Jayaraj

Jayaraj Biography

Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair, known as Jayaraj, is a National award winning Malayalam filmmaker who is popular for parallel cinema. He is equally successful as a commercial director as well as an art film director. Yet with the middle 90’s, he began to concentrate on to serial subjects and Kaliyattam is the best instance. This movie is based on Shakespeare’s Othella and its Malayalam version gave him National award for best direction in the year 1997. Suresh Gopi, the leading actor of this movie won National awards for best actor as well. This movie has also received many state awards.

His notable works include - Vidyarambham (1990), Johnnie Walker (1992), Kudumbasametham (1992), Paithrukam (1993), Highway (1995), Desadanam (1996), Kaliyattam (1997), Karunam (2000), Shantham (2000), Kannaki (2002), 4 the People (2004), Daivanamathil (2005), Makalkku (2005), Adbhutam (2006), Gulmohar (2008), Loudspeaker (2009) and Pakarnnattam (2012). The movie list includes both commercial and art movies equally. He has also directed Nayika, the train, Sila nerangalil (Tamil), Anandabhairavi, Aswarudan, Albhutham, Sopanam, Aana chandam and Rain Rain Come Again.

Jayaraj was born on 04 August 1960 to a middle-class family in Kottayam. He holds a BTech degree in Electronics. During his stay at Thiruvananthapuram he happened to attend various film festivals and slowly his mind got attracted to film field. He met Bharathan, famous director and he assisted him in the movie, Chilamb, followed by Vaisali, Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam and four more films. As an independent director he started with Vidhyarambham followed by commercial movies like Johny walker, Highway, Thumboli kadappuram, Arabia and Aakasha Kottayile Sultan. However he managed to deliver critically well acclaimed movies like Kudumbasametham and Paithrikam during this time.

In 1996, he directed the movie Desadanam. This movie was the turning point of his career and there on, he left commercial movie tag from his path and directed a series of critically well acclaimed movies like Kaliyattam, Gulmohar, Daivanamathil and Kannaki. Yet he tried a few commercial movies in between, of which ‘For the people’ became a trend settler. He gave opportunity to Jassie Gift and the song ‘Lajjavathiye’ became a smash hit. He made two sequels of this movie too – By the people and Of the people. Other commercial movies are Thilakkam and Millenium stars.

He has won 5 National awards till now. Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Desadanam (1996), Best Director – Kaliyattam (1997), Best Film- Shantham (2000), Best Film on National Integrity (Nargis Dutt Award) - Daivanamathil (2005) and Best Director (Non Feature Films) -Vellapokkathil - The Deluge (2007). He has also won Shantaram awards for Kaliyattam and Shantam. His movies have won many international awards as well.

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Updated: January 27, 2021