Mollywood Director A K Lohithadas Biography, News, Photos, Videos

Popularly known as A.K. Lohithadas, his detailed work on Malayalam Cinema as a scriptwriter, playwright, director, and producer has bought him a lot of fame. He was born in Kerala on May 5, 1955. Writing a film story was his real passion, but he was unable to make a mark in that industry. In 1986, he made his debut in script writing in the Malayalam Theater, and his work was accepted by the legendary stage actor, Thoppil Bhasi The great play writer, Scriptwriter, Film Director >> Read More... . This recognition led him to bag a state award. Actor, Thilakan introduced him to Malayalam film director, K.G. George, but it didn’t help him in starting a film career. Although this did not do wonders, the latter gave Lohithadas, a core idea which then turned out to be the story of Kireedam. Sibi Malayil Sibi Malayil is an acclaimed director in Malayalam >> Read More... was also searching for talented writers when he came across Lohithadas, and the movie Thaniavarthanam became a huge hit.

As a duo, they produced tremendously hit movies like Dasharatham, His Highness Abdullah and many more. He went on to become a film writer and produced critical and commercial hit films. Films like Veendum Chila Veetukarangyal gave him great recognition and took up his career. He won the best script for this movie. He also won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for the film Kasthuri Mann for displaying women in a brilliantly depicted role. The film Sasneham also won him many accolades. He won the Kerala State Film Award for his work in Thaniyavarthanam. His work was immensely appreciated, and his high point was when he went to Germany, a person there asked him whether his film Bhoothakkanndi was a real story of human psychology.

He has several awards to his name. He died on June 28, 2009, after he complained chest pain and later died due to a heart attack. He contributes much to the betterment of the Malayalam Cinema.

I. V. Sasi

I.V. Sasi or Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran is a prominent film director known for directing more than 150 Indian films in various languages. He married a Malayalam actress, Seema, on 28 August 1980 and the couple has a daughter and a son by the names of Anu and Ani. The Sasidaran family lives in Chennai, where his son, Ani, studied at Loyola College in Visual Communication. His son is working towards becoming a director himself whereas his daughter, Anu, acted in the symphony, directed by Sasi. Symphony is a Malayalam movie produced by M. N. Thankachan. The movie is a debut for Anu Sasi as well as the lead actor, Shiva. His wife, Seema, is known to have acted in over 250 movies in various languages including Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. From introducing Rajinikanth in Mollywood to giving out the biggest hits in Malayalam film industry, I.V. Sasi made a unique impression on the films he directed. He started out his career as an art director and made his directorial debut with the movie, Ulsavam. In a time span of 34 years, he was known to have directed around 170 films, most of which were considered classics and were well received by the audience. With the film, Avalude Raavukai, which was such a huge hit, it was remade in various other languages including Hindi; Sasi got his lasting fame in the South Indian Film Industry. It was during the filming of Avalude Ravukai; Sasi fell in love with his wife, who was the lead actress in the movie. I.V. Sasi is also known to have given various actors their first break in the industry. Famous actors such as Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Kamal Haasan benefitted quite a lot from Sasi’s direction. One of the most renowned actors to have stood out in the South Indian film industry, Rajinikanth, was introduced to the Malayalam cinema with the movie, Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum, with the role of Kamaruddin along with actors such as Kamal Hassan as Allauddin and Gemini Ganesan as Meergha Singh. Sasi was known to have directed films in various genres including war-themed movies and movies about child marriage. I V Sasi has worked in various films with Kamal Haasan and he has said once that he maintains a brotherly bond with the veteran actor. I.V. Sasi won awards in many categories in both National and State Awards. He is the holder of the J.C. Daniel Award, which is an annual award given by the Government of Kerala to honor lifetime achievements and exceptional contribution to the Malayalam cinema, in 2014. He won the Nargis Dutt Award for the Best Feature Film on National Integration for the movie Aaroodam in 1982. The movie featured his wife, Seema and Nedumudi Venu in lead roles. He won over four Kerala State Film Awards under the category of Best Art Director in 1976 for the movie, Anubhavam, Second Best Film in 1984 for Aalkkoottathil Thaniye, Best Popular Film in 1988 for the movie 1921 and Best Director in 1989 for Mrigaya. He is also the holder of various Filmfare Awards in the South Indian film industry. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South ceremony. For his long-lasting contribution to the Malayalam Film Industry, Sasi was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by EDPA (Ernakulam District Pravasi Association Riyadh) on Metro Fest 2016.

Padmarajan

P.Padmarajan is an acclaimed name in Malayalam literature and cinema history. He was an Indian screenwriter, author, and film director, known for his intricate writing and direction. Padmarajan, born in Alleppey, Kerala, to parents Anantha Padmanabha Pillai, and Devaki Amma, graduated in Chemistry from the University of Trivandrum. In 1965, he signed up as an announcer on All India Radio (AIR), Thrissur, and continued to work with them till 1986. He tied the knot to Radhalakshmi in 1970, who was his co-worker at AIR. Later on, Padmarajan had to retire prematurely from AIR, due to his literature and movie commitments. Padmarajan’s literary works were inherent of all the social causes that affected and influenced the society, at large. In 1972, he was the recipient of Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, for his debut novel “Nakshatrangale Kaaval.” Most of Padmarajan’s works in writing are considered to have reached the zenith of Malayalam literature. Padmarajan set foot in Malayalam movies in 1975 when he was offered the screenplay writing of director Bharatan’s debut venture “Prayaanam,” for he received accreditation in the form of a Film Fans Award for Best Screenplay. A few years later, Padmarajan entered the fray of directing movies based on his writings and screenplays. “Peruvazhiyambalam” was the first project, based on his screenplay, and was directed by him. The film was well received by critics, actors, and the mass for its original theme, visuals and scintillating display of unmatched levels of attention to the tiniest of details. Padmarajan always proved to be the personification of the phrase “Think out of the Box” by inculcating relatable characters and emotions, and unexpected climaxes in his films. In the year 1977, he was presented with the ‘Kerala Films Critics Award for Best Screenplay’ for his movie, Itha Ivide Vare. Right from 1978 up to 1991, Padmarajan added a legion of awards to his trophy cabinet in the category of either the Best Screenplay or the Best Story for his movies such as “Rapadikalude Gatha,” “Koodevide,” “Kanamarayathu,” “Apaaran,”, “Innale,” just to name a few. He was twice the recipient of National Awards in 1979 and ’86 for Peruvazhiyambalam and Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam, respectively. Padmarajan has worked alongside most of the talented and popular actors from the Malayalam film industry, as well as other regional actors such as Nitish Bharadwaj (a Marathi actor and director), famous for the role of Lord Krishna in B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat. Padmarajan is also known for his astute sense of scouting talents and bringing in future stars into the industry by featuring them in his movies. Actors Ashokan, Ajayan, Jayaram, Rahman, and actress Suhasini are just some of them. Padmarajan’s collaboration with director Bharathan is considered to be gilt-edged in the history of Malayalam cinema. Thoppil Ajayan, Blessy, and Suresh Unnithan, who were assisting Padmarajan in his works, flourished as individual directors and started to direct independent films. Padmarajan left such an indelible mark in Malayalam film and literature industry that Padmarajan Award was introduced to honor individuals for their commendable contribution in the category of feature film and short story. Sadly, on 24th of January, 1991, Padmarajan passed away as a result of a massive cardiac arrest. He breathed his last in Hotel Paramount Towers in Kozhikode, where he was on the tour of a cinema theater featuring his ultimate movie, Njan Gandharvan.