) was selected at Cairo International Film Festival (2009) in the Incredible India category. Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way Home; 2010) was last film of the trilogy and earned a National Film Award for best Malayalam film in 2010. [4]
His fourth film Akasathinte Niram (Color of Sky; 2012), was premiered at 15th Shanghai International Film Festival in the International competition section. [5] Biju's next film, Perariyathavar (Names Unknown, 2014) received two National Film Awards in 2014 for the Best Actor and Best film on Environment conservation, and was screened at the Montreal World Film Festival (2014). [6]
In 2015, he directed Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds With Large Wings; 2015) which was premiered at United Nations, Geneva as a part of the United Nations Environment Programme, [7] and received National Film Award (2015) for the Best film on Environment conservation. [8] His 2016 film Kaadu Pookkunna Neram (When The Woods Bloom) was premiered at the Eurasia International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, International Film Festival of Kerala, and the Montreal World Film Festival, in 2016. [9]
In 2016, his next film Kaadu Pookkunna Neram premiered at Montreal World Film Festival (2016). In 2017, Dr.Biju directed his first non-Malayalam in Pahari, Hindi and Tibetan languages. The film Sound of Silence (2017 film) (2017) won the Best Director award at Kolkata International Film Festival (2017). [10]
In 2018, Dr.Biju directed a film in English language titled Painting Life (2018). The film premiered at Montreal World Film Festival (2018). In 2019 Dr.Biju's tenth film Veyilmarangal (2019) premiered at Shanghai International Film Festival (2019). The film won the Golden Goblet award for outstanding artistic achievement. [11]
In 2020, he directed the film House of Orange Trees which premiered at the Kolkata International Film Festival 2020. His next film The Portraits (2021) premiered at the Moscow International film festival 2021. In 2021 he directed his first film in Telugu language titled Sthalam (The Land). The film premiered at Dhaka International Film festival 2023.
Year | Original title | English title | Language |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Saira | Saira | Malayalam |
2008 | Raman | Travelogue of Invasion | Malayalam, English |
2010 | Veettilekkulla Vazhi | The Way Home | Malayalam |
2012 | Akasathinte Niram | Colour of Sky | Malayalam |
2013 | Perariyathavar | Names Unknown | Malayalam |
2015 | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal | Birds With Large Wings | Malayalam |
2016 | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram | When The Woods Bloom | Malayalam |
2017 | Sound of Silence | Sound of Silence | Hindi, Pahari |
2018 | Painting Life | Painting Life | English |
2019 | Veyilmarangal | Trees Under the Sun | Malayalam |
2020 | Orange Marangalude Veedu | House Of Orange Trees | Malayalam |
2021 | The Portraits | The Portraits | Malayalam |
2022 | Sthalam | The Land | Telugu |
2023 | Adrishya Jalakangal | Invisible Windows | Malayalam |
Year | Category | Film | Result | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The way home) [12] | Won | |
2013 | Best Film on Environmental Conservation | Perariyathavar (Names Unknown) [13] | Won | The film also won Best Actor Award to actor Suraj Venjaramoodu |
2015 | Best Film on Environmental Conservation | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds with large wings) [14] | Won |
Award | Film Festival/Organization | Year | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Goblet award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement [15] [11] | 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival | 2019 | Veyilmarangal (Trees Under The Sun) | Won |
Jury Prize for Best Film | Festival des cinémas indiens de Toulouse/Toulouse Indian Film Festival, France | 2020 | Veyilmarangal (Trees Under The Sun) | Won |
NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film [16] [17] | International Film Festival of Kerala | 2019 | Veyilmarangal (Trees Under The Sun) | Won |
Best International Feature Film Award [18] | Chongqing Pioneer Art Film Festival, China | 2020 | Veyilmarangal (Trees Under The Sun) | Won |
Life Award [19] | Imagineindia International Film Festival , Madrid, Spain | 2022 | The Portraits | Won |
Critics award | Rajasthan International Film Festival, India | 2022 | The Portraits | Won |
Prémio da Crítica (Critics award) [20] | 39th Oporto International film festival, Portugal, | 2019 | Painting Life | Won |
Best Screen Play Award | Aurangabad International film festival | 2019 | Painting Life | Won |
Best Director [10] | 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival India | 2017 | Sound Of Silence | Won |
Best Film [21] | Indian Film Festival Cincinnati Ohio, USA | 2017 | Sound Of Silence | Won |
Special Jury Mention [22] | Bangalore International Film Festival, India | 2017 | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram (When The Woods Bloom) | Won |
World Humanitarian Award [23] | Jakarta World Humanitarian Award | 2015 | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds With Large Wings) | Won |
Best Film | Indian International Film Festival Queensland, Brisbane, Australia | 2016 | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds With Large Wings) | Won |
Best Director | Indian International Film Festival Queensland, Brisbane, Australia | 2016 | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds With Large Wings) | Won |
Best Screenplay | Indian International Film Festival Queensland, Brisbane, Australia | 2016 | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds With Large Wings) | Won |
Best Film on Global Message | Jaipur International film festival | 2015 | Perariyathavar (Names Unknown) | Won |
Best Screenplay award [24] | New York Indian Film Festival, USA | 2013 | Akasathinte Niram (Color of Sky) | Won |
NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film [25] | 15th International Film Festival of Kerala | 2010 | Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way Home) | Won |
Signis Award – Commendation [26] | Zanzibar International Film Festival, Tanzania | 2011 | Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way Home) | Won |
Best Director [27] | 10Th Imagine India International Film Festival Madrid, Spain | 2011 | Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way Home) | Won |
Best Film [27] | 10Th Imagine India International Film Festival Madrid, Spain | 2011 | Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way Home) | Won |
Year | Category | Film | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Best Article on Cinema [28] | "Kollaruthu Samvidhayakare" | Won |
2011 | Special Jury Award [28] | Akasathinte Niram (Color of Sky) | Won |
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. Kannada cinema is based in Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore. The 1934 film Sati Sulochana directed by Y. V. Rao was the first talkie film released in the Kannada language. It was also the first film starring Subbaiah Naidu and Tripuramba, and the first screened in the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom. It was produced by Chamanlal Doongaji, who in 1932 founded South India Movietone in Bangalore.
The National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation was one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organization set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It was one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal. At the 70th National Film Awards, the category was discontinued and combined with Best Film on Family Welfare, Best Film on National Integration and Best Film on Other Social Issues. The new award is named as Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
Kunchacko Boban is an Indian actor and film producer. He is referred to as Chackochan, and during early 2000's, he was called "chocolate boy", because of his romeo roles. He works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 100 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the Kunchacko family. Kunchacko's debut was as a child in the film Dhanya (1981) produced by his father Boban Kunchacko.
The International Film Festival of Kerala is a film festival held annually in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. This film festival started in 1996 and is hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. The festival is held in November or December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading cultural events in India.
K. Surendran, better known by his stage name Indrans, is an Indian actor and former costume designer, who appears in Malayalam films. He started his film career as a costume designer and actor in 1981 and got a breakthrough in 1994 with the comedy movie CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed. Indrans was popular for his comedy roles in the 1990s and 2000s.
Nivin Pauly is an Indian actor and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He is the recipient of two Kerala State Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South, two Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, and six SIIMA Awards. He auditioned for and was cast in one of the main roles in Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial debut, Malarvaadi Arts Club, in 2009 and got his breakthrough in the romantic film Thattathin Marayathu (2012).
Veettilekkulla Vazhi is a 2010 Indian Malayalam adventure drama film written and directed by Dr. Biju. The film is about terrorist organizations operating in India and how they recruit young Keralites. It stars Prithviraj, Indrajith and Master Govardhan in main lead roles.
Adimadhyantham is a 2011 Malayalam film written and directed by debutant Sherrey and produced by P. Rasheed, starring Prajith and Sajitha Madathil in the lead roles. Adimadhyantham won a special mention award at the 59th National Film Awards. The film is yet to get a theatrical release, but received generally positive reviews in its premiere show. It was the only Malayalam film selected to compete in the 16th International Film Festival of Kerala, but was later ousted on technical grounds, and after a huge scandal, was included for a non-competition screening.
Akasathinte Niram is a 2012 Malayalam film written and directed by Dr. Biju. The film was shot entirely on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with a cast that includes Indrajith, Nedumudi Venu, Amala Paul and Prithviraj. The film revolves around a burglar who is trapped on a scarcely populated island and his getting to understand how nature blends with life. It premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2012. It was subsequently screened at various film festivals where it received several honours.
Prakash Bare is an Indian theater and film actor focusing on Malayalam, English and other south Indian language productions. Starting with the 2010 Malayalam film Sufi Paranja Katha, Prakash has acted in more than 30 films directed by some of the most eminent filmmakers. He is now a live presence in south Indian art house movies and theater scene. Prakash is also a technologist and entrepreneur focusing on VLSI, Software, media production etc. As a social activist, Prakash is involved in the Endosulfan struggle of Kasaragod and is the president of CERV Collectives which secured interim compensation of ₹ 5 lakhs for 6000 plus affected patients through a legal campaign.
Antony Thekkek, better known as Thampy Antony, is an Indian-American film actor, writer, activist and producer. He is the elder brother of Malayalam actor Babu Antony. As a writer he has published books in Malayalam and English. He is the author of several books such as Koonampara County, Life of Ouso, Lady Biker and Vasco da Gama. As an actor, he is active primarily in Malayalam cinema. He has won Basheer-Amma Malayalam Award for his book Vasco da Gama.
M. J. Radhakrishnan was an Indian cinematographer working mainly in Malayalam films. He got National film award 2018 as best cinematographer for his work on Malayalam movie Oolu. He won Kerala State Award for Best Cinematography 7 times, equal with Mankada Ravi Varma. Earlier he worked as a still photographer and then as an associate to cinematographer turned director Shaji N. Karun. His important works included Deshadanam (1996), Karunam (1999) Naalu Pennungal (2007), Veettilekkulla Vazhi (2010) and Akasathinte Niram. His films were screened at several prominent film festivals around the world including Cannes, Shanghai, Cairo, Montreal, Telluride, Jeonju, Toronto, Chicago, Rhode Island and Rotterdam. One of his works, Marana Simhasanam, won Caméra d'Or in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Another film Veyilmarangal won Golden Goblet award for Outstanding Artistic achievement at Shanghai International Film Festival 2019. He worked on over 117 feature films and several documentaries and worked with some of the prominent Indian filmmakers including Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Murali Nair, Shaji N. Karun, TV Chandran, Dr. Biju, Jayaraj and Renjith. He mostly worked on arthouse films and was known for his natural lighting styles. In a career spanning more than two decades, he worked with a number of young film makers, mostly in their maiden ventures. Film Kalamandalam Hyderali 2019, directed by Kiran G. Nath was his last completed work as director of photography.
Valiya Chirakula Pakshikal is a 2015 Indian Malayalam drama film written and directed by Dr. Biju and produced by Dr. A.K. Pillai. It is based on an incident in a small village in Kasaragod in the state of Kerala where thousands of people were infected with fatal diseases due to the effects of endosulfan, a pesticide used to protect cashewnut trees.
Kaadu Pookkunna Neram is a 2016 Indian Malayalam film written and directed by Dr. Biju. The film is produced by Sophia Paul under the film production house, Weekend Blockbusters. It stars Indrajith Sukumaran as a policeman, who is sent into deep jungles to capture the chief of a radical organization, played by Rima Kallingal, but instead finds himself trapped in it.
Weekend Blockbusters is an Indian film production company based in Kollam, Kerala, India. It was established in 2014 by producer Sophia Paul. Its first production was the Malayalam film Bangalore Days (2014). In 2016, they produced two films - Kaadu Pookkunna Neram and Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol.
Aedan: Garden of Desire is a 2017 Indian Malayalam film directed by Sanju Surendran. The film stars Abhilash Nair, George Kurian, Prasant, Nandini Sree, Sunny, Jojo George, and Dileep Kumar. Aedan is more of a folktale in its elemental qualities and evocation of eternal human passions. Following the tradition of Indian epic narration, the structure of the film is that of a story within a story. The stories attempt a microscopic examination of human nature. As the story courses through the frustrations of the characters, the idyllic landscape of a beautiful Kerala village takes on diabolic dimensions during night time.
Sound of Silence is a 2017 Indian film in Hindi, Pahari and Tibetan. The film is directed by Malayalam film director Bijukumar Damodaran, commonly known as Dr. Biju. The film premiered at the 2017 Montreal World Film Festival. The film won an award for Best Director at the 2017 Kolkata International Film Festival in the Indian Film Competition category.
Pramod Thomas is an Indian audio engineer and sound designer from Pandalam, Kerala. He is best known for his work on Hindi and Malayalam films such as Anurag Kashyap's Dev.D (2009) and Shankar's Enthiran (2010). After graduating from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, he started his career in sound simultaneously in the Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil film industry since his debut in the late 1990s.
Veyilmarangal is a Malayalam language drama film written and directed by Bijukumar Damodaran and produced by Baby Mathew Somatheeram. The film starring Indrans and Prakash Bare has M. J. Radhakrishnan as cinematographer. It revolves around a Dalit family that moves to Himachal Pradesh from Kerala for betterment, but harsh conditions still pursue them.
Adrishya Jalakangal is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language anti war film written and directed by Dr. Biju featuring Tovino Thomas, Nimisha Sajayan and Indrans in prominent roles. The film is produced by Radhika Lau's Ellanar Films, Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar's Mythri Movie Makers and Tovino Thomas' Tovino Thomas Productions. The film's music is composed by Ricky Kej. Davis Manuel is the editor and the cinematography is handled by Yedhu Radhakrishnan.