Martin Prakkat
Martin Prakkat | |
|---|---|
| Born | Changanassery, Kerala, India |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
Martin Prakkat is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer known for visually rich, character‑driven Malayalam films such as Best Actor, ABCD, Charlie and Nayattu, and is regarded as one of the most acclaimed contemporary filmmakers in the industry. His work has earned multiple Kerala State Film Awards and strong critical and audience appreciation, especially for Charlie and Nayattu.
Early life and background
[edit]Martin Prakkat is an Indian filmmaker who hails from Kerala and works primarily in the Malayalam film industry. Before entering cinema, he worked for around a decade as a celebrity photographer with Vanitha, a popular Malayalam magazine, which shaped his visual sensibility and eye for character detail.
Career
[edit]Martin transitioned from photography to filmmaking with his debut feature Best Actor in 2010, a comedy‑drama starring Mammootty as a schoolteacher aspiring to become an actor; the film was a commercial success and received positive reviews and received the 2010 Kerala film critrics awards for best debutant director. He followed this with the youth‑centric ABCD: American‑Born Confused Desi (2013) featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Aparna Gopinath, which became a box‑office hit and reinforced his reputation for accessible, urban storytelling.
In 2015, Prakkat directed Charlie, a romantic drama headlined by Dulquer Salmaan and Parvathy Thiruvothu, noted for its whimsical narrative style, strong performances and distinctive production design. After a gap as director, he returned with Nayattu (2021), a tense socio‑political thriller about three policemen on the run, widely praised for its realistic portrayal of police and political pressure and for its performances and craft.
Charlie was the highlight at the Kerala State Film Awards 2015 winning in 8 categories,[1] with Martin bagging the award for the best director, Martin-Unni R. combo winning the award for best screenplay, Dulquer winning the best actor for his performance in Charlie and Parvathy winning the best actress award for her performance in Charlie and Ennu Ninte Moideen. Cinematographer of the movie, Jomon T. John bagged the award for the best cinematographer for his work in Charlie, Ennu Ninte Moideen and Nee-Na.[2]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Film | Credited as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Screenplay | Producer | |||
| 2010 | Best Actor | Yes | Yes | No | Co-writer: Bipin Chandran |
| 2013 | ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi | Yes | Yes | No | Co-writer: Naveen Bhaskar, Sooraj-Neeraj [3] |
| 2015 | Charlie | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-producer: Shebin Becker, Joju George |
| 2017 | Udaharanam Sujatha | No | No | Yes | Co-producer: Joju George |
| 2021 | Nayattu | Yes | No | Yes | Co-Producer: Ranjith, P. M. Sasidharan[4] |
| 2022 | Archana 31 Not Out | No | No | Yes | Co-producer: Renjith Nair, Siby Chavara |
| 2023 | Iratta | No | No | Yes | Co-producer: Joju George, Sijo Vadakkan |
| 2025 | Officer on Duty | No | No | Yes | Co-producer: Renjith Nair, Siby Chavara |
Advertising work
[edit]The production house has produced commercials for brands in banking, FMCG, jewellery, education, and consumer services, often timed around culturally significant moments like Onam and festive seasons. He has worked on campaigns such as South Indian Bank festive films, Parle-G’s “Genius Onam” ad, Kavitha Gold & Diamonds’ gender-neutral communication featuring Fahadh Faasil, and spots for H2O Care.
As actor
[edit]- Achuvinte Amma
- Theevram - as himself, Cameo appearance
Awards
[edit]- 2010 Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Debut Director for Best Actor
- 2015 Kerala State Film Award for Best Director for Charlie
- 2015 Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for Charlie
- 2021 Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Director for Nayattu
- 2021 Best International Feature Film Award at the Swedish Film Festival for Nayattu
- 2021 National award for best screenplay for Nayattu
- 2022 Shortlisted for India's submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards for Nayattu
- 2022 Official Selection at Dhaka International Film Festival for Nayattu
- 2024 Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film for Iratta
References
[edit]- ^ "Kerala State Awards 2015: Full list of winners". Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ M, Athira (3 March 2016). "Martin Prakkat on his big win at kerala state film awards". The Hindu.
- ^ Nambidi, Parvathy (13 June 2013). "A frothy expat tale comes home". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "'നായാട്ടു'മായി മാർട്ടിൻ പ്രക്കാട്ട്; കുഞ്ചാക്കോ ബോബനും ജോജുവും നിമിഷയും വേഷമിടുന്നു". 16 September 2020.