'''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]]