Geetu Mohandas | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Born | Gayatri Das 8 June 1981 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Geetu |
| Occupation | Actress, Film director |
| Years active | 1986 – present |
| Spouse(s) | Rajeev Ravi (m. 2009) |
| Children | Aradhana |
| Awards | India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category for the 87th Academy Awards for Liar's Dice (film) & Global film maker award at Sundance Film Festival for Liar's Dice (film) in 2016 |
Gayatri Das (born 8 June 1981) known professionally as Geetu Mohandas is an Indian film actress and director known for her works in Malayalam cinema and Bollywood.[1][2] In 2013, she directed the socio political film Liar's Dice which has received two National Film Awards, was premiered at Sundance Film Festival,[3] and was chosen by the Government of India as India's entry for the U.S. 87th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, but was not shortlisted or nominated.[4]
As an actress
Geetu's actual name is Gayatri das.[5] Affectionately called Geetu by her family, the name was adopted as her screen name when she starred in her fourth movie Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare in 1986 with Mohanlal in the lead role. Geetu was five years old then and captured the hearts of Malayalam filmgoers as a fatherless child who discovers a father in an anonymous telephone caller.[6] She acted in the top grosser En Bommukutty Ammavukku as the title role, which was the Tamil remake of Fazil's Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku (Malayalam) done by Baby Shalini in the title role.[7] Geetu's first movie as an adult was Life is Beautiful starring Mohanlal in the lead. She went on to act in Thenkasi Pattanam, Valkannadi, Nammal Thammil and several other Malayalam movies. The high point of her career was Akale directed by Shyamaprasad, and produced by Tom George Kolath which won her the Kerala State Award for Best Actress in 2004. Geetu also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam, for her role as Rose, in Akale.
As director
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Geetu Mohandas formed her film production house- Unplugged in 2009 which produced her directorial debut short fiction film titled Kelkkunnundo Are you listening. The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and subsequently won 3 International awards for Best Short fiction as well as the National Film Award in India. The film has been included as a chapter in the 12th standard Kerala state syllabus since 2014. Her first feature film Liar's Dice (film) received the Hubert Bals fund for script and project development and the film was selected in Competition for the world dramatic competition at Sundance Film Festival in 2014. Liar's Dice (film) went on to win six major international awards across the world and two National awards in India. It was also India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category for the 87th Academy Awards.[8] Her second feature film, Moothon was mentored by the Sundance film lab and Geetu also won the Global film maker award at Sundance Film Festival in 2016. Moothon had its World premiere at Toronto International film festival in 2019 and was the opening film at MAMI 2019.[9][10]
Personal life
She was born as Gayatri Das to Mohandas and Latha on 8 June 1981 at Kochi. Studied in India, Malaysia and Canada. She has a brother, Dr. Arjun Das, nephrologist, living in US.[11] On 14 November 2009, she married cinematographer Rajeev Ravi.[12] The wedding took place at night in Kochi, Kerala, India.The couple have a daughter, Aradhana.
Awards and Honours
| Year | Award | Category | role | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | International Film Festival of India | IFFI Golden Lamp Tree Award for Best Film and Director | Director | Kelkkunnundo Film Chamber of Commerce |
| 2017 | International Film Festival of India | Global filmmaking award for story in Sundance Film Festival 2016 | Director | Moothon |
| 2010 | Mumbai International Film Festival | Jury Award | Director | Kelkkunnundo |
Moothon Participated Festivals
- Toronto International film festival - world premiere [13][14]
- Mumbai International film festival- Opening film
- International film festival of Kerala
- The Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain
- Palm Springs International film festival
- Goteborg International film festival, Sweden
- 13th Annual Honolulu Film Festival, Hawaii
- Le Festival du film d’Asie du Sud (FFAST) Paris
- Opening film and won Best film FFAST, Paris
- Mardi Gras International Film Festival, Australia
- Cinequest International film festival, San Jose
- IFFLA, Los Angeles
- NYIFF, New York
- Nomination, Best film, Best director, Best Actor , Best child actor in NYIFF
- International film festival of South Asia, IFFSA
- Umbria Film Festival, Italy-Opening film
Awards for Liar's Dice (film)
- 2013- National Film Award for Best Actress - Geetanjali Thapa
- 2013- National Film Award for Best Cinematography - Rajeev Ravi
- 2014- Sofia International Film Festival - Special Mention award & FIPRESCI AWARD for best film
- 2014- New York Indian Film Festival - Best Actress award
- 2014 - Special Jury award at the 18th Sofia International Film Festival - Liar's Dice
- 2014- Pesaro International Film Festival - Lino Micciche Award for the Best Film
- 2014- Granada Cines del Sur Film Festival - Bronce Alhambra award
As Actress
- 1986 – Film Chamber of Commerce Award for Best Child Artist – Onnu Mudal Poojyam Vare
- 2004 – Amrita Film Fraternity Award for Best Actress – Akale
- 2002 – South Indian Cinematographers Association Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannaki (film)
- 2002 – Film Critics Award for Best Actress – Shesham
- 2004 – Film Critics Award for Best Actress –Akale
- 2010 – Film Critics Award for Best Short Film – Kelkkunnundo
- 2004 – Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress – Akale, Oridam
- 1986 – Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist – Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare
- 2004 – Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam – Akale
- Asianet Film Awards
- 2004 – Special Jury Mention – Akale
- Kerala Film Critics Association Awards
- 2001 – Best Actress – Shesham
- 2004 – Special Jury Award – Akale
- Mathrubhumi, Medimix film
- 2004 – Best character Actress – Akale
- Ramu Karyat award
- 2020 – Most promising director – Moothon
Filmography
As an actress
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare | Deepa Mol | Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist |
| 1986 | Sayam Sandhya | Vinu Mol | |
| 1986 | Veendum | Anu | |
| 1986 | Rareeram | Geethu | |
| 1988 | En Bommukutty Ammavukku | Tinnu | Tamil film |
| 2000 | Life Is Beautiful | Bala | |
| 2000 | Thenkasipattanam | Sangeetha | |
| 2001 | Kannaki | Kumudam | |
| 2002 | Kakke Kakke Koodevide | Sudharma | |
| 2002 | Pakalppooram | Seemandini / Ghost | |
| 2002 | Krishna Gopalakrishna | Gayathri | |
| 2002 | Sesham | Meera | |
| 2002 | Valkannadi | Devu | |
| 2003 | Sahodharan Sahadevan | Arathi | |
| 2003 | Shingari Bolona | Maya | |
| 2003 | Nala Damayanthi | Damayanthi | Tamil film |
| 2003 | Choonda | Mohini Varma/Archana | |
| 2003 | Mullavalliyum Thenmavum | Eva Cherian | |
| 2004 | Oridam | No name in the movie | |
| 2004 | Thudakkam | Karthika | |
| 2004 | Akale | Rose | Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam |
| 2005 | Ullam | Radha | |
| 2005 | Pauran | Annie | |
| 2005 | Rappakal | Malavika Varma | |
| 2006 | Kisan | Ammu/Ambili Varma | |
| 2006 | Poi | Ramya | Tamil film |
| 2006 | Arunam | Seetha | |
| 2007 | Bharathan Effect | Geetha | |
| 2007 | Thakarachenda | Latha | |
| 2007 | Naalu Pennungal | Kumari The Virgin | aka Four Women (Canada: English title: festival title) |
| 2008 | Akasha Gopuram | Catherine | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam |
| 2009 | Seetha Kalyanam | Abhirami | |
| 2009 | Nammal Thammil | Anu |
As Director
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Kelkkunnundo | Malayalam | Short Film |
| 2014 | Liar's Dice | Hindi | Special Jury award at the 18th Sofia International Film Festival Received two National Film Awards |
| 2019 | Moothon | Malayalam Hindi | Global filmmaking award for story in Sundance film festival 2016 |
References
- ^ Nala Damayandhi – Review Archived 9 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ "Geetu Mohandas". Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
- ^ "Nawazuddin's Liar's Dice in Sundance Film Festival". Starblockbuster. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ Gitanjali Roy (23 September 2014). "India will send Hindi-language road film Liar's Dice to the Oscars next year, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced today". Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ "I, Me, Myself – Geethu Mohandas". The Hindu. 4 July 2003. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ Shobha Warrier (11 February 2003). "Geetu Mohandas is Damayanthi". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ "In the big league". The Hindu. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ Liar's Dice wins Special Jury award at Sofia International Film Festival Archived 21 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 6 April 2014.
- ^ "'This Is The Bronze Age Of Malayalam Cinema. I Won't Call It The Golden Age. We Are Not There Yet': Geetu Mohandas". Silverscreen.in. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "അനുഗ്രഹീതൻ ആന്റണി ടീസർ പുറത്തിറങ്ങി". Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
- ^ "ഗീതു മോഹന്ദാസ് വിവാഹിതയായി" Archived 1 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
External links
- Geetu Mohandas at IMDb