Introduction
Bijukumar Damodaran, known mononymously as Dr. Biju, is an Indian homoeopathic doctor turned film director and screenwriter. He is best known for films such as Saira (2005), Veettilekkulla Vazhi (2010), Akasathinte Niram (2012), Perariyathavar (2013), and Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (2016).
Biju has received three National Film Awards, and his films have been screened at multiple international film festivals.
Career
Biju debuted into films as writer and director with Saira (2005). It was first part of terrorism trilogy and in 2007 premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival. His second film Raman (2008) was selected at Cairo International Film Festival (2009) in the Incredible India category. Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way Home; 2010) was last film of the trilogy and earned a National Film Award for best Malayalam film in 2010.
His fourth film Akasathinte Niram (Color of Sky; 2012), was premiered at 15th Shanghai International Film Festival in the International competition section. Biju's next film, Perariyathavar (Names Unknown, 2014) received two National Film Awards in 2014 for the Best Actor and Best film on Environment conservation, and was screened at the Montreal World Film Festival (2014).
In 2015, he directed Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (Birds With Large Wings; 2015) which was premiered at United Nations, Geneva as a part of the United Nations Environment Programme, and received National Film Award (2015) for the Best film on Environment conservation. His 2016 film Kaadu Pookkunna Neram (When The Woods Bloom) was premiered at the Eurasia International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, International Film Festival of Kerala, and the Montreal World Film Festival, in 2016.
Biju has served as jury member of the International Film Festival of Kerala (2011), Fajr International Film Festival (2012), National Film Awards (2013), and the 2015 Oscar selection jury member for best foreign language film.
Filmography
| Year | Language | Original title | English title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Malayalam | Saira | Saira |
| 2008 | Malayalam | Raman | Travelogue of Invasion |
| 2010 | Malayalam | Veettilekkulla Vazhi | The Way Home |
| 2012 | Malayalam | Akasathinte Niram | Color of Sky |
| 2013 | Malayalam | Perariyathavar | Names Unknown |
| 2015 | Malayalam | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal | Birds With Large Wings |
| 2016 | Malayalam | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram | When The Woods Bloom |
| 2017 | Hindi, Tibetan | Sound of Silence | Sound of Silence |
Recognitions
International Awards
| Festival | Year | Award | Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe International film festival | 2007 | Best Actor (Nedumudi Venu) | Saira |
| 14TH Zanzibar International film festival, Tanzania | 2011 | Special jury Award for Directtion | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 14TH Zanzibar International film festival, Tanzania | 2011 | Signi award for Best Cinematography (MJ Radhakrishnan) | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 15th International film festival of Kerala | 2010 | NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 10Th Imagine India International Film Festival Madrid, Spain | 2011 | Best Director | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 10Th Imagine India International Film Festival Madrid, Spain | 2011 | Best Film | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 10Th Imagine India International Film Festival Madrid, Spain | 2011 | Best Music Director (Ramesh Narayan) | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| New York Indian film festival | 2013 | Best Screenplay (Dr.Biju) | Akasathinte Niram |
| 12Th Imagine India International Film Festival Madrid, Spain | 2013 | Best Music Director (Issac Thomas Kottukappalli) | Akasathinte Niram |
| Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran, Iran | 2015 | Crystal Zymorgh award for Best Actor (Master Govardhan) | Perariyathavar |
| Kazan International Film Festival, Russia | 2015 | Best Cinematography (MJ Radhakrishnan) | Perariyathavar |
| Jakkarta World Humanitarian award | 2015 | Humanity of film making (Dr.Biju) | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal |
| Bangalore International Film Festival | 2017 | Special Jury Award for Best Indian Cinema | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |
National Films Awards
| Year | Award | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Best Malayalam Film | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 2013 | Best Film on Environment Conservation | Perariyathavar |
| 2013 | Best Actor (Suraj Venjaramood) | Perariyathavar |
| 2015 | Best Film on Environment Conservation | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal |
| 2016 | Best Sound Design (Jayadevan Chakkadath) | Kaadu Pookkunna neram |
Indian Panorama Selections
| Year | Film | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Saira | |
| 2012 | Akasathinte Niram | |
| 2015 | Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal | Nominated for UNESCO Competition |
| 2016 | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |
Kerala State Film Awards
| Year | Award | Film/Artcle |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Best Actress (Navya Nayar) | Saira |
| 2005 | Best Music Director (Ramesh Narayan) | Saira |
| 2010 | Best cinematography (MJ Radhakrishnan) | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 2010 | Best Processing Lab | Veettilekkulla Vazhi |
| 2010 | Best Article on Cinema (Dr.Biju) | Kollaruthu Samvidhayakare |
| 2011 | Best cinematography (MJ Radhakrishnan) | Akasathinte Niram |
| 2011 | Best Processing Lab | Akasathinte Niram |
| 2011 | Special Jury Award for Direction | Akasathinte Niram |
| 2016 | Best Cinematographer (MJ Radhakrishnan) | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |
| 2016 | Best Colorist (Henroy Mesiah, Vista VFX) | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |
| 2016 | Best Location Sync Sound (Jayadevan Chakkadath) | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |
| 2016 | Best Sound Design(Jayadevan Chakkadath) | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |
| 2016 | Best Sound Mixing(Pramod Thomas) | Kaadu Pookkunna Neram |