P. J. Antony

P. J. Antony പി.ജെ. ആന്റണി
P. J. Antony in Nirmalyam (1973)
Born	1 January 1925 (1925-01)[1] Eranakulam, Travancore, British Raj (now Kerala, India)
Died	14 March 1979 (1979-03-15) (aged 54)[2] Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Soldier, Actor, Director, Script Writer, Lyricist, Novelist
Years active	1958–1979
Spouse(s)	Smt. Mary (1954–1979) (his death)
Awards	National Film Award for Best Actor Kerala State Film Awards 1973 - Nirmalyam
Website	http://pjantonyfoundation.org/030973

P. J. Antony (Malayalam: പി.ജെ. ആന്റണി; 1 January 1925 – 14 March 1979) was an Indian stage and film actor.^[3] He received the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Nirmalyam in 1974. He was also the first actor working in Malayalam cinema to receive the award.^[4] Antony is also a respectable figure in the professional play field, working with communist cultural and art bodies like the K.P.A.C.^[5]

He also established his own theatre named Prathibha Theatres in Kochi.^[6]

Biography

In his early 20's Antony served in the Royal Navy during World War II. Post war, he returned home and joined a workshop as an officer. It was in this period in which Antony got chance to work with professional play artists. Soon he would establish himself as a prominent figure in Malayalam plays with his skills in acting, writing and direction. He was directly associated with the K.P.A.C., a major professional political play theatre at that time. He later established two play theatres namely P. J. Theatres and Prathibha Theatres (which is still active).

With the expertise in plays, Antony began his acting career.^[7] His debut film was Randidangazhi (1957), a film adaptation of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's novel with the same title. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor, (then known as the Bharath Award in 1974) for his performance as a velichappadu (an Oracle or medium between the Goddess and the worshipper in a Hindu temple) in Nirmalyam, directed by prominent literary figure, M. T. Vasudevan Nair. Antony was the lyricist and screenwriter for a small number of films. He also directed a film titled Periyar.^[8]

Amal Neerad's Iyobinte Pusthakam had the famous director Aashiq Abu playing the role of P. J Antony.

Awards

National Film Awards:

• Best Actor - 1974 - Nirmalyam

Kerala State Film Awards:

• Best Actor - 1973 - Nirmalyam

Filmography

Acting

Director

• Periyar (1973)

Screenwriter

• Sheelavathi (1968)

Literary works

Short stories

• Pukachurulukal
• Kalakavan
• Naludivasangal
• Ennayillaatha vilakku
• Chilampoli
• Thakarnna veena
• Aa moksham ningalkku venda

Novels

• Itha manushyan
• Orugramathinte Athmavu

Poems

• Prabhatha geetham

Song collections

• Onappattukal
• Thakarnna veena
• Prema sangheetham
• Keralam Unarunnu

Memories

• Ente nadaka smaranakal
• Natakame Ulakam

References

External links

• PJ Antony at MSI
• P. J. Antony at the Internet Movie Database