K. Ravindran (1945–2011), better known by his pen-name Chintha Ravi, was an Indian writer, journalist, film critic and film director.

Biography

Born in Kannadikkal in

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

as the son of Kunnummal Krishnan and Lakshmi, Ravindran studied at Kozhikode Malabar Christian School, Malabar Christian College, and did a journalism course at the

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is an Indian educational trust. It was founded on 7 November 1938 by K.M Munshi, with the support of Mahatma Gandhi. The trust programmes through its 119 centres in India, 7 centres abroad and 367 constituent institut ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. He soon joined

Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

's ideological journal ''Chintha'' and later became a member of the editorial board of the weekly, which earned him the pen-name Chintha Ravi. He also worked for a while with the ''

Kalakaumudi ''Kalakaumudi'' is an illustrated weekly news magazine published in Malayalam language from Kerala, India. It is printed in Thiruvananthapuram and distributed throughout Kerala by Kalakaumudi Publications Pvt. Ltd. ''Kalakaumudi'' was launche ...

'' weekly. As a writer, he is best known for his travelogues like ''Swiss Sketchukal'', ''Akalangalile Manushyar'' and ''Buddha Patham''. ''Ente Keralam'' won the

Kerala Sahitya Akademi The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam Literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and Malayalam literature, literature. It is situated in the city of Thrissur, Kerala in India. History The acad ...

Award for Best Travelogue. His ''Cinemayude Rashtreeyam'', a book on art criticism and cinema, won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 1990. He debuted as a director with the Telugu film ''Harijan''. His film '' Ore Thooval Pakshikal'' (1988), featuring music by G. Aravindan, won many accolades including the

Kerala State Film Award for Best Film The Kerala State Film Award for Best Film is an award presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to the best film in Malayalam cinema. The awards are managed directly by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the Department ...

. He also directed several documentaries including the

national award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian P ...

-winning ''Maunam Sowmanasyam'', a documentary on G. Aravindan. His films were inspired by the Neo-Gramscianist theories. He also acted a small part in

P.A. Backer P. A. Backer (1940 – 22 November 1993) was one of the new-wave Malayalam film directors of the 1970s and 1980s. Life sketch Backer was born in 1940 to Ahamed Musliar and Fathima of Kanippayyoor near Kunnamkulam in Trichur, Kingdom of Cochin ...

's ''

Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol ''Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol'' (''When the River Kabani Turned Red'') is a 1975 Malayalam feature film directed by P. A. Backer, produced by Pavithran, and starring T. V. Chandran, Shalini, Raveendran and J. Siddiqui. This leftist political dram ...

'' (1975). His visual travelogue serial entitled ''Ente Keralam'' was telecast in

Asianet Asianet may refer to: JioStar channels * JioStar, is an Indian media conglomerate wholly owned by Disney India. ** Asianet, a Malayalam language general entertainment channel ** Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertainment channel ** As ...

for many years. Ravi traveled even to the remote villages of Kerala for this programme. Chintha Ravi died on 4 July 2011, aged 65, at a private hospital in

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

. He was under treatment for lung cancer. He is survived by wife N Chandrika, daughter of writer Devaki Nilayangode, and son Thathagathan, an anthropology research scholar in the University of Texas.

Bibliography

; Travelogues * ''Akalangalile Manushyar'' * ''Digaruvile Aanakal'' * ''Swiss Sketchukal'' * ''Mediterranean Venal'' * ''Vazhikal Vyakthikal Ormakal'' * ''Budhapatham'' * ''Seethakala Yathrakal'' * ''Ente Yathrakal'' * ''Raveendrante Yathrakal'' (collection of all travelogues) ; Others * ''Athiranippookkal'' * ''Kadine Nokkumbol Ilakale Kannunnathu'' * ''Antonio Gramsci'' * ''Cinemayude Rashtreeyam'' * ''Kalavimarsam: Marxist Manadandam''

Filmography

* ''Harijan'' * ''Iniyum Marichittillatha Nammal'' (1980) * '' Ore Thooval Pakshikal'' (1988)

References

External links

*
Chintha Ravi
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Movie Database
Profile of Chintha Ravi
at Cinemaofmalayalam.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Ravi, Chintha 1945 births 2011 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in India Indian film critics Journalists from Kerala Malayalam film directors Writers from Kozhikode Indian male film actors Indian Marxist journalists Malayalam screenwriters Malayalam-language writers Kerala State Film Award winners Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Malabar Christian College alumni 20th-century Indian journalists Indian travel writers Film directors from Kozhikode 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from Kerala Malayalam film producers Film producers from Kerala