C. S. Venkiteswaran

Dr. Chittur Subramanian Venkiteswaran
C.S. Venkiteswaran
Born	Chittur Subramanian Venkiteswaran (1959-05-23) 23 May 1959 Chalakudy, Thrissur Kerala, India
Residence	Thiruvananthapuram, India
Nationality	Indian
Other names	Venkity, Babu
Ethnicity	Asian
Citizenship	Indian
Education	Post Doctorate in Commerce and Management
Alma mater	Calicut University
Occupation	Documentary film director, Film Critic, professor
Years active	1970s – present
Known for	Film Criticism, Film Writing, Documentary Film-making, Book Reviewing
Notable work	:Udalinte Tharasancharangal.  :Malayala Cinema Padanangal.  :Cinema Talkies.  :A Door to Adoor.  :Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema.
Home town	Chalakudy
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Spouse(s)	Muthulakshmi
Children	Medha, Gauthaman
Parent(s)	C.K. Subramaniam, T.V. Thylambal
Relatives	Balakrishnan C.S., Sangameshwaran C.S., Meenakshi C.S., Narayani C.S., Ananthalakshmi C.S., Raghavan Thirumulpad

Venkiteswaran Chittur Subramanian (born 23 May 1956) is an Indian film critic, documentary film maker and writer from Chalakudi, Kerala, India who writes predominantly in English and Malayalam. He won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2009.^[1] He is known for his insightful analysis of the social aspects of cinema and their artistic fulfilment, conveyed in his lucid style, In the last two decades, his writings and reviews on film and media, in English and Malayalam has been published in journals like Deep Focus, Film International, Cinema in India, Bhashaposhini, Pachakuthira, Indian Express, The Hindu, Mathrubhumi and Madhyamam.^[2][3] His column "Rumblestrip"(1999–2008) in Indian Express talked about the films and media scene in Kerala. He has published a book on the filmmaker K R Mohanan "Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema" (Malayalam, 2004)and edited a book along with Lalit Mohan Joshi on the filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, "A Door to Adoor" (South Asian Cinema Foundation, London, 2005).^[4] Three books, containing Venkiteswaran's collection of articles that take a critical look at major trends and milestones in Malayalam cinema, were published by DC Books at the DC International Book Fair and Cultural Fest, 2011.^[5] The book 'Malayalacinema Padanangal" won a Special Jury Mention in the State film awards for the year 2011. He has interviewed many eminent film personalities like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, T.V. Chandran, Werner Herzog etc.^[6][7] He is also a documentary filmmaker and has won the National Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film in 1995 along with M.R. Rajan for "Pakarnattam – Ammannur, The Actor, the lyrical cinematic documentation of the life of Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, the exponent of the ancient classical Sanskrit theatrical artform of 'Koodiyattam'. This film also won the Kerala State Award for the Best Documentary category in the same year.^[8] His article on the 'TEA-SHOPS IN MALAYALAM CINEMA' was included in the revamped Kerala SCERT Class X English text book in 2011.^[9][10] Adoor Gopalakrishnan praised Venkiteswaran for his 'wholly positive and humble' approach to film criticism, unlike some film critics who according to him practice 'execution' of the films.^[11] He was the Artistic Director of the Signs 2012 film festival for short films and documentaries.^[12] In the same year he was a jury member for best writing on cinema at the National Film Awards.

Awards

• 2011: Kerala State Award – Special Jury Award for Best Book on Cinema – Malayala Cinema Padanangal.^[13]
• 2011: Kerala State Television Awards for Best Malayalam article on TV – Avatharippichu Nashtapeduthunna Varthakal in Mathrubhumi weekly.^[14]
• 2009: Best Film Critic (Swarna Kamal)^[15]
• 2005: Kerala State Film Award for Best Article on Cinema – "Mammootty enna Thaaram"(Malayalam)^[16]
• 2002: National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention for Film Criticism(English)^[17]
• 1995: National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film (Rajat Kamal)- Pakarnnattam – Ammannur the actor, shared with M.R.Rajan^[18]
• 1995: Kerala State Film Award for Best Documentary – Pakarnnattam – Ammannur the actor, shared with M.R.Rajan^[19]

=

Bibliography

Malayalam:

• Udalinte Tharasancharangal.
• Malayala Cinema Padanangal. (reviewed by B.R.P. Bhaskar^[20])
• Cinema Talkies.
• A Door to Adoor(Edited by Lalit Mohan Joshi & C.S. Venkiteswaran)
• Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema

Filmography

• Pakarnattam: Ammannur, The Actor – Duration – 75 mins, Year – 1995.

---Documentary on Ammannur Madhava Chakyar directed along with M.R.Rajan.

• Matha to Ma – Duration – 70 mins, Year – 2002.

---Documentary on Mandakini Narayanan.^[21]

• Mega Narratives are Fantastic – Duration – 40 mins, Year – 2010.

---Documentary on Chintha Ravi.

References

1. ↑ "The Hindu: National award for film critic – 2009". Chennai, India. 17 September 2010. 
2. ↑ "Adoor: the man and the auteur"
3. ↑ "Quest for ‘the pest'"
4. ↑ "A Door to Adoor"
5. ↑ Nair, C. Gouridasan (7 November 2011). "After laurels, the works of a critic". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 
6. ↑ "interview: adoor gopalakrishnan"
7. ↑ "Encounters with the living dead"
8. ↑ "STATE FILM AWARDS-1995"
9. ↑ "Comprehensive revamp of Class X textbooks". 
10. ↑ "SCERT – Class X textbook Part 1". 
11. ↑ http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/others/adoor-gopalakrishnan-blasts-movie-critics-762.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. ↑ "Signs 2012-Contact" http://www.ffsi.in/contact.html "Signs 2012-Contact".  Missing or empty |title= (help)
13. ↑ "2012 Kerala State Awards"
14. ↑ "TV Awards announced, Apr 26, 2011"
15. ↑ "57th National Film Awards"
16. ↑ "The Hindu, July 24, 2005"
17. ↑ "Times of India, July 26, 2002"
18. ↑ "43rd National film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film". Retrieved 6-10-2014.  Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
19. ↑ "Kerala films state award". keralafilm.com. Retrieved 6-10-2014.  Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
20. ↑ "Plea for professionalism, April 6, 2012"
21. ↑ "Matha to Ma, the odyssey of a Naxalite"