Ranjith Balakrishnan (born 5 September 1964) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist, producer, and actor who works in
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
. Ranjith made his directorial debut in 2001 with ''
Ravanaprabhu'', the sequel to ''
Devaasuram''. His films ''
Thirakkatha'' and ''
Indian Rupee'' won the
National Film Award for
Best Feature Film in Malayalam in 2008 and 2011 respectively.
["56th National Film Awards"](_blank)
. Public Information Bureau. Retrieved 2 March 2011. He is also the current chairman of
Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
Early life
Ranjith was born in
Balussery in
Kozhikode, Kerala. He graduated from the
School of Drama and Fine Arts,
Thrissur, in 1985.
Career
1987 to 1992: Early career
Ranjith's entry into Mollywood was accidental, he was inspired by his friend, the late film producer and director Alex I. Kadavil, in whose residence he had stayed for his debut in the film industry. In 1987, he made his debut as a writer in ''
Oru Maymasa Pulariyil'', produced by Alex I. Kadavil and directed by V. R. Gopinath.
In 1988, Ranjith made his formal entry into the film world by writing the story for ''
Orkkapurathu
''Orkkappurathu'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Kamal and written by Shibu Chakravarthy from a story by Ranjith. It is produced by Mohanlal and Century Kochumon, starring Mohanlal, Nedumudi Venu, N. L. ...
'', an adventure film directed by
Kamal, with
Mohanlal in the lead role. The immediate success of ''
Orkkapurathu
''Orkkappurathu'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Kamal and written by Shibu Chakravarthy from a story by Ranjith. It is produced by Mohanlal and Century Kochumon, starring Mohanlal, Nedumudi Venu, N. L. ...
'' brought Ranjith several opportunities to work in films. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ranjith wrote scripts for several small budget films, mainly for Kamal, including ''
Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal'' (1989), ''
Pradeshika Varthakal'' (1989) and ''
Pookkalam Varavayi
''Pookkalam Varavayi'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film directed by Kamal and written by Ranjith from a story by P. R. Nathan. It stars Jayaram, Sunitha, Shamili, Murali, and Geetha. Divya Unni and Kavya Madhavan made ...
'' (1991).
Another director with whom Ranjith worked during this period was
Viji Thampi. This team released ''
Witness'' (1988), ''Nanma Niranjavan Sreenivasan'' (1990), ''
Nagarangalil Chennu Raparkam'' (1989) and ''Kaalalpada'' (1990), all with
Jayaram in the lead role. In 1992, he wrote ''
Neelagiri
Neelagiri Therku Thottam, commonly known as Neelagiri, is a panchayat town in the Thanjavur taluk of the Thanjavur district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a part of the Thanjavur urban agglomeration.
Demographics
India census
A ce ...
'' for
I. V. Sasi
Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1947 – 24 October 2017), better known as I. V. Sasi, was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. In 2015, he was awarded the J. ...
, which underperformed at the box office. This was followed by ''
Johnnie Walker'', directed by
Jayaraj, which was noted for its different filmmaking style and was a commercial success at the box office.
1993 to 2000: Breakthrough
1993 was significant in Ranjith's career: ''
Devasuram'', his film based on the life of his father-figure, Mullassery Rajagopal, turned out to be a huge box office hit. With
Mohanlal in the lead and directed by
I.V. Sasi, ''Devasuram'' was both critically and commercially acclaimed;
Mohanlal's performance was lauded and it opened a new genre of feudal stories in Malayalam cinema. Within two months of the release of ''
Devasuram'', Ranjith's next movie, ''
Maya Mayuram'' (directed by
Sibi Malayil and again starring
Mohanlal) was released, but was not as successful. According to Ranjith, ''Maya Mayuram'' is one of his best films and its failure affected him greatly. Ranjith mentioned in an interview that several directors passed on the opportunity to make ''Maya Mayuram'', and it was
Mohanlal who convinced
Sibi Malayil to get involved.
After writing ''Yadavam'' (directed by Jomon and starring
Suresh Gopi), Ranjith worked with
Shaji Kailas for ''
Rudraksham'', again starring
Suresh Gopi, who was at the peak of his career. This film generated significant hype in the market as
Shaji Kailas-
Suresh Gopi was a hot selling team at the time, but the loose script and clichéd humorless dialogues led to ''
Rudraksham'' becoming a flop. His next piece of work, ''Rajaputhran'', directed by Shajun Karyal, again with
Suresh Gopi in the lead, became a superhit.
In 1997, Ranjith teamed up again with
Shaji Kailas for ''Asuravamsham'', starring
Manoj K Jayan and
Biju Menon
Biju Menon (born 9 September 1970) is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam films, and also has a few Tamil cinema, Tamil and Telugu cinema, Telugu film credits. He made his debut in the 1994 Malayalam film ''Puthran''. In a car ...
; the film yielded an average commercial response. Towards the end of 1997, Ranjith penned ''
Aaraam Thampuran
''Aaraam Thampuran'' () is a 1997 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Shaji Kailas, written by Ranjith and produced by Revathy Kalamandhir. It stars Mohanlal in the title role with Narendra Prasad, Manju Warrier, Sai Kumar ...
'', which went to become one of the biggest hits of his career. This film was also a turning point in the career of
Mohanlal, and with it Ranjith gained a reputation as a commercially viable scriptwriter. Then came ''Kaikudanna Nilavu'', in 1998, directed by
Kamal, starring
Jayaram, yet another average grosser. In 1998 Ranjith scripted ''
Summer in Bethlehem
''Summer in Bethlehem'' is a 1998 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Sibi Malayil and written by Ranjith. It was produced by Siyad Koker under the company Kokers Films. The film stars Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Manju Warrier ...
'', directed by
Sibi Malayil, starring
Suresh Gopi and
Jayaram, a super hit. In 1999, Ranjith and
Shaji Kailas produced the film ''
Ustaad'', directed by
Sibi Malayil, starring
Mohanlal.
The year 2000 began with the release of ''
Narasimham'', directed by
Shaji Kailas. With
Mohanlal playing the lead role, this film became one of the biggest hits ever in the history of Malayalam cinema at the time. Yet again in 2000, together with
Director Shaji, Ranjith repeated history: his
Onam release ''
Valliettan'' starring
Mammooty was a commercial success. This was his last script for Shaji Kailas and with this film Ranjith became the most successful scriptwriter of the time.
2001 to 2009: Directorial debut and further success
In 2001, Ranjith made his directorial debut with ''
Ravanaprabhu'', the sequel to ''
Devasuram''. With
Mohanlal appearing in dual roles as father and son, this film turned out to be another blockbuster. In 2002 Ranjith came back with another blockbuster, ''
Nandanam'', starring
Navya Nair and a new face,
Prithviraj Sukumaran. Ranjith produced this film along with his friend, actor
Siddique. ''Nandanam'', revolving around an innocent girl, her love for Lord Sri Krishna and her beau, was an entirely different and unexpected theme from Ranjith at the time. Despite the film not having a big star cast, fights, or punchy dialogues and being shelved after some pre-production activities it became a hit.
In 2003 Ranjith directed ''
Mizhi Randilum'', starring Dileep and Kavya Madhavan, another family drama, which failed to impress the masses, but was critically acclaimed. In the same year Ranjith scripted ''Ammakilikood'', directed by Padmakumar with
Prithviraj Prithviraj or Pruthviraj may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* ''Samrat Prithviraj'', a 2022 Indian Hindi film
Mononym
* Prithviraja I (r. c. 1090-1110), Indian king from the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty
* Prithviraja II (r. c. 1165-1169), Indi ...
in the lead role, which also got the cold shoulder from the public. In 2004 Ranjith teamed up with
Mammooty for ''
Black'', which was a complete commercial entertainer targeting the fans of
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
. ''
Chandrolsavam
''Chandrolsavam'' is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by Ranjith. It stars Mohanlal with Meena, Ranjith, Cochin Haneefa, VK Sreeraman, Santhosh and Jagadish in supporting roles. V. Dakshinamoorthy ma ...
'', starring
Mohanlal, followed in 2005. Ranjith believes that it was not a bad film. He said, "Mohanlal fans expected too much. I don't think it was a bad film. Many who watched it on DVD called to say they were surprised it did not do well. Fans come in with pre-conceived notions on how the actor will be in the movie and the kind of story it will be, hence they could not grasp the poetic element in the film."
In 2006, he scripted and directed ''
Prajapathi
''Prajapathi'' () is a 2006 Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Ranjith. The film stars Mammootty, Siddique, Sreenivasan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sandhya, Seema, Nedumudi Venu and Sai Kumar. The music is by Tej Manoj and lyrics are ...
'', starring
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
, was also blasted by critics, and was another disastrous movie. His next venture was an offbeat film ''
Kaiyoppu''. Though a flop at the box office, ''Kaiyoppu'' brought critical appreciation from far corners and that compelled Ranjith to work with plots and themes without any commercial ingredients. Notably, its lead actor Mammootty received no payment to act in the film as the script impressed him so much.
In 2007, Ranjith teamed up with
Joshiy
Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and producer from Varkala in Kerala who works predominantly in the Malayalam film industry. He made his debut with ''Tiger Salim'' (1978) and has directed over 80 films. He has also directe ...
for the big budget film ''
Nasrani'' starring Mammootty. His next directorial feature was the musical-comedy ''
Rock & Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
'', starring Mohanlal. In 2008 Ranjith directed ''
Thirakkatha'', based on actress
Srividya's life, which won the National Award for the Best Malayalam Feature Film. Starring
Anoop Menon and
Priyamani, the movie featured
Prithviraj Prithviraj or Pruthviraj may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* ''Samrat Prithviraj'', a 2022 Indian Hindi film
Mononym
* Prithviraja I (r. c. 1090-1110), Indian king from the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty
* Prithviraja II (r. c. 1165-1169), Indi ...
and
Samvrutha Sunil in important supporting roles. The movie was able to bring out the best in the actors. In 2009 Ranjith directed and wrote the script for ''Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha'', which was critically acclaimed. Ranjith also introduced about thirty Malayalam stage artists through this film. In the same year he came up with another unique creation, ''
Kerala Cafe'' — a fusion of ten different short films by ten directors. The different segments in the movie were conceived and connected based on the concept of ''
Yatra'', or journey.
2010 onwards
In 2010 Ranjith wrote the story for the film ''
Penpattanam'', directed by
V. M. Vinu. He then scripted and directed, ''
Pranchiyettan and the Saint'', starring
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
, which was also widely accepted by movie fans and the people of Kerala. It became the most popular film of the year and was also a commercial success. ''Pranchiyettan and the Saint'' is now considered one of the best comedy films in Malayalam cinema and has over the years attained a cult status. During this time, Ranjith also received a highly coveted appointment as the School Director for Cochin Media School. He also appeared as judge in "Mammootty the Best Actor Award – II", an acting talent-hunt reality show aired on the television channel
Asianet. In 2011, Ranjith scripted and directed a critically acclaimed satirical film ''
Indian Rupee'' starring
Prithviraj Prithviraj or Pruthviraj may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* ''Samrat Prithviraj'', a 2022 Indian Hindi film
Mononym
* Prithviraja I (r. c. 1090-1110), Indian king from the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty
* Prithviraja II (r. c. 1165-1169), Indi ...
, which was well received by the critics and also a commercial success. His next film, ''
Spirit'', primarily focused on the increasing habits of alcoholism in Kerala. Starring
Mohanlal in the lead role, the film was critically acclaimed and a box office success. He then produced and scripted for
G. S. Vijayan
G. S. Vijayan is an Indian film director who primarily works in Malayalam. He had his debut with the Mammootty-starrer '' Charithram''. His other films include ''Aanaval Mothiram'' and ''Ghoshayathra'', etc.
Vijayan's had started filming an un ...
's
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
-starring ''
Bavuttiyude Namathil
''Bavuttiyude Namathil'' (English: ''In the name of Bavutty'') is a 2012 Malayalam drama thriller film produced and written by Ranjith, directed by G. S. Vijayan, and starring Mammootty in the title role, along with Kavya Madhavan, Shankar Rama ...
'' in 2012, which was an average at the box office. His next film with Mammootty, ''
Kadal Kadannoru Mathukkutty
''Kadal Kadannu Oru Maathukutty'' is a 2013 Indian Malayalam comedy film written and directed by Ranjith and starring Mammootty in the lead role of an Achayan from Kozhencherry, Central Travancore and also in a cameo as himself. The cast includ ...
'', underperformed at the box office.
''
Njaan'', based on the novel ''K T N Kottoor: Ezhuthum Jeevithavum'' by T P Rajeevan and featuring
Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role, was released on 19 September 2014. He also produced ''
Munnariyippu'' starring Mammootty in the lead role. The film became one of the highest grossers of the year. In 2015 he directed ''
Loham'', starring
Mohanlal, which received mixed reactions from critics.
Filmography
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 ...
:
*
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
:
Best Film on Social Issues – ''
Spirit''
*
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
:
Best Feature Film in Malayalam – ''
Indian Rupee''
*
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
:
Best Feature Film in Malayalam – ''
Thirakkatha''
Kerala State Film Awards
The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
:
* 2014:
Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay(Adapted) – ''
Njaan''
* 2011:
Kerala State Film Award for Best Film – ''
Indian Rupee''
* 2010:
Kerala State Film Award for Best Film -
Pranchiyettan and The Saint
* 2009:
Kerala State Film Award for Best Film –
Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha
* 2001:
Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value – ''
Ravanaprabhu''
Kerala Film Critics Awards
The Kerala Film Critics Association Awards are presented annually by the Kerala Film Critics Association to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Malayalam language film industry of India. The awards were instit ...
* 2010: Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Film – ''
Pranchiyettan and the Saint''
* 2010: Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Director – ''
Pranchiyettan and the Saint''
* 2010: Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Script – ''
Pranchiyettan and the Saint''
* 2009: Kerala Film Critics Award for Second Best Film – ''Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha''
* 2008: Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Film – ''
Thirakkatha''
["Atlas Film awards for Lal and Sukumari"](_blank)
. Oneindia.in
Oneindia.com is an Indian website established in January 2006 by BG Mahesh. The website provides news updates, information on sports, events, travel, entertainment, business, lifestyle, videos, and classifieds in seven different Indian language ...
. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
* 2008: Kerala Film Critics Award for Second Best Actor – ''Gulmohar''
* 2007: Kerala Film Critics Award for Second Best Film – ''
Kaiyoppu''
* 2003: Kerala Film Critics Award for Second Best Film – ''
Mizhi Randilum''
* 2002: Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Director – ''
Nandanam''
[. ''The Hindu''. 29 January 2003. Retrieved 2011-03-02.]
* 2002: Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Film – ''
Nandanam''
Asianet Film Awards
* 2012:
Asianet Film Award for Best Director – ''
Spirit''
* 2011:
Asianet Film Award for Best Director – ''
Indian Rupee''
* 2010:
Asianet Film Award for Best Film – ''
Pranchiyettan and the Saint''
* 2009:
Asianet Film Award for Best Director – ''Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha''
* 2003:
Asianet Film Award for Best Script Writer – ''
Mizhi Randilum''
* 2002:
Asianet Film Award for Best Film – ''
Nandanam''
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
* 2014:
Best Film – ''
Munnariyippu''
* 2010:
Best Director – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010:
Best Film – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2008:
Best Director – ''
Thirakkatha''
* 2008:
Best Film – ''
Thirakkatha''
Other Awards:
* 2011: Vayalar Ramavarma Chalachitra Television Award and The Kochi Times Film Award for Best Film – ''
Indian Rupee''
* 2010: Nana Film Awards for the Best Film – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Nana Film Awards for the Best Director – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Vanitha Film Awards for the Best Film – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Vanitha Film Awards for the Best Director – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Vanitha Film Awards for the Best Script – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Kairali film Awards for the Best Film – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Kairali film Awards for the Best Director – ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint''
* 2010: Vanitha Film Awards for Best Director – ''Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha''
* 2010: Mathrubhumi – Amrita TV Film Awards for Best Director – ''Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha''
* 2008: Mathrubhumi – Amrita TV Film Awards for Best Film – ''
Thirakkatha''
* 2008: Mathrubhumi – Amrita TV Film Awards for Best Director – ''
Thirakkatha''
* 2008:
Padmarajan Award – ''
Thirakkatha''
* 2005:
Bharathan
Bharathan (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) was an Indian film maker, artist, and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan and K. G. George, in th ...
Memorial Award
* 2002:
Ramu Kariat Award – ''
Nandanam''
References
External links
*
'Cinema of Malayalam' profileSchool of Media
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranjith
1964 births
Malayalam film directors
Living people
Male actors from Kozhikode
Kerala State Film Award winners
Malayalam screenwriters
Male actors in Malayalam cinema
Filmfare Awards South winners
Malayalam film producers
Indian male film actors
Film producers from Kerala
20th-century Indian film directors
21st-century Indian film directors
Film directors from Kerala
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors
20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
Writers from Kozhikode
Screenwriters from Kerala
Directors who won the Best Film on Other Social Issues National Film Award