Geetu Mohandas

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In this Indian name, the name Mohandas is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Geetu.
Geetu Mohandas
Geethu mohandas.jpg
Geetu Mohandas
Born
Gayatri Das

(1981-06-08) 8 June 1981 (age 40)
Kochi, Kerala
NationalityIndian
Other namesGeetu
OccupationActress, Film director
Years active1986 – present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2009)​
ChildrenAradhana
AwardsIndia’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category for the 87th Academy Awards for Liar's Dice & Global film maker award at Sundance Film Festival for Liar's Dice in 2016

Gayatri Das (born 8 June 1981) known professionally as Geetu Mohandas is an Indian film actress and director known for her works in Malayalam cinema and Bollywood.[1][2] In 2013, she directed the socio political film Liar's Dice which has received two National Film Awards, was premiered at Sundance Film Festival,[3] and was chosen by the Government of India as India's entry for the U.S. 87th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, but was not shortlisted or nominated.[4]

As an actress[]

Geetu's birth name is Gayatri Das.[5] Affectionately called Geetu by her family, the name was adopted as her screen name when she starred in her fourth movie Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare in 1986 with Mohanlal in the lead role. Geetu was five years old then and captured the hearts of Malayalam filmgoers as a fatherless child who discovers a father in an anonymous telephone caller.[6] She acted in the top grosser En Bommukutty Ammavukku as the title role, which was the Tamil remake of Fazil's Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku (Malayalam) done by Baby Shalini in the title role.[7] Geetu's first movie as an adult was Life is Beautiful starring Mohanlal in the lead. She went on to act in Thenkasi Pattanam, Valkannadi, Nammal Thammil and several other Malayalam movies. The high point of her career was Akale directed by Shyamaprasad, and produced by Tom George Kolath which won her the Kerala State Award for Best Actress in 2004. Geetu also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam, for her role as Rose, in Akale.

As director[]

Geetu at the presentation of the film, ‘Kelkunnundo’ during the 40th International Film Festival (IFFI-2009), at Panaji, Goa on 28 November 2009.

Geetu Mohandas formed her film production house - Unplugged in 2009 which produced her directorial debut short fiction film titled Kelkkunnundo Are you listening. The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and subsequently won 3 International awards for Best Short fiction as well as the National Film Award in India. The film has been included as a chapter in the 12th standard Kerala state syllabus since 2014. Her first feature film Liar's Dice (film) received the Hubert Bals Fund for script and project development and the film was selected in Competition for the world dramatic competition at Sundance Film Festival in 2014.[8] Liar's Dice (film) went on to win six major international awards across the world and two National awards in India. It was also India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category for the 87th Academy Awards.[9] Her second feature film, Moothon was mentored by the Sundance film lab and Geetu also won the Global filmmaker award at Sundance Film Festival in 2016. Moothon had its World premiere at Toronto International film festival in 2019 and was the opening film at MAMI 2019.[10][11]

Personal life[]

She was born as Gayatri Das to Mohandas and Latha on 8 June 1981 at Kochi. She studied in India, Malaysia and Canada. She has a brother, Dr. Arjun Das, a nephrologist, living in US.[12]

On 14 November 2009, she married cinematographer Rajeev Ravi.[13] The wedding took place at night in Kochi, Kerala, India. The couple has a daughter, Aradhana.

Awards and Honours[]

Year Award Category role Work
2009 International Film Festival of India IFFI Golden Lamp Tree Award for Best Film and Director Director Kelkkunnundo Film Chamber of Commerce
2017 International Film Festival of India Global filmmaking award for story in Sundance Film Festival 2016 Director Moothon
2010 Mumbai International Film Festival Jury Award Director Kelkkunnundo

Moothon Participated Festivals[]

  • Toronto International film festival - world premiere [14][15]
  • Mumbai International film festival- Opening film
  • International film festival of Kerala
  • The Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain
  • Palm Springs International film festival
  • Goteborg International film festival, Sweden
  • 13th Annual Honolulu Film Festival, Hawaii
  • Le Festival du film d’Asie du Sud (FFAST) Paris
  • Opening film and won Best film FFAST, Paris
  • Mardi Gras International Film Festival, Australia
  • Cinequest International film festival, San Jose
  • IFFLA, Los Angeles
  • NYIFF, New York
  • Nomination, Best film, Best director, Best Actor , Best child actor in NYIFF
  • International film festival of South Asia, IFFSA
  • Umbria Film Festival, Italy-Opening film

Awards for Liar's Dice (film)

As Actress[]

  • 1986 – Film Chamber of Commerce Award for Best Child Artist – Onnu Mudal Poojyam Vare
  • 2004 – Amrita Film Fraternity Award for Best Actress – Akale
  • 2002 – South Indian Cinematographers Association Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannaki (film)
  • 2002 – Film Critics Award for Best Actress – Shesham
  • 2004 – Film Critics Award for Best Actress –Akale
  • 2010 – Film Critics Award for Best Short Film – Kelkkunnundo
Kerala State Film Awards
Filmfare Awards South
Asianet Film Awards
  • 2004 – Special Jury Mention – Akale
Kerala Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2001 – Best Actress – Shesham
  • 2004 – Special Jury Award – Akale
Mathrubhumi, Medimix film
  • 2004 – Best character Actress – Akale
Ramu Karyat award
  • 2020 – Most promising director – Moothon

Filmography[]

As an actress[]

Year Film Role Notes
1986 Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare Deepa Mol Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist
1986 Sayam Sandhya Vinu Mol
1986 Veendum Anu
1986 Rareeram Geethu
1988 En Bommukutty Ammavukku Tinnu Tamil film
2000 Life Is Beautiful Bala
2000 Thenkasipattanam Sangeetha
2001 Kannaki Kumudam
2002 Kakke Kakke Koodevide Sudharma
2002 Pakalppooram Seemandini / Ghost
2002 Krishna Gopalakrishna Gayathri
2002 Sesham Meera
2002 Valkannadi Devu
2003 Arathi
2003 Shingari Bolona Maya
2003 Nala Damayanthi Damayanthi Tamil film
2003 Choonda Mohini Varma/Archana
2003 Mullavalliyum Thenmavum Eva Cherian
2004 Oridam No name in the movie
2004 Thudakkam Karthika
2004 Akale Rose Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress
Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam
2005 Ullam Radha
2005 Pauran Annie
2005 Rappakal Malavika Varma
2006 Kisan Ammu/Ambili Varma
2006 Poi Ramya Tamil film
2006 Mouryan Unknown
2006 Arunam Seetha
2006 Kaala Bazaar -
2007 Bharathan Effect Geetha
2007 Thakarachenda Latha
2007 Naalu Pennungal Kumari
The Virgin		 aka Four Women (Canada: English title: festival title)
2007 Best Friends Cameo
2008 Akasha Gopuram Catherine Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam
2009 Seetha Kalyanam Abhirami
2009 Nammal Thammil Anu

As Director[]

Year Film Language Notes
2009 Kelkkunnundo Malayalam Short Film
2014 Liar's Dice Hindi Special Jury award at the 18th Sofia International Film Festival
Received two National Film Awards
2019 Moothon Malayalam

Hindi

Global filmmaking award for story in Sundance film festival 2016

References[]

  1. ^ Nala Damayandhi – Review Archived 9 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  2. ^ "Geetu Mohandas". Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Nawazuddin's Liar's Dice in Sundance Film Festival". Starblockbuster. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  4. ^ Gitanjali Roy (23 September 2014). "India will send Hindi-language road film Liar's Dice to the Oscars next year, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced today". Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  5. ^ "I, Me, Myself – Geethu Mohandas". The Hindu. 4 July 2003. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  6. ^ Shobha Warrier (11 February 2003). "Geetu Mohandas is Damayanthi". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  7. ^ "In the big league". The Hindu. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  8. ^ Nyay, B. (23 September 2014). "Oscars: India Selects 'Liar's Dice' for Foreign-Language Category". hollywoodreporter.com.
  9. ^ Liar's Dice wins Special Jury award at Sofia International Film Festival Archived 21 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  10. ^ "'This Is The Bronze Age Of Malayalam Cinema. I Won't Call It The Golden Age. We Are Not There Yet': Geetu Mohandas". Silverscreen.in. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "അനുഗ്രഹീതൻ ആന്റണി ടീസർ പുറത്തിറങ്ങി". Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  13. ^ "ഗീതു മോഹന്‍ദാസ്‌ വിവാഹിതയായി" Archived 1 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  14. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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