Rajesh Touchriver (born M. S. Rajesh) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works in English, Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi language films. He received various National and International honors for his works. In 2002 he directed ''

In the Name of Buddha ''In the Name of Buddha'' is a 2002 satirical drama film directed by Rajesh Touchriver and produced by K. Shanmughathas and Sai George. The film tells the true story of a Sri Lankan Tamil doctor Siva. After its world premiere at the Oslo Inter ...

'' which was later screened in the Spotlight on India section at the

2003 Cannes Film Festival The 56th Cannes Film Festival started on 14 May and ran until 25 May 2003. French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer Patrice Chéreau was the President of the Jury. The Palme d'Or went to the American film ''Elephant'' by G ...

. In 2013, he scripted, and directed the

social problem A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's cont ...

film '' Naa Bangaaru Talli'' which won five International honors, the

National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several ...

, and four state

Nandi awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

including Second Best Feature Film.

Early life

Rajesh Touchriver was born in

Arakulam Arakkulam is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. Arakkulam is 16 km from Thodupuzha which is the gateway to the high ranges of Kerala. Thodupuzha-Idukki road goes through this village. Arakulam is enriched with ...

, Idukki district,

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

as the youngest son of Siva Sankaran Nair and Rukmini Amma. He had some early training in

Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and is ...

. He took his bachelor's degree in Design and Direction from the

School of Drama and Fine Arts The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a State ownership, state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to ...

in 1992, Trissur, Kerala.

Early career

He worked with the

National School of Drama National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an indepe ...

, New Delhi as a designer in 1995. By the year 1998, he had directed more than 30 plays in Malayalam, English and Telugu languages. Rajesh won the Charles Wallace Trust Award in 2001 and pursued his master's degree in visual language/scenography and direction from the

Wimbledon College of Art Wimbledon College of Arts, formerly Wimbledon School of Art, is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London specialising in theatre, screen and performance art. It is located in Wimbledon and Merton Park, South West London. ...

, London. Rajesh's debut film ''

'' (2002) was premiered at the Oslo International Film Festival and won critical acclaim. Controversial in theme, the film is a treatment of the ethnic conflict then raging in Sri Lanka. The film was screened at international film festivals in 2003 and won the Best Foreign Film award at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival, the Newport Beach International Film Festival and at the Wine Country International Film Festival in the same year. Rajesh directed two Telugu films in the interim: 10 the Strangers and Alex, the Blue Fox.

Filmography

Film Craft

Documentaries and short films

Rajesh has made several short films and documentaries on human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and communal riots that support the media advocacy initiatives of the United Nations and NGOs, national and international. His film for the United Nations, ''One Life, No Price'' for social sensitisation against human trafficking was well received by civil society organisations internationally. ''Anamika, the Nameless'' on a similar theme which was shot in the red light areas of India in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

and

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, won the AC award under the "Best Foreign Award – Documentary Short Film" category and the Best Documentary Film Award at the Hyderabad International Film Festival. The film has been included in the curriculum of National Police Academy and National Judicial Academy. ''The Sacred Face'', a short film on child sexual abuse, sent the audience back home unsettled at its screening in Hyderabad. Following the success of in the Name of Buddha, Rajesh directed the music video for " Sunshowers" for Maya Arulpragasam (M.I.A.).

Music videos – screenplay, direction

* " Sunshowers" for

MIA Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997 * Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...

XL Recording, London, UK (3 mins, English, Super 16 mm, 2004) * "Hire Fire" for

Prajwala Prajwala is a non-governmental organization based in Hyderabad, India, devoted exclusively to eradicating prostitution and sex trafficking. Founded in 1996 by Ms. Sunitha Krishnan and Brother Jose Vetticatil, the organization actively works in ...

(music album containing six 4 mins songs against human trafficking, Hindi/Telugu, DV, 2004)

Awards

;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

* Best Feature Film in Telugu – ''

Na Bangaaru Talli ''Naa Bangaaru Talli'' () is a 2013 Indian Telugu-language social problem film written and directed by Rajesh Touchriver. Based on a real-life story, the film stars Siddique, Anjali Patil, Lakshmi Menon, Neena Kurup, and Rathna Shekar. The f ...

'' (2013) ;

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

* Second Best Feature Film - ''Na Bangaaru Talli'' (2013)

Other honors

*Best Director (Regional cinema) Rajasthan International Film Festiva
2018
*Best Foreign Feature Film Award – Crossing The Screen International Film Festiva
2017
*Award of Excellence from IFFCRM, Indonesia – 2013 *Best Filmmaker of the Year Award IFFCRM, Jakarta, Indonesia – 2013 *Award of Excellence from IFFCRM, Indonesia – 2013 *Best Feature Film Award Trinity International Film Festival – 2013 *Best Documentary Film Award Hyderabad International Film Festival – 2008 *Best Editing Award Festival De Cine De Granada – 2007 *Best Foreign Documentary film Award Action Cut International Film Festival 2006 *Outstanding Alumnus Award – School of Drama- 2003 *Best Film Award Wine country International Film Festival- 2003 *Best Film Award New port Beach International Film Festival – 2003 *Best Foreign Film Award - Beverly Hills International Film Festival- 2003 *The Charles Wallace India Trust Award.- 2001 *Indie International Best Foreign Feature Film – ''

Raktham - The Blood ''Raktham - The Blood'' is a 2019 Indian Telugu language Naxal propaganda political thriller film, written, and directed by Rajesh Touchriver, starring Maganti Banarjee, Madhu Shalini, and Sanju Sivaram in pivotal roles. Upon release, the film re ...

'' *Indie International Best Overall Feature Film – Peoples Choice – ''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Touchriver, Rajesh 21st-century Indian film directors 1972 births Living people Malayali people Telugu film directors Malayalam film directors Tamil film directors Indian documentary filmmakers Indian experimental filmmakers Nandi Award winners Indian production designers 20th-century Indian designers Film directors from Kerala People from Idukki district Screenwriters from Kerala