Biography

Rajesh was born in Kerala to a Malayali family. He inherited a flair for Kathakali, the classical dance of Kerala, from Siva Sankaran Nair, his father who was a veteran Kathakali artist. He also had some early training in Kalaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala. He took his Bachelor degree in Design and Direction from the School of Drama in Trissur, Kerala and directed more than 30 plays in Malayalam, English and Telugu. He worked with the National School of Drama, New Delhi as a designer in 1995. Rajesh won the Charles Wallace Trust Award and did his Masters in Visual Language/Scenography and Direction from the Wimbledon College of Art

Wimbledon College of Art

Wimbledon College of Art is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London and is one of London's major art institutions. It is located in Wimbledon and Merton Park, South West London.-History:...

, London.

Rajesh as director

Rajesh's debut film In the Name of Buddha

In the Name of Buddha

In the Name of Buddha is a 2002 British film drama written and directed by Rajesh Touchriver. The film tells the true story of Tamil doctor Siva, who fled to Britain in 1993, flushing his false passport down the toilet during his flight. Siva is a friend of the film's producer Sai George...

(2002) was premiered at the Oslo International Film Festival and won critical acclaim. The movie was nominated for the Best Debut Director category at the Cannes Film Festival. Though controversial in theme, the film is a non-partisan treatment of the ethnic conflict then raging in Sri Lanka with a hint of magic realism

Magic realism

Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...

. The film was well received in many international film festivals in 2003 and won the Best Foreign Film award at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival, the Newport Beach International Film Festival and at the Wine Country International Film Festival in the same year.

Following the success of In the Name of Buddha, Rajesh directed the music video for "Sunshowers

Sunshowers

"Sunshowers" is a song by British musician M.I.A. from her critically acclaimed debut album Arular . It was written and produced by Maya Arulpragasam, Ross Orton, Steve Mackey, August Darnell and Stony Jr. Browder with additional production by Nesreen Shah and Anthony Whiting. The song includes a...

" for Maya Arulpragasam (M.I.A.

M.I.A. (artist)

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...

). She is known for her "O Saya" with A.R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire which was nominated for the Oscars in 2009. Rajesh directed Ente Malayalam, a promotion for the Manorama Music channel to celebrate the 50th year of Kerala formation, capturing noted Malayali achievers against the lush landscape of Kerala in evocative frames.

Rajesh directed two Telugu films in the interim: 10 the Strangers and Alex, the Blue Fox. Besides feature films and music albums/videos, he has essayed other genres including documentaries, short films, ad films, public service announcements and commercials and won many accolades.

Documentaries and Short films

Rajesh has made several short films and documentaries on human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and communal riots that support the media advocacy initiatives of the United Nations and NGOs, national and international. His most recent film for the United Nations, One Life, No Price for social sensitization against human trafficking was well received by civil society organizations internationally. Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...

, Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu, Punjabi and English language films. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year...

 and John Abraham

John Abraham (actor)

John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...

 appear in the film as spokespersons for the cause.

Another recent success is Anamika, the Nameless on a similar theme which was adventurously shot in the red light areas of India in Mumbai, Kolkatta, Poona and Delhi. The film won the AC award under the "Best Foreign Award - Documentary Short Film" category and the Best Documentary Film Award at the Hyderabad International Film Festival. The film has been included in the curriculum of National Police Academy and National Judicial Academy.

The Sacred Face, a short film on child sexual abuse, sent the audience back home unsettled at its screening in Hyderabad. Rajesh himself writes the screenplays for most of his documentaries.

Rajesh as Art Director

Besides direction, theatre and classical traditional art, Rajesh does art direction for films and has done art direction for Telugu hits like Student #1, Manasantha Nuvve, Iddaru Mitralu, Kalisunadaam Raa, etc. and for a John Mackenzie film, Quicksand.

Feature films – screenplay & direction

• In the Name of Buddha
  In the Name of Buddha
  In the Name of Buddha is a 2002 British film drama written and directed by Rajesh Touchriver. The film tells the true story of Tamil doctor Siva, who fled to Britain in 1993, flushing his false passport down the toilet during his flight. Siva is a friend of the film's producer Sai George...
  
   (150 mins, English/Sinhalese/Tamil/Hindi, 35mm anamorphic, 2002)
• 10-The Strangers (125 mins, Telugu, Hindi, 35mm anamorphic, 2005)
• Alex-The Blue Fox (160 mins, Telugu, 35 mm anamorphic, 2005)
• The Red Terror ( Under production)

Short films – screenplay & direction

• The Sacred Face (13 mins, English, 2006)
• Pehachan (14 mins, Hindi, 2008)
• Needalu (Shadows) (14 mins,Telugu, 2009)
• Main Aur Meri Sachaien (13 mins, Hindi, 2009)

Documentaries - screenplay, direction, cinematography

• Of Freedom and Fear - (30 mins, English/Telugu, DV, 2003)
• Bhagnagar - (15 mins, Hindi, DV, 2003)
• Agni - (34 mins, Hindi, DV, 2004)
• Shanti Ki Aur - (30 mins, Hindi, DV, 2004)
• A Chance to Live - (30 mins, English, DV, 2004)
• Dahan - (34 mins, Hindi, DV, 2004)
• Astha-An Ode to Life - (26 mins, English, DV, 2004)
• Me and Us - (24 mins, English, DV, 2004)
• Building Bridges - (11 mins, English, DV, 2004)
• Anamika - The Nameless - (26 mins, English/Hindi/Telugu,Oriya,Kannada, DV, 2005
• The Man, His Mission - (11 mins, English, DV, 2006)
• Aparajitha - (26 mins, English, DV, 2006)
• One Life No Price - (9 mins, English, HD, 2007)
• Synergy in Action - (20 mins, English, HD, 2007)

Music Videos – screenplay, direction

• Sunshowers
  Sunshowers
  "Sunshowers" is a song by British musician M.I.A. from her critically acclaimed debut album Arular . It was written and produced by Maya Arulpragasam, Ross Orton, Steve Mackey, August Darnell and Stony Jr. Browder with additional production by Nesreen Shah and Anthony Whiting. The song includes a...
  
   for M.I.A.
  M.I.A. (artist)
  Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
  
    XL Recording, London, UK (3 mins, English, Super 16 mm, 2004)
• Hire Fire for Prajwala
  Prajwala
  Prajwala is an non-governmental organization in Hyderabad, India, opposed to forced prostitution and sex trafficking. It works to prevent a second generation of sex workers by educating brothel children for careers in carpentry, welding, printing and stationery work, wooden and steel furniture...
  
   (music album containing six 4 mins songs against human trafficking, Hindi/Telugu, DV, 2004)

Commercials – direction

• Ente Malayalam - 50 yrs celebration of kerala formation (2 mins, Malayalam, 35 mm, 2006)
• Whose Child ? - (30 secs, Telugu, DV, 2004)
• Why? - (30 secs, Telugu, DV, 2004)
• Reach Out - (30 secs, Telugu, DV, 2004)

Feature films – production design

• Quicksand - (English, 35mm, 2001)
• Student # 1 - (Telugu, 35mm, 2002)
• Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu - (Telugu, 35mm, 2002)
• Manasantha Nuvve - (Telugu, 35mm, 2001)
• Iddaru Mitralu - (Telugu, 35mm, 1999)
• Kalisundaam Raa - (Telugu, 35mm, 1999)

Awards

Rajesh was awarded:

• The Charles Wallace India Trust Award.- 2001
• Best foreign film Award Beverly Hills International Film Festival- 2003
• Best Film Award New port Beach International Film Festival - 2003
• Best Film Award Wine country International Film Festival- 2003
• Best Foreign Documentary film Award Action Cut International Film Festival 2006
• Best Editing Award Festival De Cine De Granada - 2007
• Best Documentary Film Award Hyderabad International Film Festival - 2008

External links

• http://www.rajeshtouchriver.in
• http://www.touchriverpictures.in
• http://www.inthenameofbuddha.com
• http://www.miauk.com