Sreenivasan

Sreenivasan
File:Sreenivasan.jpg a versatile person in Malayalam cinema
Years active	30
Awards	Kerala State Film Awards 1989 Best Film Vadakku Nooki Yanthram 1991 Best Screenplay Sandesham 1995 Best Screenplay Mazhayethum Munpe 1999 Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala 2007 Special Jury Award Thakarachenda

Sreenivasan (born April 4, 1953) is an acclaimed Malayali Indian screenwriter, actor, film director, and producer. He is well known for his satirical black comedies. He is most popular for scripting T.P. Balagopalan M.A., Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Nadodikkattu , Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu , Varavelppu, Thalayanamanthram, Sandesham, Midhunam, Azhakiya Ravanan and Udayananu Tharam. As a filmmaker, he has made and scripted Vadakku Nooki Yanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala.

Early life

Sreenivasan was born in a small village of Patyam, to the east of Thalassery in Kannur, northern Kerala on April 4, 1953. His father Unni was a school teacher, an active Communist, and his mother Lakshmi, a homemaker. He completed his formal education in Government High School, Kathiroor and Pazhassi Raja N.S.S. College. He did a diploma in film acting from the Film Chamber Institute, Madras in 1977 where Rajinikanth was his senior by a year. He is a chronic drunkard and by his admission, tried several times to quit drinking, but did not succeed.

Career

Sreenivasan entered film industry in the 1977 P. A. Backer movie Manimuzhakam after finishing a course in acting from the Film Chamber Institute. In the film institute he was coached by the then vice principal A.Prabhakaran and later gave him a role in his movie Mela. A few movie roles later, he wrote his first film Oodarathuammava Aalariyam in 1984. His most famous movies as actor-writer include Varavelppu, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Nadodikkattu and its two sequels, Pattanapravesham and Akkare Akkare Akkare. He also made his mark as a director with his two award winning movies - Vadakku Nokki Yanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala.

Much of Sreenivasan's movies depict problems affecting society, although these are portrayed in a comical manner. Some of his successful films includes Sandesham, Vellanakaludey Naadu, and Varavelpu. Mostly satirical in nature, his acrimonious and humorous lines are directed against matters as diverse as Police Brutality, Pulp magazines and unproductive Labour Unions. Excellent characterization, witty (often deadpan) dialogues and self-deprecating humour are trademarks of Sreenivasan movies. His writing very often pokes fun at himself, mostly at his own unglamourous appearances, and have become commonplace in scenes with costar Mohanlal. Some of his popular movies such as Vadakku Nokki Yanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala not only are thought-provoking but also are fine depictions of human character which elicited critical and public applause. His comedies earned popularity, some of them such as Aram + Aram = Kinnaram and chitram have been successes commercially and have left a big picture in the minds of the people. Sreenivasan is the only Malayalam screenplay and dialogue writer who portrayed North-Keralite slang especially that of Tellicherry - which are usually unique, at times 'weird' apart from being incomprehensible to South- Keralites.

He appeared in a popular weekly loser's speacialTV show in Kairali TV called Valiya Lokavum Cheriya Sreeniyum (translation: The Big World and the Little Sreeni). His son Vineeth Sreenivasan is a playback singer and actor.

Awards

Sreenivasan has won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues - Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala (1999)

Sreenivasan has won several Kerala State Film Awards.

• Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay - Sandesham (1991)
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for Mazhayethum Munpe (1995)
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value for Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala (1998),
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Film for Vadakku Nooki Yanthram (1989).
• Kerala State Film Award Special Jury Award for the scintillating performance in Thakarachenda (2006)

Selected Filmography

1. Passenger (2009) [MALAYALAM] Lead role Filming
2. Rettai Suzhi (2009) [TAMIL] Lead role Filming
3. Katha Samvidhanam Kunjako (2009) [MALAYALAM] Lead role
4. Makante Achan (2009) [MALAYALAM] Lead role
5. Pachamarathanalil (2008)Lead role
6. Billu (2009) [HINDI] Story
7. Kuselan(2008) [TAMIL] Story
8. Kadha Parayumbol (2007) story/screenplay/dialogs/lead role/producer
9. Shortcut - the con is on (2007) [HINDI] Story
10. Arabikatha (2007)Lead role
11. Velli Thirai (2007) [TAMIL] Story
12. Udayananu Tharam (2005)Screenplay/Supporting cast
13. Zameer - The Fire Within(2005) [HINDI] Story/Screenplay
14. Megham (1999)Supporting cast
15. Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu (1998) Screenplay/Supporting cast
16. Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala' (1998) Story/Screenplay/Direction/Lead role
17. Azhakiya Ravanan (1996) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
18. Kala_Pani_(1996_film) (1996) Supporting cast
19. Mazhayethum Munpe (1995) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
20. Midhunam - movie (1993) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
21. Sandhesam (1991) Story/Screenplay/Lead role
22. Akkare Akkare Akkare (1990) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
23. Thalayanamanthram (1990) Story/Screenplay/Lead role
24. Aanaval Mothiram (1990) Lead role
25. Vadakku Nooki Yanthram (1989) Story/Screenplay/Direction/Lead role
26. Varavelpu (1989) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
27. Chithram (1988) Supporting cast
28. Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu (1988)Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
29. Pattana Pravesham (1988) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
30. Vellanakalude Naadu (1988)Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
31. Nadodikkattu (1987) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
32. Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
33. Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986) Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast
34. T.P. Balagopalan M.A. (1986)Story/Screenplay/Supporting cast

See also

• Malayalam Cinema