Anjali Menon
Encyclopedia
Anjali Menon is an India
n film director. She directed the film Manjadikuru
(Lucky Red Seeds) (2008), starring Prithviraj
, for which she got the FIPRESCI award for the Best Malayalam film at 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala. In 2009, the film swept the awards at South Asian International Film Festival at New York, winning five Grand Jury Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer & Best Emerging Talent.
She has also directed a short film, "Happy Journey", for the Malayalam anthology film
, Kerala Cafe
.
, Anjali grew up in Dubai
. She did her high school education in Calicut and graduated with a degree in commerce from Providence Women's College, Calicut. She did post-graduation work in communication studies, specializing in TV production, in Pune
. In 2000, she joined the London Film School
, specializing in Film Direction, and was awarded overall distinction honors in editing, producing and directing film.
.
She made her feature film debut with Manjadikuru
(2008), the story a 10-year-old boy who returns to his village to attend the funeral of his grandfather. The film premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, where it won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for best debutant Indian director.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n film director. She directed the film Manjadikuru
Manjadikuru
Manjadikuru is a Malayalam film written and directed by Anjali Menon. The film was premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, and won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for Best Debutant Indian director, in 2009, it swept the awards at South Asian...
(Lucky Red Seeds) (2008), starring Prithviraj
Prithviraj Sukumaran
Prithviraj Sukumaran credited mononymously as Prithviraj, is an Indian film actor and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema....
, for which she got the FIPRESCI award for the Best Malayalam film at 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala. In 2009, the film swept the awards at South Asian International Film Festival at New York, winning five Grand Jury Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer & Best Emerging Talent.
She has also directed a short film, "Happy Journey", for the Malayalam anthology film
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
, Kerala Cafe
Kerala Cafe
Kerala Cafe is a Malayalam anthology film produced by Ranjith and directed by a team of ten directors including Lal Jose, Shaji Kailas, Anwar Rasheed, Shyamaprasad, B. Unnikrishnan, Revathy, Anjali Menon, M. Padmakumar, Shankar Ramakrishnan, and Uday Ananthan. For the first time in the history of...
.
Early life and education
Born in Calicut, KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Anjali grew up in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. She did her high school education in Calicut and graduated with a degree in commerce from Providence Women's College, Calicut. She did post-graduation work in communication studies, specializing in TV production, in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. In 2000, she joined the London Film School
London Film School
The London Film School is a private film school in London and is situated in a converted brewery in Covent Garden, London, close to a hub of the UK film industry based in Soho. The LFS was founded in 1956 by Bob Dunbar as The London School of Film Technique...
, specializing in Film Direction, and was awarded overall distinction honors in editing, producing and directing film.
Career
Anjali Menon started her career in 1997 with television, working on various documentaries, telefilms and program designing projects in India, the Middle East and UK, including, The Time to Blossom, a documentary on Rubiya, a classical Indian dancer from Malappuram, Kalyani, a tele-film on street children and Ila, a dance film based on a world music track. In 2006 she started Little Films, a film production company in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
She made her feature film debut with Manjadikuru
Manjadikuru
Manjadikuru is a Malayalam film written and directed by Anjali Menon. The film was premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, and won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for Best Debutant Indian director, in 2009, it swept the awards at South Asian...
(2008), the story a 10-year-old boy who returns to his village to attend the funeral of his grandfather. The film premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, where it won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for best debutant Indian director.
Personal life
, she is based in Mumbai, where she formed the Little Films company, though her family stays in Calicut.Filmography
- ManjadikuruManjadikuruManjadikuru is a Malayalam film written and directed by Anjali Menon. The film was premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, and won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for Best Debutant Indian director, in 2009, it swept the awards at South Asian...
(2008) - Kerala CafeKerala CafeKerala Cafe is a Malayalam anthology film produced by Ranjith and directed by a team of ten directors including Lal Jose, Shaji Kailas, Anwar Rasheed, Shyamaprasad, B. Unnikrishnan, Revathy, Anjali Menon, M. Padmakumar, Shankar Ramakrishnan, and Uday Ananthan. For the first time in the history of...
(2009) (segment "Happy Journey") - Ustad Hotel (2012) (story)
Awards
- 2008: International Film Festival of Kerala
- FIPRESCI award for the Best Malayalam film: ManjadikuruManjadikuruManjadikuru is a Malayalam film written and directed by Anjali Menon. The film was premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, and won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for Best Debutant Indian director, in 2009, it swept the awards at South Asian...
- Hassankutty Award for the Best Indian Debut director: ManjadikuruManjadikuruManjadikuru is a Malayalam film written and directed by Anjali Menon. The film was premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, and won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for Best Debutant Indian director, in 2009, it swept the awards at South Asian...
- FIPRESCI award for the Best Malayalam film: Manjadikuru