PN Menon

Palissery Narayanankutty Menon, famously known as P.N. Menon, was an Indian film director and an Art Director, mainly in the Malayalam film industry. Besides, director Menon is also known for designing promotional posters.

He was born in Vadakkancherry, Kerala, in 1928. He completed his schooling at the School of Art in Chennai, Thrissur. Arriving in Chennai at the age of 20 with no job - life was challenging for him in the initial phase. He did not find a job in Chennai and thus traveled to Salem, where he worked as a production boy in a studio. However, he had to go back to Chennai after two and a half years as the studio he was working for shut down. In Chennai, he started doing sketches, painting, and designing magazine covers. He also got an opportunity to work for Nagi Reddy’s Magazine cover. Impressed by his talent, Nagi Reddy’s son selected him for a paid apprentice in the painting department in Vahaini Studio, 1951. He also directed stage drama and plays. Menon’s Olavum Theeravum, released in 1970 received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film. He made his debut as an Art Director with Ninamaninja Kalpadukal and the film Rosie in 1965 as a film director.

Many argue that Menon’s vision of directing movies had a distinct quality. He made experimental attempts in the direction, most of his films were shot entirely outdoors, which was new to the Malayalam film industry. His movies largely stood out from the rest. His other famous movies include Kuttiyedathi. One of his most successful advertisements was Chembarathi, which starred Raghavan, Sudhir, and Shobana, with senior actors like Madhu and Rani Chandra Rani Chandra was born in Fort Kochi, Travancore-Co >> Read More... . He directed the film Gayathri based on Malayattoor Ramakrishna’s Script, which received the President’s Special Film Award for National Integration.

He was appointed as an art director in an English play, which was performed for the then Vice President, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and third Army Chief Field Marshal, K.M Carriappa. Menon took a decade-long break from his film career and reappeared with his direction in Nerkkuneraey in 2004. Menon was the uncle of the well-known Film Director, Bharathan. He married Bharathi Menon, and they had two daughters, named Rajasree and Jayasree. During his days of departure, he had Alzheimer’s disease and died on 9th September, 2008, at the age of 82.

He was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala's highest honor, for his contributions to the Malayalam film industry.