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K. G. George

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In this Indian name, the name Kulakkattil Geevarghese is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, George.

K. G. George
കെ.ജി. ജോർജ്
Born
Kulakkattil Geevarghese George

(1946-05-24)24 May 1946
Thiruvalla, Kingdom of Travancore, British India
(present day Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India)
Died24 September 2023(2023-09-24) (aged 77)
Kakkanad, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1975–1990; 1998
Notable work
SpouseSelma George
Children2
Parents
  • Kulakkattil Geevarghese Samuel
  • Annamma Samuel
Relatives

Kulakkattil Geevarghese George (24 May 1946 – 24 September 2023) was an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter who worked in the Malayalam cinema. He was the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Bharathan and P. Padmarajan, in the 1980s. He was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, Government of Kerala's highest honour for contributions to the Malayalam cinema.[1]

George made his debut with Swapnadanam (1975) which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam. His well-known films include Ulkkadal (1979), Mela (1980), Yavanika (1982), Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983), Adaminte Vaariyellu (1983), Panchavadi Palam (1984), Irakal (1986), and Mattoral (1988). He was a recipient of 9 Kerala State Film Awards for his various films.[2] [3]

George was the founder and chairman of the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA), and continued to be an executive member. He was the chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.[4]

Early life

George was born to Samuel and Annamma as their eldest son on 24 May 1946 in Thiruvalla.[5][2] After his diploma from Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, K. G. George started his film career as the assistant to director Ramu Kariat. He made his directorial debut with Swapnadanam (1975) and became a strong presence of the new cinema movement that became active during the early 1970s. The film institute may have exposed him to the magic of cinema, but his stint as assistant to the legendary Ramu Kariat in the celebrated Nellu must have instilled in him that quality to gel cinematic norms with commercial elements. He was given the tag of a 'via media director' together with Padmarajan, Bharathan and Mohan, which was a big compliment in the 1980s when most of his movies were hits.[6]

Film career

His debut movie Swapnadanam was a commercial success while maintaining its artistic quality. It was a marital psychodrama, Swapnadanam rejected all the usual song-dance numbers of popular cinema, yet succeeded in reaching the common mass. Later he turned to the middle-stream cinema and produced some of the best works of Malayalam cinema, which became highly popular with the masses. It was a commercial success as well as critically acclaimed and won several awards. Swapnadanam won the Kerala State Film Award for best film. Another of his movies was released in 1980, Kolangal smithereens the common romantic concept about an interior village of Kerala filled with virtues and happiness. Here a village is shown in the clutches of wildfire of jealousy. Yavanika stands out as one of the most commercially successful, yet artistically superior films of the 1980s. In the form of a detective thriller, Yavanika explores backstage drama of a travelling drama troupe. It won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film. K. G. George uses the cinema within cinema technique for this film. With hints to the real life incident of suicide of popular actress Shobha, Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback became controversial even before its release. He used a new narrative technique Adaminte Variyellu, by telling the story of unhappy marital lives and oppressions suffered by three urban women. Based on a short story by Veloor Krishnankutty, George's Panchavadi Palam is a satirical comedy with intentionally exaggerated story line and caricature-like characters. It works almost as a political cartoon. Irakal is an in-depth exploration of the psychology of violence. A ruthless robber baron, Mathukutty, disregards the prevailing moral standards and spawns criminal sons as well as a sexually wayward daughter, Annie. His son, Baby, is a psychotic strangler who uses a nylon wire and is eventually shot dead by his repentant father.

George's last movie was released in 1998, Elavamkodu Desam, a period movie released when mimicry movies ruled the roost. "The audience somehow did not relate to this movie," he says sadly. In between his first film Swapnadanam and Elavamkodu Desam, he created milestones in Malayalam cinema.[7] Seven of his movies were screened at different international festivals.[8]

George released his memoir Flashback Enteyum Cinemayudeyum in 2012. In 2018 a documentary on the films and life of K G George named 8½ Intercuts: Life and Films of K.G. George directed by film maker Lijin Jose released.

Death

K. G. George died at a retirement home in Kakkanad, on 24 September 2023, at the age of 77.[2] He was undergoing treatment for a stroke.[2][9] He had been a resident there for the past five years, after suffering from a massive stroke. During the last days of his life, his condition had been much worse, and end came at 11:00 AM.

Filmography

Title Year Functioned as
Director Story Screenplay Dialogues Production Assistant Director Associate Director Actor Dubbing
Maaya 1972 Yes
Nellu 1974 Yes Yes
Swapnadanam 1976 Yes Yes Yes
Vyaamoham 1978 Yes Yes Yes
Rappadikalude Gatha 1978 Yes
Iniyaval Urangatte 1978 Yes Yes Yes
Onappudava 1978 Yes
Mannu 1978 Yes
Ulkkadal 1979 Yes Yes
Mela 1980 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kolangal 1981 Yes Yes Yes
Yavanika 1982 Yes Yes Yes
Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback 1983 Yes Yes Yes
Adaminte Vaariyellu 1984 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Panchavadi Palam 1984 Yes Yes
Irakal 1985 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kathakku Pinnil 1987 Yes Yes
Mattoral 1988 Yes Yes Yes
Yaathrayude Anthyam 1989 Yes Yes Yes
Ee Kanni Koodi 1990 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mahanagaram 1992 Yes
Elavamkodu Desam 1998 Yes Yes Yes

Awards

Kerala State Film Awards:

Kerala Film Critics Association Awards:[13]

Other awards:

References

  1. ^ "Filmmaker K G George to be Honoured With J C Daniel Award". No. 6 September 2016. NDTV. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Malayalam film director KG George dies at 77". Indian Express. 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Influential Malayalam filmmaker K G George, who expertly bridged the gap between art house and mainstream cinema, dies at 77". Indian Express.
  4. ^ "K.G. George war with Lal and Mamooty | Cinefundas.com - One Stop Cinema Portal". Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Master of the middle path". Onmanorama. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. ^ "The Hindu : Entertainment Thiruvananthapuram / Cinema : In search of new themes". www.hindu.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  7. ^ http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.DLL/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&channelId=-1073865028&contentId=14264036&catId=-202701&BV_ID=@@@ [dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Cinemaofmalayalam.net".
  9. ^ "സംവിധായകന്‍ കെ ജി ജോര്‍ജ് അന്തരിച്ചു". Samayam. 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  10. ^ a b c "State Film Awards (1969–80)". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "State Film Awards (1981–90)". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  12. ^ "J.C. Daniel award for K.G. George". The Hindu. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  13. ^ "കേരള ഫിലിം ക്രിട്ടിക്‌സ് അവാര്‍ഡ് 1977 - 2012". Kerala Film Critics Association. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Critics award for Ottaal, Iyyobinte Pusthakam". The Hindu. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  15. ^ "The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who". 1980.
  16. ^ "KG George bags inaugural FEFKA Masters Award". Malayala Manorama. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  17. ^ "MUTTATHU VARKEY AWARD". The Hindu. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  18. ^ "Vanitha Film Awards 2017". International Business Times. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  19. ^ "CPC Cine Awards 2017: Fahadh Faasil & Parvathy Bag Top Honours!". Filmibeat. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
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