Kyaw Thu
Kyaw Thu | |
|---|---|
| File:Kyawthu.jpg | |
| Born | Kyaw Win |
| Occupation(s) | actor, director |
| Years active | 1974-Present |
| Spouse | Myint Myint Khin Pe |
| Children | Pyi Thein Kyaw, Myint-Mo Oo |
| Awards | Da Byi-Thu Ma Shwe Hta (1994) |
Kyaw Thu (Burmese: ကျော်သူ; born 2 November 1959) is a Myanmar Academy Award winning film actor and film director. One of the top leading men of Burmese cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, Kyaw Thu continues to star in films and has directed several successful films.
Since the early 2000s, Kyaw Thu has devoted much time to do social work for the poor, and in the process has gradually emerged as a vocal critic of the Burmese military government.
Early life
Kyaw Thu was born Kyaw Win to Daw Mya Than and U Sein Tin in Yangon. He attended University of Yangon but dropped out of school in the final year to pursue a career in films.
Career
Kyaw Thu made his film debut in 1984 with A String of Love. His 1985 film Can't Switch Positions made him a star. Kyaw Thu has starred in over 200 films and directed six films in a career spanning over two decades.[1] In the 1980s and 1990s Kyaw Thu was one of the most successful leading men in Burmese cinema.
Kyaw Thu won the Myanmar Academy Award for Best Lead Actor in Da-Byi-Thu Ma Shwe Hta (Miss Shwe Hta, the Foreigner) in 1994. Some believe that Kyaw Thu would have won more awards had he been more pliant with the propaganda demands of Myanmar Motion Picture Organization, which gives out the annual awards.
His latest scuffle with the authorities--he was arrested in October 2007 for supporting the anti-government protests led by the monks--surely will not win him more awards. In October 2007, his latest HIV/AIDS awareness film, A-Kywin-Mè Longyon-Ya, has been blocked by the government censorship board.[2]
Social work and politics
Kyaw Thu has used his prominence to help the country's poor. He is founder and vice president of the Free Funeral Services Society, which provides free funeral services to the poor.[3] Kyaw Thu and his wife were arrested for publicly supporting the protesting monks in September 2007.[4]
Personal life
Kyaw Thu is married to Myint Myint Khin Pe. They have a son, Pyi Thein Kyaw, and a daughter, Myint Mo Oo.