Rahul Riji Nair
Rahul Riji Nair (born 21 March 1988) is an Indian Film Director and Script Writer active in the Malayalam cinema industry. His debut feature film Ottamuri Velicham won 4 awards at the 2017 Kerala State Film Awards, including Best Feature Film.[1]
Rahul Riji Nair | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Occupation | Film Director, Script Writer, Producer |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Spouse(s) | Nithya Vijay |
| Parent(s) | Dr Riji Nair & Rajasree Nair |
| Awards | Kerala State Film Awards - Best Feature Film Ottamuri Velicham |
Personal life
Rahul was born in Kollam, Kerala in 1988. He graduated in Engineering from Amrita School of Engineering in 2009. He worked as a Software Engineer and then as Marketing Manager with multiple companies in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram before venturing into filmmaking.[2] He is the son of Dr Riji Nair and Rajasree Nair. He is married to Nithya Vijay.[3]
Career
Rahul started his career in the Malayalam film industry in 2017 as the writer and director of the Malayalam feature film Ottamuri Velicham starring Vinitha Koshy and Deepak Parambol in the lead roles. The film was produced under the banner of First Print Studios which was founded by Rahul in 2012. He is currently serving as the CEO of the company.
He ventured into Independent Filmmaking through Documentaries & Short Films. He first directed the documentary The Human Boundaries in 2012 and it was widely screened across India, Europe and USA. His short films Troll Life, MJ and Rs 2 have won awards at international filmmaking competitions. His Tamil Music Video titled Mounam Sollum Varthaigal went viral with over 15 Million views.
Filmography
Feature Films
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Kalla Nottam | Malayalam | Premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival, 2020 [4] |
| 2018 | Dakini | Malayalam | |
| 2017 | Ottamuri Velicham | Malayalam | Best Feature Film - Kerala State Film Awards 2017 |
Music Video
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Mounam Sollum Varthaigal | Tamil | Screenplay & Direction |
Short Films
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Survival Stories | Malayalam | Anthology created during the COVID-19 Lockdown [5] |
| 2016 | Troll Life | Malayalam | Platinum Film of the Year - India Film Project 2016 |
| 2016 | Netaji | Malayalam | Musical Short |
| 2015 | Rs. 2 | Malayalam | Audience Choice Winner - 48 Hour Film Project, Mumbai |
| 2015 | MJ | Malayalam | Best Film #9 - India Film Project 2015 [6] |
| 2014 | Malai Kofta | Malayalam | |
Documentary
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Human Boundaries | English-Hindi | Widely screened across India, UK & USA |
Awards
- International Awards
- 2018 - German Star of India [Best Feature Film], 15th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart : Ottamuri Velicham[8]
- 2018 - Second Best Feature Film, Chicago South Asian Film Festival: Ottamuri Velicham
- Nominations
- Best Screenplay, New York Indian Film Festival 2020 : Kalla Nottam[9]
- Best Film, New York Indian Film Festival 2018 : Ottamuri Velicham[10]
- Best Director, New York Indian Film Festival 2018
- Director's Vision Award, 15th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart
- Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality, MAMI 2018
References
- Deepa Somanl. "Kerala State Film Awards 2017". Times of India. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- Kumar, Aswin J (9 March 2018). "'Ottamuri velicham': A dark horse that sheds artistic light". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- Rahul Riji Nair with 4 Awards
- Kalla Nottam review: A tense coming-of-age drama with a refreshing twist
- Survival Stories: Here is how these filmmakers made an anthology amid lockdown
- ‘MJ,’ film by Rahul bags top honours at IFP
- I Wanted To Tell The World About Marital Rape
- IFF Stuttgart Award Winners
- NYIFF 2020 Award Nominations
- NYIFF 2018 Award Nominations