T. K. Rajeev Kumar
Film Maker
Born	Kochu Kuttan (1961-09-20) September 20, 1961 (age 50) Kottayam, Kerala, India
Other names	Rajeev Kumar
Occupation	film director
Years active	1982-Present
Height	5ft 7inches
Spouse	Latha Kurien Rajeev
Children	Mrinal & Kirtana
Parents	TK indirakutty Amma & Late TS Karunakara Panicker

TK RAJEEV KUMAR (born September 20, 1961 in Kottayam, India) is an National Award winning Director of Malayalam films.He is settled in Trivandrum, Kerala. Rajeev Kumar served as the Chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy from 2003 to 2006. He was also the Director for the International Film Festival of Kerala from 2003 to 2006 and was the Vice Chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in 2002.^[1] He was nominated as Jury Chairman for Kerala State Film Awards 2007.

Background[link]

Rajeev Kumar was born in Thazhathupurrakal family in Kottayam district, Kerala. His school education was in MT seminary high school, Kottayam and SDV school, Alappuzha. His college studies started of from Government Arts College, Trivandrum and graduated from University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Soon after his studies, he joined State Bank of Travancore. He started his Malayalam film career as an assistant director with the Navodaya Production Company at the age of 21. He had his lessons from the film maker Jijo Punnose, son of Navodaya Appachan. His debut film was Chanakyan which had Kamal Hassan and Urmila Matondkar starring alongside Jayaram.

Filmography[link]

Feature films[link]

Short films[link]

• 1994. ADVT film for Colombo Umbrellas – 30 sec:
• 1995: AWARENESS SPOT - Zoo Watch/1 min
• 1998: DOCUMENTARY – Green City, Clean City / 20 min for Trivandrum Corporation
• 1999: DOCUMENTARY- Flavours of Kerala/23 min/Video Documentary in English on cuisines of Kerala
• 1999: CORPORATE FILM- Astamudi Resorts
• 2000: ADVT: film – Astamudi Resorts
• 2000: SHORT FILM - A Cot To Gain Or A Tree To Lose / 10 min / Mal
• 2003: ADVT: film for MILMA / 1min / mal
• 2004: ROAD SHOW – ‘PALATHULLY’ for Malayala Manorama
• 2004: CORPORATE FILM- Malayala Manorama “PALATHULLY” / 20 min / mal & English
• 2004: ADVT: film - Malayala Manorama “PALATHULLY”( rain harvesting ) / 30sec ./mal
• 2005: CHANNEL’S SIGNATURE FILM - Amrita Television / 4 min
• 2006 – CORPORATE FILM for Malayala Manorama, presented at the IPDC-UNESCO Prize for Rural Communication – 10min
• 2007 – CORPORATE FILM for Malatala Manorama
• 2008 - Birth of a News Paper for Malayala Manorama
• 2009 - Anuyatra - a short film on Late Prof:Anandakuttan
• 2009 - JT Performing Art Centre Presentation film
• 2009 - Traffic Awareness film for Malayala Manorama
• 2009 - Choice Marina presentation film

Stage Shows[link]

• MOHANLAL AND THE MAGIC LAMP / Stage show across U.A.E / 1995
• SHOW ‘95 organized by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) / Staged at Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut.
• The stage show in connection with the MISS WORLD COMPETITION held in Bangalore in November 1996 ( co directed with Priyadarshan ).
• ARABIAN DREAMS / 1997 / Stage show that traveled across the Middle East starring Suresh Gopi and other Malayalam stars.
• UTSAV / 2000 / Stage show that traveled across USA, starring Mohan Lal, Shobana and other stars
• YESUDAS Musical Evening - Dubai / 2000
• SAMSKARA / 2000 / Mega Cultural Show held in connection with the inauguration of the KERALA TRAVEL MART at Kochi
• A FAIRY TALE / 2001 / Stage show that traveled across the Middle East starring top of the line Malayalam stars.
• The Inaugural Ceremony – BHAVA RASA – At the GLOBAL INVESTORS MEET , Cochin 2003
• 2000- 2006
• “GANDHARVA SANDHYA” musical events as a tribute to Sri.Yesudas
• ASIANET FILM AWARD function from 2000–2004
• STATE FILM AWARDS & TELEVISION AWARDS FUNCTION – 2000–2004
• CONCEIVED & DIRECTED 75 Years of Malayalam Film Music Mega Event 2005
• ‘ KATHAYATTOM’ a stage show in connection with 100 years of Malayalam novel with Mohanlal for Malayala Manorama 2003 – 05
• AMRITA TELEVISION Channel launch 2005
• VELLI THIRAMALA, a musical event at Dubai for Malayala Manorama 2006
• BHAVAYAMI, a musical event at Dubai for Malayala Manorama 2007
• JAI HIND Television Launch 2007
• PRANAYAPOORVAM, a musical event at Dubai for Malayala Manorama 2008
• BHEEMAM,play based on MT Vasudevan Nair's Randamoozham 2009
• ANUYATRA, Music Album launch 2009
• LAL SAALAM - 30 years of Mohanlal - a musical travelogue @ Dubai
• Nannipoorvam Mohanlal @ Trivandrum
• SREE RAGAM - Felicitating MG Sreekumar, Dubai 2010
• CHITRA POURNAMI - 25years of ks chitra's singing career,Trivandrum 2011
• SWARNA KAMALAM 2010 - Felicitating Kamal Hassan - Govt: of Kerala
• Onam Pagentary 2010
• Chitra Pournami 2011 - Celebration on completion of famous singer K.S Chitra's 30 years of musical career.

Awards[link]

Kerala University Youth Festival award for Best Monact performer - 1978 -80 Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy award for Best Monoact Performance - 1980

• Chankyan
  • Kerala Film Critics Award for the Debut Director 1989
  • Fimfare for the Best Malayalam Film.
  • Filfans Award for the Best Director.

Pavithram

• • Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Mohanlal
  • Film Fans award for Best Film

Kannuyezhuthi Pottum Thottu

• • National Film Award - Best Actress Manju Warrier ( special Jury Award )

• Jalamarmaram
  • National Award for the Best Environmental Film 2000
  • National Award for Best Child Artiste - Ashwin 2000
  • Kerala State film award for the second Best Film 1999
  • Kerala State Film Awards 1999 Shared the Best Screenplay award with B.Unnikrishnan
  • Gulf Malayalee Best Film Award 1999
  • Selected to the Milan Festival (MIFF 2000), Cairo Festival 2000, Euro-Shorts 2000, Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival (2001), Toronto Environmental Film Festival (2001) and Cornell Environmental Film Festival (2001)

• Shesham
  • Kerala State film award for the Best Film 2001^[2]
  • Kerala State film award for the Best Story 2001
  • Kerala State film Award for Best Editing and Sound Recording 2001
  • Santharam Award for the Best Film and Director 2001
  • Kerala Film Critics Award for the Best Film.Best Director,Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Sound Recording. 2001
  • Padmarajan Puraskaram for the Best Film & Director 2001
  • Mathrubhoomi Award for the Best Film 2001
  • Cinema Express Award for the Best Film 2001 - 2002

References[link]

• Synopsis of 2 award winning films by Rajeevkumar

Asianet Film Awards 2003 - Best screenplay

External links[link]

• Rajeev Kumar at the Internet Movie Database
• 'Cinema of Malayalam' profile

Takao Kobayashi (小林 隆男, Kobayashi Takao^?, born 1961) is an amateur Japanese astronomer who currently works at the Ōizumi Observatory.

Career[link]

Kobayashi has discovered more than 2000 asteroids using CCD technology, including the Amor asteroids 7358 Oze, (23714) 1998 EC₃, (48603) 1995 BC₂ and about nine Trojan asteroids. He also discovered the periodic comet P/1997 B1 (Kobayashi), which he originally reported as an asteroid.

The asteroid 3500 Kobayashi is named after him.

His asteroid discoveries of January 16, 1994 and December 31, 1994 have been named 8883 Miyazakihayao and 10160 Totoro by Kobayashi. The names reference anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and one of his creations, My Neighbor Totoro. The names have been approved by the International Astronomical Union. He is not to be confused with another Japanese astronomer, Toru Kobayashi, who co-discovered comet C/1975 N1 (Kobayashi-Berger-Milon).

P/1997 B1 Kobayashi[link]

On January 30 and January 31, 1997, Kobayashi observed an object, P/1997 B1 Kobayashi, which was initially thought to be a minor planet and was reported to the IAU as such by Syuichi Nakano. Over the next few days, the object was observed to be in a cometary orbit. Warren B. Offutt later showed it to be a comet.^[1]

Occupation[link]

Takao Kobayashi is currently a professor at Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering. He is also general designer of quantum yield design at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. He was also appointed president by MICO.

References[link]

External links[link]

• From Storming Media
• Researchers
• A list of comets

Nithya Menen (Malayalam: നിത്യ മേനോന്‍ )^[2][3][4] is an Indian film actress, who works mainly in the Malayalam film industry. She has also acted in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films and tried playback singing.^[5]

Early life[link]

Nithya Menen was born in Goa into a Malayali family and studied journalism at the Manipal Institute of Communication.^[6] Her father's family is from Calicut and her mother's is from Palakkad. She once said in an interview that she never wished to become an actress but a journalist as she was "an idealist",^[7][8] but felt journalism was "not what it used to be".^[9] She then decided to become a filmmaker as she could express her ideas "better through films",^[8][10] and enrolled for a course in cinematography at the FTI Pune. During the entrance examination, she met Nandini Reddy, who "brainwashed" ^[11] and convinced her to take up acting.^[12] Nandini Reddy would later turn director and sign Nithya for the lead female role in her first project.

Career[link]

Nithya Menen appeared first on screen as a child artiste when she was ten in the Indian English language film, Hanuman (1998), playing the younger sister to Tabu's character.^[13] The 2008 off-beat film Aakasha Gopuram, directed by National Film Award-winning director K. P. Kumaran, marked her debut in a leading role, in which she was paired with Mohanlal. She was in the midst of her 12th class exams when she was offered the role, after Mohanlal had spotted her on the front cover of a tourism magazine.^[3][7] Her performance was well received, with critics writing that she shows "sparkle in her debut venture" and "makes her entry in an impressive role",^[14][15] though the film, based on the Norwegian play The Master Builder, got mixed reviews and was a financial failure.^[14][15] She next made her Kannada debut with the film Josh. She essayed a supporting role in the film, which received rave reviews,^[16][17][18] and became a commercial success as well, with her performance garnering her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 57th Filmfare Awards South.

In 2011, her first release was Nandini Reddy's romantic comedy Ala Modalaindi, which was Nithya's maiden Telugu venture as well.^[2] The film opened to favorable reviews by critics and turned out to become a sleeper hit,^[19] while Nithya received critical praise for her performance. Idlebrain's Jeevi in his review cited that she "epitomized Nitya character with her fabulous performance", "looks beautiful in all kinds of dresses" and was "the best debut in recent years of Telugu cinema after Samantha in YMC",^[20] while another critic wrote that she was a "charming find" and "...quite the Genelia replacement that our cinema so badly needs right now."^[21] She eventually won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance.^[22] Further more, she also sang two songs for the soundtrack album of the film, tuned by Kalyani Malik.^[6][23] Nandini Reddy, later, went on to describe Nithya as "the discovery of the decade".^[19] Following Ala Modalaindi, she starred in Santosh Sivan's historical fiction Urumi as part of an ensemble cast.^[24] She portrayed a Chirakkal princess named Bala, playing the love interest of Prabhu Deva's character,^[24] which gained positive remarks, with a Sify review claiming that she "looks pretty and is a scene stealer".^[25] Nithya quoted that much of her character was based on "Santosh's perception of who I am", with Sivan stating that he had written that role for her and that only she could play it.^[24] She next appeared in ad-filmmaker Jayendra's bilingual venture 180/Nootrenbadhu, made and released in Tamil and Telugu, in which she played a photo journalist named Vidhya.^[26] She described the character as "bubbly, full of life, nosey, wide-eyed and innocent in life" and to be similar to herself.^[26] Later the year, she was seen in Sibi Malayil's Violin in Malayalam and the Gautham Menon-produced Veppam in Tamil.

She is currently working on half-a-dozen projects; Karmayogi, a Malayalam adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet is in post-production stages, while she is currently shooting for the Telugu romance film Ishq with Nitin Reddy and Aidondla Aidu in Kannada, for which she had sung and also choreographed one of the songs, titled "Payasa".^[27] She has signed on two Malayalam projects, T. K. Rajeev Kumar's Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty, in which she portrays a village woman whose daily life is filmed and broadcast as a reality show for a month,^[28] and Usthad Hotel to be directed by Anwar Rasheed.^[29]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

• 2012: Thikkurissy Foundation Award for Most Popular Actress^[33][34]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Nithya Menen at the Internet Movie Database

Nedumudi Venu
Born	K. Venu Gopal (1948-05-22) May 22, 1948 (age 64) Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Residence	Kochi, India
Years active	31
Spouse	T. R. Susheela
Children	Unni, Kannan
Parents	P. K. Kesavan Pillai, P. Kunjikkuttiyamma

K. Venu Gopal (born 22 May 1948), known popularly by his stage name Nedumudi Venu (Malayalam: നെടുമുടി വേണു), is a Malayalam film actor from Kerala, India. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film.^[1][2][3][4]

Early life[link]

Venu was born to P. K. Kesavan Pillai and P. Kunjikkuttiyamma in Nedumudi, Alappuzha as one of their five children.^[5] He was involved in art and music since his academic period. He was also a member of the Kerala Students Union. After graduating from Sanatana Dharma College, Alappuzha, he worked as a journalist in Kalakaumudi and as a teacher in a tutorial institute.

Venu was living in Thiruvananthapuram when he made friends with the likes of Aravindan, Padmarajan and Bharath Gopi. This ultimately paved way for his film career.

Career[link]

Venu started his career in theatre and went on to act in films. He debuted in the film Thambu (1978) by director G. Aravindan. His acting skills were showcased in the Bharathan film Aaravam. Padmarajan's Oridathoru Phayalwan set a milestone for him. It marked his start in karanavar (head of the family) roles, which included most of his memorable performances.

Venu also wrote scripts for movies. He wrote the stories for the films Kattathe Kilikkoodu, Theertham, Sruthi, Ambada Njane, Oru Katha Oru Nunnakkatha, Savidham, and Angane Oru Avadhikkalathu. He also tried his hand in direction with Pooram. He has also acted in a few Tamil films with director Shankar, such as Kamal Hasan's Indian and Vikram's Anniyan.

Venu has also acted in some television serials. He won the Best Actor award for his role in 'Saira at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival which concluded in September 2007; Saira was the only film from India to be included in the festival. The committee mentioned that he acted compellingly and convincingly in his portrayal of a man caught between secularism and fundamentalism.

Awards[link]

National Film Awards:

• 1990 - Best Supporting Actor - His Highness Abdullah
• 2003 - Special Jury Award - Margam

Kerala State Film Awards:

• 1980 - Second Best Actor - Chamaram
• 1981 - Best Actor - Different films
• 1987 - Best Actor - Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam
• 1990 - Special Jury Award - Bharatham, Santhwanam
• 1994 - Second Best Actor - Thenmavin Kombath
• 2003 - Best Actor - Margam

Asianet Film Awards

• 2005 - Best Supporting Actor Award - Thanmatra
• 2007 - Best Script Writer Award - Thaniye
• 2011 - Best Supporting Actor - Best Actor, Elsamma Enna Aankutty

Filmfare Award

• 1997 - Lifetime Achievement Award

Kerala Film Critics Association Awards^[6]

• 2007 - Second Best Actor - Thaniye
• 2007 - Lifetime Achievement Award/Prathibha Puraskaram

Other Awards

• 2003 - Best Actor Award won in Televison Gallup Poll conducted by University of Kerala union for Ragardram (Doordarshan)^[7]
• 2006 - Sathyan Award^[8]
• 2007 - Bahadoor Award^[9]
• 2011 - Serve India Media Award^[10]

Film festivals[link]

• 2003 - Arimpara at the cannes International Film Festival & other filim festivals
• 2005 - Margam at the Havana International Film Festival
• 2007 - Saira - Best Actor Award at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival

Filmography[link]

Malayalam[link]

Tamil[link]

• 2008 Silambaattam
• 2008 Poi Solla Porom
• 2005 Anniyan
• 1996 Indian

References[link]

Nedumudi Venu to play lead role in Sathyan Anthikkad film

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nedumudi Venu

• Nedumudi Venu at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Website of Information and Public Relation Department of Kerala
• Nedumudi Venu to play lead role in Sathyan Anthikkad film