C. S. Venkiteswaran

Dr.[1]
Chittur Subramanian Venkiteswaran
Born (1959-05-23) 23 May 1959 (age 65)[citation needed]
Chalakudy, Thrissur Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndian
EducationPost Doctorate in Commerce and Management
Alma materCalicut University
Occupation(s)Documentary film director, Film Critic, professor[2]
Years active1970s – present[3][4]
Known forFilm Criticism, Film Writing, Documentary Film-making, Book Reviewing
Notable work
  1. :Udalinte Tharasancharangal.
  2. :Malayala Cinema Padanangal.
  3. :Cinema Talkies.
  4. :A Door to Adoor.
  5. :Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema.
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
SpouseMuthulakshmi
ChildrenMedha, Gauthaman
Parent(s)C.K. Subramaniam, T.V. Thylambal
RelativesBalakrishnan C.S., Sangameshwaran C.S., Meenakshi C.S., Narayani C.S., Ananthalakshmi C.S., Raghavan Thirumulpad

Venkiteswaran Chittur Subramanian (born 23 May 1959) is an Indian film critic, professor, documentary filmmaker, writer and occasional subtitler from Chalakudi, Kerala, India, who writes predominantly in English and Malayalam. He won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2009 [5] and shared the National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film with M.R. Rajan for directing the documentary film, Pakarnattam in 1995.[6]

Career

[edit]

He is known for his insightful analysis of the social aspects of cinema and their artistic fulfilment. His writings and reviews on film and media, in English and Malayalam has been published in journals such as Deep Focus, Film International, Cinema in India, Bhashaposhini, Pachakuthira, Indian Express, The Hindu, Mathrubhumi and Madhyamam.[7][8] His column "Rumblestrip"(1999–2008) in Indian Express talked about film and the media scene in Kerala.[9]

He published a book on filmmaker K R Mohanan Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema and with Lalit Mohan Joshi edited a book on filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, A Door to Adoor.[10] 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.[11] The book Malayala Cinema Padanangal won a Special Jury Mention in the State film awards for the year 2011. He has interviewed film personalities including Adoor Gopalakrishnan, T.V. Chandran, Werner Herzog and Jean-Luc Godard.[12][13][14]

He is a documentary filmmaker and 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 won the Kerala State Award for the Best Documentary category in the same year.[15] His article "Tea-shops In Mayalam Cinema" was included in the revamped Kerala SCERT Class X English textbook in 2011.[16][17]

He is the Artistic Director of the Signs film festival for short films and documentaries.[18] He was a jury member for best writing on cinema at the 60th National Film Awards.[19] In July 2018, he resigned from the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy as a gesture of protest against the state government's decision to invite a superstar (Mohanlal) as the chief guest for the event as well as the anti-women stance taken up by the organisation Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), of which Mohanlal is the president.[20][21]

Venkiteswaran is also an occasional subtitler. He began by subtitling for a T.V. Chandran film in the late 1990s and done subtitles for around 150 films in the span of 20 years.[22]

Awards

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]

Translation

  • Ten Sentences about the Cow - Poems by NG Unnikrishnan, Author Press, 2017
  • The Lost Heroine by Vinu Abraham (Translated from Malayalam with Arathy Ashok) Speaking Tiger, 2020

English:

  • A Door to Adoor (Edited by Lalit Mohan Joshi & C.S. Venkiteswaran), South Asian Cinema Foundation, London, 2006

Malayalam:

  • Udalinte Tharasancharangal, DC Books, 2011
  • Malayala Cinema Padanangal , DC Books, 2011 (reviewed by B.R.P. Bhaskar[31])
  • Cinema Talkies, DC Books, 2012
  • Raveendrante Thirakkathakal, Mathrubhumi Books, 2013
  • Television Padanangal - Nammeyokkeyum Bandhicha Sadhanam - Mathrubhumi Books, 2014
  • Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema, Trichur International Film Festival
  • Malayaliyude Nava Madhyama Jeevitham, DC Books, 2018
  • Cinema Ticket, Pranatha Books, 2019
  • Ini Velicham Mathram - Film and Vision of Fernando Solanas, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, 2019
  • Prapancham Prathiphalikkunna Jalakanam, SPCS Books, 2022
  • Kaalathinte Irulbhoopadangal - Bela Tarr’s cinematic journey, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, 2022
  • Cinemayilude Pakarunna Jeevitham Enna Marakarogam - Krzysztof Zanussiyude Chalachithra Rachanakal - Krzysztof Zanussi’s cinema articles, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, 2023
  • Cinemayude Bhavanadesangal, Chintha Publishers, 2023

Filmography

[edit]
  • Pakarnattam: Ammannur, The Actor – Duration – 75 mins, Year – 1995. — A Documentary on Ammannur Madhava Chakyar directed along with M.R.Rajan.
  • Matha to Ma – Duration – 70 mins, Year – 2002. — A Documentary on Mandakini Narayanan.[32]
  • Mega Narratives are Fantastic – Duration – 40 mins, Year – 2010.— A Documentary on Chintha Ravi.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ ""Critical acclaim"". Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  2. ^ "Profile - Faculty, GIFT" Archived 21 April 2016 at archive.today
  3. ^ """Is Another Cinema Possible?" - Talk by Dr. C.S Venkiteswaran"". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Faculty - Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation" Archived 21 April 2016 at archive.today
  5. ^ "National award for film critic – 2009". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 17 September 2010. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010.
  6. ^ "NATIONAL AWARDS 1995 WINNERS". The Times of India. Delhi, India.
  7. ^ ""Adoor: the man and the auteur"". Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Quest for ‘the pest'"
  9. ^ ""Critical acclaim"". Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  10. ^ ""A Door to Adoor"". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  11. ^ "After laurels, the works of a critic"
  12. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Jean-Luc Godard in conversation with C S Venkiteswaran | 25th IFFK". YouTube. 2 March 2021.
  13. ^ "interview: adoor gopalakrishnan" Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Encounters with the living dead"
  15. ^ "STATE FILM AWARDS-1995" Archived 13 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Comprehensive revamp of Class X textbooks".[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ "SCERT – Class X textbook Part 1" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2011.
  18. ^ "Signs Festival-Contact"
  19. ^ "Official Catalogue of 60th National Film Awards"
  20. ^ "C S Venkiteswaran resigns from Chalachitra Academy"
  21. ^ "മോഹൻലാലിന് എതിരല്ല; പുരസ്കാരദാനം താരനിശയാക്കരുത് -സി.എസ്. വെങ്കിടേശ്വരൻ."
  22. ^ "Time constraints to convincing film makers, subtitling Malayalam films isn't easy". The News Minute. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  23. ^ ""Kerala State Film Awards 2023: Full Winners List - Best Actors, Movie & Director"". Filmi Beat. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  24. ^ ""2012 Kerala State Awards"". The Hindu. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  25. ^ "TV Awards announced, Apr 26, 2011"
  26. ^ "57th National Film Awards"
  27. ^ "The Hindu, July 24, 2005"
  28. ^ "Times of India, July 26, 2002"
  29. ^ "43rd National film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film" (PDF).
  30. ^ "Kerala films state awards - 1995". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  31. ^ ""Plea for professionalism, April 6, 2012"". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  32. ^ "Matha to Ma, the odyssey of a Naxalite"
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=C._S._Venkiteswaran&oldid=1246964240"