Lenin Rajendran | |
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| Born | 1951 Trivandrum, Kerala, India |
| Died | (aged 67) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Rajendran |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1981 – 2019 |
| Children | 2 |
Lenin Rajendran was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked in Malayalam cinema. [1] He served as the Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation from 2016 to January 2019. [2]
Beginning his film-making career as an assistant to director P. A. Backer, Rajendran made his directorial debut with Venal (1982). From his first film to his latest one, Edavappathy (2016), Rajendran has been consistent with the quality of his films, not surrendering to market forces even while using the form and stars of popular cinema. [3]
An active member of the Communist party, Rajendran at times integrated his political orientation into his screen work: his 1985 film Meenamasithile Sooryan was about the anti-feudal upheaval of the 1940s in Kerala from a Communist viewpoint. [4]
Swathi Thirunal (1987), a period film was a biographical work of a 19th-century king of Travancore, better known as a musical composer. While Daivathinte Vikrithikal (1992) was the cinematic adaptation of M. Mukundan's novel of the same name, Kulam (1997) was a loose adaptation of C. V. Raman Pillai's historical novel Marthandavarma , Mazha (2001) was adapted from Madhavikutty's Nashtapetta Neelambhari. One of his other films, Anyar (2003) deals with the hot topic of communal polarisation in Kerala. [5]
His other films are Prem Nazirine Kanmanilla (1983), Puravrutham (1988), and Vachanam (1989).
Lenin Rajendran died on 14 January 2019 in Apollo Hospital Chennai after a liver transplant, at the age of 67. [6] At the time of his death, he was continuing as the Chairman of the Kerala Film Development Corporation. His dead body was taken back to his native place, and was cremated with full state honours. He is survived by his wife Dr. Ramani, son Gouthaman and daughter Parvathi.
International Film Festival of Kerala
Kerala State Television Awards
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma III was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He was a great musician and composer who has to his credit over 400 classical compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani style.
Sreenivasan is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, dubbing artist and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Sreenivasan has starred in over 225 films. Sreenivasan wrote the screenplays of films such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), Pattanapravesham (1988), Varavelpu (1989), Thalayana Manthram (1990), Sandesam (1991), Midhunam (1993), Mazhayethum Munpe (1995), Azhakiya Ravanan (1996), Oru Maravathoor Kanavu (1998), Udayananu Tharam (2005), Katha Parayumpol (2007), and Njan Prakashan (2018) among which the latter is one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time. He has won two Kerala State Film Awards for Best Screenplay, for Sandesam and Mazhayethum Munpe. He has received numerous accolades including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Award South and seven Kerala State Film Awards.
Biju Menon is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam films, and also has a few Tamil and Telugu film credits. He made his debut in the 1994 Malayalam film Puthran. In a career spanning over two decades, he has appeared in over 150 films, and has won one National film award for Best Supporting Actor, three Kerala State Film Awards including one best actor, two Filmfare Awards South and nine Asianet Film Awards. He got the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in 2021 for the film Aarkkariyam.
Ramesh Narayan is an Indian classical vocalist, composer and music producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Ramesh began his initial training in Carnatic music and later mastered the classical Hindustani style under the renowned Pandit Jasraj.
Rathri Mazha is a 2007 Indian Malayalam-language film by Lenin Rajendran starring Vineeth and Meera Jasmine in lead roles. Rathri Mazha was chosen as one of the Indian entries for the Asian, African and Latin American Competition segment of the 38th IFFI. The film won one National Film Awards and five Kerala State Film Awards.
Mazha (transl. Rain) is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Lenin Rajendran based on the short story Nashtappetta Neelambari by Madhavikkutty. It stars Biju Menon, Samyuktha Varma, and Lal. The music was composed by Ravindran. The film won five Kerala State Film Awards, a National Film Award, and a South Filmfare Award.
Sasha Selvaraj, better known by her stage name Ranjini, is a Singaporean actress known for her roles in Indian cinema, specifically Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. Ranjini made her debut in the 1985 Tamil film Muthal Mariyathai directed by Bharathiraja. In 1987, she acted in Lenin Rajendran's Swathi Thirunal, a biopic on the Travancore ruler of the same name. Her third Malayalam film Chithram (1988), written and directed by Priyadarshan, went on to become a huge box office success which is still holding the records for numerous feats in the Malayalam movie industry. Koothara, directed by Srinath Rajendran, marked her comeback to acting after a hiatus of two decades.
Swathi Thirunal is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language biographical film co-written and directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film is based on the life of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore. It stars Anant Nag in the title role, with Srividya, Nedumudi Venu and Murali in other important roles. The cinematographer was Madhu Ambat.
Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan, or MBS, was a South Indian music director who worked mainly in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
Makaramanju is a 2011 Malayalam language romantic drama film written and directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film is about a certain stage in the life of a celebrated painter, Raja Ravi Varma. It also narrates the story of the epic character, Pururavas. Cinematographer Santhosh Sivan and Karthika Nair appear in the lead roles. The movie is the latter's major Malayalam debut.
Madhu Ambat is an Indian cinematographer who predominately works in Malayalam and Tamil-language films apart from a few English, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Sanskrit films. With a career spanning over 40 years, he is one of the most prolific cinematographers in Indian cinema. He is best known for his work in films such as Amaram, Anjali, and Makaramanju. He currently resides in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He has won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography thrice. He is a member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC).
Daivathinte Vikrithikal is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Lenin Rajendran, who also co-wrote the screenplay with M. Mukundan, based on Mukundan's novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Alphonso, a man who chooses to suffer a slow, torturous life in his little village, Mahe, in preference to fortunes and pleasures away from it. The film stars Raghuvaran, Srividya, Rajan P. Dev and Malavika.
Ravi Vallathol was an Indian actor, mainly noted for his acting in many famous serials, including the first serial in Malayalam.
Siddarth Lama is a Nepali film actor. Outside Nepal he is best known for his memorable role as the Rimpoche in the Malayalam film Yoddha (1992). He has since played the lead role in Lenin Rajendran's Malayalam film Edavappathy (2016).
Thirunal is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
God's Mischief is a 1989 Malayalam novel written by M. Mukundan. Like most of Mukundan's works, this novel too is based in Mayyazhi, better known once as Mahé, the French colony after it was decolonised. The story centres on a magician, Father Alfonso, his daughter, Elsee and an Ayurveda Vaidyar Kumaran and his two twin sons and how their life changes after the land is decolonised. The novel won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and the N. V. Prize. It was adapted into a film by noted director Lenin Rajendran in 1992.
P. Krishnamoorthy was an Indian film art director, production designer and costume designer who worked predominantly in the South Indian cinema. As of 2015, he had worked in over 55 films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Malayalam and English, and won five National Film Awards—three for Best Art Direction and two for Best Costume Design. In addition, he was the recipient of five Kerala State Film Awards and four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. The five-time National Award winner died in Chennai on 13 December 2020, due to age related ailments.
Edavappathy is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Lenin Rajendran. It deals with the story of the mental conflicts of a Tibetan Buddhist priest. Siddharth Lama plays the male lead with Utthara Unni opposite him. Manisha Koirala also plays a leading role.
Rathri Mazha was an Indian Malayalam-language soap opera which was launched by Flowers TV on 19 September 2016. It aired on weekdays at 9:30 P.M IST. It is an adaptation of Mayadevi's novel with the same title published in Manorama Weekly. Actress Sreekala Sasidharan played the lead role in the series.
The 39th Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, honouring the best Malayalam films released in 2015, were announced in May 2016.
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