K. G. George

Kulakkattil Geevarghese George (born on May 24, 1946 in Thiruvalla, Travancore) is an Indian film maker and screenwriter who worked in the Malayalam Cinema. He was the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Bharathan and P. Padmarajan, in the 1980s, which created groundbreaking films that were widely received while also being critically acclaimed. Known for his unconventional works, George is considered to be one of the directors who revolutionized Malayalam cinema in the 1970s and 80s, who is also regarded as one of the greatest film makers of Malayalam Cinema of all time.

K. G. George
K. G. George
Born
Kulakkatil Geevarghese George

24 May 1946
Thiruvalla, Travancore
(now in Kerala, India)
Occupation
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1975 – 1998
Notable work
Yavanika, Panchavadi Palam, Kolangal, Irakal, Adaminte Variyellu
Spouse(s)Selma George
ChildrenArun
Thara
Parent(s)Kulakkattil Geevarghese Samuel (Father)
Annamma Samuel (Mother)
RelativesPappukutty Bhagavathar (father-in-law)
Mohan Jose (brother-in-law)

George is noted for his deep psychological analysis and character study of the human mind in his films. George made his debut with Swapnadanam (1975) which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam. His well-known films include Ulkkadal (1979), Mela (1980), Yavanika (1982), Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983), Adaminte Vaariyellu (1983), Panchavadi Palam (1984), Irakal (1986), and Mattoral (1988). He is a recipient of 9 Kerala State Film Awards for his various films.

George is the founder and chairman of the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA), and continues to be an executive member. He was the chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.[1]

Early life

After his diploma from Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, K. G. George started his film career as the assistant to director Ramu Kariat. He made his directorial debut with Swapnadanam (1975) and became a strong presence of the new cinema movement that became active during the early 1970s. The Film Institute may have exposed him to the magic of cinema, but his stint as assistant to the legendary Ramu Kariat in the celebrated Nellu must have instilled in him that quality to jell cinematic norms with commercial elements. He was given the tag of a 'via media director' together with Padmarajan, Bharathan and Mohan, which was a big compliment in the 1980s when most of his movies were hits.[2]

Film career

His debut movie Swapnadanam was a commercial success while maintaining its artistic quality. It was a marital psychodrama, Swapnadanam rejected all the usual song-dance numbers of popular cinema, yet succeeded in reaching the common mass. Later he turned to the middle-stream cinema and produced some of the best works of Malayalam cinema, which became highly popular with the masses. It was a commercial success as well as critically acclaimed and won several awards. Swapnadanam won the Kerala State Film Award for best film. His another movie released in 1980, Kolangal smithereens the common romantic concept about an interior village of Kerala filled with virtues and happiness. Here a village is shown in the clutches of wildfire of jealousy. Yavanika stands out as one of the most commercially successful, yet artistically superior films of the 1980s. In the form of a detective thriller, Yavanika explores backstage drama of a travelling drama troop. It won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film. K. G. George uses the cinema within cinema technique for this film. With hints to the real life incident of suicide of popular actress Shobha, Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback became controversial even before its release. He used a new narrative technique Adaminte Variyellu, by telling the story of unhappy marital lives and oppressions suffered by three urban women. Based on short story by Veloor Krishnankutty, George's Panchavadi Palam is a satirical comedy with intentionally exaggerated story line and caricature-like characters. It works almost as a political cartoon. Irakal is an in-depth exploration of the psychology of violence. A ruthless rubber baron, Mathukutty, disregards the prevailing moral standards and spawns criminal sons as well as a sexually wayward daughter, Annie. His son, Baby is a psychotic strangler who uses a nylon wire and is eventually shot dead by his repentant father.

George's last movie was released in 1998, Elavamkodu Desam, a period movie released when mimicry movies ruled the roost. "The audience somehow did not relate to this movie," he says sadly. In between his first film Swapnadanam and Elavamkodu Desam, he created milestones in Malayalam cinema.[3] Seven of his movies were screened at different international festivals.[4]

He released his memoir Flashback Enteyum Cinemayudeyum in 2012. In 2018 a documentary on the films and life of K G George named Ettara Intercuts: Life and Films of K.G. George directed by film maker Lijin Jose released.

Filmography
Title Year Functioned as
Director Story Screenplay Dialogues Producer Assistant Director Associate Director Actor Dubbing
Maaya 1972 Yes
Nellu 1974 Yes Yes
Swapnadanam 1976 Yes Yes Yes
Vyaamoham 1978 Yes Yes Yes
Rappadikalude Gatha 1978 Yes
Iniyaval Urangatte 1978 Yes Yes Yes
Onappudava 1978 Yes
Mannu 1978 Yes
Ulkkadal 1979 Yes Yes
Mela 1980 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kolangal 1981 Yes Yes Yes
Yavanika 1982 Yes Yes Yes
Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback 1983 Yes Yes Yes
Adaminte Vaariyellu 1984 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Panchavadi Palam 1984 Yes Yes
Irakal 1985 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kathakku Pinnil 1987 Yes Yes
Mattoral 1988 Yes Yes Yes
Yaathrayude Anthyam 1989 Yes Yes Yes
Ee Kanni Koodi 1990 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mahanagaram 1992 Yes
Elavamkodu Desam 1998 Yes Yes Yes

Awards

Kerala State Film Awards:

Other awards:

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/05/27/stories/2005052703590200.htm
  3. http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.DLL/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&channelId=-1073865028&contentId=14264036&catId=-202701&BV_ID=@@@
  4. http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/george.html
  5. "The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who". 1980.
  6. "MUTTATHU VARKEY AWARD". The Hindu. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
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