JAYARAJ

JAYARAJ – Film Director

Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair, often credited as Jayaraj, was born on 4 August 1960 to a middle-class family in Kottayam, Kerala, India. He completed his Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication. During his stay at Thiruvananthapuram, he attended film festivals including the International Film Festival of Kerala and watched many world classics. Kurosawa's Rashomon and DeSica's Bicycle Thieves were among them, and they influenced him immensesly. After his studies in Thiruvananthapuram, he met noted director Bharathan who was a neighbor of his sister in Madras, Tamil Nadu. Bharathan was impressed by Jayaraj and made him his assistant director for Chilambu(1986). Jayaraj then went on to be the assistant to Bharathan in six more films including the critically acclaimed Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam (1987) and Vaishali (1988). Jayaraj debuted as director with Vidyarambham (1988). His early career mainly produced commercially oriented films like Aakasha Kottayile Sultan (1991), Johnnie Walker (1992), High Way (1995), Thumboli Kadappuram (1995) and Arabia (1995).

Notable in his early career were Kudumbasametham (1992), Paithrukam (1993) and Sopanam (1993). Paithrukam was critically acclaimed but was subject to criticism for its conservative, religious philosophy. Desadanam (1997) was a milestone in his career. With the film, he was considered a serious film-maker by the critics. It was followed by another critically acclaimed film, Kaliyattam (1997) which was an adaptation of Shakespere's Othello. It won him the National Film Award for Best Direction.

In 1999 Jayaraj started his nine-film series project Navarasa with Karunam, followed by Shantham(2000). Shantham won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. The third in the Navarasa series was Bheebhatsa, a Hindi film. A fourth film in the series, Adbutham, is planned and Jayaraj has set his aim to complete the shooting in less than 2 hours 14 minutes with single camera at a time. 

Of late he has been doing commercial and art films and is successful in both genres. While Thilakkam (2003) and 4 The People (2004) were huge commercial successes Kannaki (2002), Makalkku (2005) and Daivanamathil (2005) were critically acclaimed. A sequel to 4 the People came in 2005: By the People which was a flop. Despite that, Jayaraj continued the sequel the trilogy titled Of The People, as of December 2007.

 He is known for his films like Vidyarambham (1990), Johnnie Walker (1992), Kudumbasametham (1992), Paithrukam (1993), Highway (1995), Desadanam (1996), Kaliyattam (1997), Karunam (2000), Shantham (2000), Kannaki (2002), 4 the People (2004), Daivanamathil (2005), Makalkku (2005), Adbhutam (2006), Gulmohar (2008), Loudspeaker (2009) and Pakarnnattam (2012).

Jayaraj's wife Sabitha Jayaraj is a state award-winning costume designer and an actress.

His movies include:

Camel Safari	2013
Pakarnnattam	2012
Naayika	2011
The Train	2011
Loudspeaker	2009
Gulmohar	2008
Vellapokkathil	2008
Of The People	2008
Sila Nerangalil (Tamil)	2008
Anandabhairavi	2007
Aanachandam	2006
Adbhutam	2006
Aswaroodan	2006
Daivanamathil	2005
By the People	2005
Makalkku	2005
Yuva Sena (Telugu)	2005
Rain Rain Come Again	2004
4 the People	2004
Thilakkam	2003
Kannaki	2002
Bhibatsa (Hindi)	2002
Millennium Stars	2000
Karunam	2000
Shantham	2000
Sneham	1998
Thalolam	1998
Kaliyattam	1997
Desadanam	1997
Arabia	1995
High Way	1995
Thumboli Kadappuram	1995
Paithrukam	1993
Sopanam	1993
Johnnie Walker	1992
Kudumbasametham	1992
Aakashakottayile Sultan	1991
Vidyarambham	1990