Ramu Kariat (1927-79)

Malayalam director born in Engandiyur, Trichur Dist., Kerala, into a farming family. Started writing poetry and prose as a teenager for the weekly Mathrubhoomi. Assisted Vimal Kumar and P.R.S. Pillai on Thiramala (1953). First film, Neelakuyil (co-d with P. Bhaskaran), started independent cinema in Kerala. Member of the CPI. Early work is in context of the broad cultural renaissance spearheaded by the Kerala Peoples’ Arts Club (see IPTA), indebted to the 40s CPI-led uprising against Travancore State. Several major writers entered film through Kariat, e.g. Thakazhy Shivashankar Pillai (author of Chemmeen), Uroob (who scripted Neelakuyil), playwrights Thoppil Bhasi, K.T. Mohammed and S.L. Puram Sadanandan. Opened up new areas in Malayalam film with work strongly imbued with lyrical, even mystical feelings about a newly discovered sense of community through subjects often placed among fisherfolk and villagers. Briefly a Kerala MP. Finished shooting the Telugu film Kondagali before his death, but it remained unedited. His Chemmeen was later re-released in a Hindi-dubbed version called Chemmeen Lahren (1980). Acted in Bhaskaran’s Rarichan Enna Pauran (1956). Also produced M. Lakshmanan’s Tamil film Kannamma (1972). His last film, Karumbu, was completed later by K. Vijayan and released in 1984.

FILMOGRAPHY: 1954: Neelakuyil; 1956: Bharata Natyam (Doc); 1957: Minnaminungu; 1961: Mudiyanaya Puthran; 1963: Moodupadam; 1965: Chemmeen; 1968: Ezhu Rathrikal; 1970: Abhayam; 1972: Maya; 1973: Manavallakurchi: My Village (Doc); 1974: Nellu; 1976: Dweep; 1978: Ammuvinte Attinkutty; Kondagali; 1979: Karumbu; 1980: Malankattu.

Director