Rahul Riji Nair
Rahul Riji Nair (born 21 March 1988) is an Indian film director and scriptwriter active in the Malayalam film industry. His debut feature film Ottamuri Velicham won 4 awards at the 2017 Kerala State Film Awards, including Best Feature Film.[1] Rahul won the 67th National Film Awards for Best Malayalam Film in 2019 for his third feature film Kalla Nottam.[2]
Rahul Riji Nair | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 21 March 1988 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2017 – present |
| Spouse(s) | Nithya Vijay |
| Parent(s) |
|
| Awards |
|
Personal lifeEdit
Rahul was born in Kollam, Kerala on 21 March 1988 to Dr. Riji G. Nair and Rajasree Nair. He did his schooling from SN Trusts Central School, Kollam. He graduated in Engineering from Amrita School of Engineering in 2009.
He worked as a Software Engineer and then as Marketing Manager with multiple companies in Technopark, Trivandrum before venturing into filmmaking.[3] He is married to Nithya Vijay.[4]
CareerEdit
Rahul started his career in the Malayalam film industry in 2017 as the writer and director of the Malayalam feature film Ottamuri Velicham. The film was produced under the banner of First Print Studios which was founded by Rahul in 2012. He is currently serving as the CEO of the company.
He ventured into Independent Filmmaking through Documentaries & Short Films. He first directed the documentary The Human Boundaries in 2012 and it was widely screened across India, Europe and USA. His short films Troll Life, MJ and Rs 2 have won awards at international filmmaking competitions. His Tamil Music Video titled Mounam Sollum Varthaigal went viral with over 20 Million views.
FilmographyEdit
Feature filmsEdit
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kho-Kho | Malayalam | |
| 2019 | Kalla Nottam | Malayalam |
|
| 2018 | Dakini | Malayalam | |
| 2017 | Ottamuri Velicham | Malayalam |
|
Music videoEdit
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Mounam Sollum Varthaigal | Tamil | Screenplay & Direction |
Short filmsEdit
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Survival Stories | Malayalam | Anthology created during the COVID-19 Lockdown [5] |
| 2016 | Troll Life | Malayalam | Platinum Film of the Year - India Film Project 2016 |
| 2016 | Netaji | Malayalam | Musical Short |
| 2015 | Rs. 2 | Malayalam | Audience Choice Winner - 48 Hour Film Project, Mumbai |
| 2015 | MJ | Malayalam | Best Film #9 - India Film Project 2015 [6] |
| 2014 | Malai Kofta | Malayalam |
DocumentaryEdit
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Human Boundaries | English-Hindi | Widely screened across India, UK & USA |
As actorEdit
| Year | Film | Role | Malayalam | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Kho-Kho | Vinod | Malayalam | Debut as Actor [7] |
AwardsEdit
- 2019 - 67th National Film Awards - Best Malayalam Film : Kalla Nottam[8]
- International Awards
- 2021 - Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Feature Film, 26th Kolkata International Film Festival: Kalla Nottam [11]
- 2021 - Best Screenplay, Yellowstone International Film Festival: Kalla Nottam
- 2020 - Best Film Innovation Award, Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati: Kalla Nottam
- 2018 - German Star of India [Best Feature Film], 15th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart: Ottamuri Velicham[12]
- 2018 - Second Best Feature Film, Chicago South Asian Film Festival: Ottamuri Velicham
- Nominations
- 2020 - Best Film, Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati: Kalla Nottam
- 2020 - Best Screenplay, Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati: Kalla Nottam
- 2020 - Best Screenplay, New York Indian Film Festival: Kalla Nottam[13]
- 2018 - Best Film, New York Indian Film Festival: Ottamuri Velicham[14]
- 2018 - Best Director, New York Indian Film Festival: Ottamuri Velicham
- 2018 - Director's Vision Award, 15th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart: Ottamuri Velicham
- 2018 - Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality, Mumbai Film Festival: Ottamuri Velicham
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Deepa Somanl. "Kerala State Film Awards 2017". Times of India. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ↑ 67th National Film Awards: From 'Jallikattu' to 'Kalla Nottam', check out Malayalam cinema's wins here
- ↑ Kumar, Aswin J (9 March 2018). "'Ottamuri velicham': A dark horse that sheds artistic light". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ↑ Rahul Riji Nair with 4 Awards
- ↑ Survival Stories: Here is how these filmmakers made an anthology amid lockdown
- ↑ ‘MJ,’ film by Rahul bags top honours at IFP
- ↑ Kho Kho movie review: Rajisha Vijayan strikes a chord in an uneven but pleasant sports drama
- ↑ 67th National Film Awards: ‘Kalla Nottam’ is the best Malayalam film
- ↑ I Wanted To Tell The World About Marital Rape
- ↑ Kerala Film Critics Award
- ↑ "Kolkata International Film Festival".
- ↑ IFF Stuttgart Award Winners
- ↑ NYIFF 2020 Award Nominations
- ↑ NYIFF 2018 Award Nominations