John Abraham (11 August 1937 – 31 May 1987) was an Indian filmmaker,
short story writer and screenwriter who worked mainly in
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
. His film ''
Amma Ariyan'' (1986) was the only South Indian feature film to make the list of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time by
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, ...
. ''Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' was listed among the "100 Greatest Indian Films" of all time by
IBN Live's 2013 poll.
Early life
John Abraham was born in
Chennamkary,
Kuttanadu in 1937. He is from the Vazhakkat branch,
Chennamkary of the Pattamukkil Family.
[ He completed his intermediate studies in CMS College Kottayam staying with his grandfather, who nurtured John's talent in his early days. After completing his degree in (history and politics) from Marthoma College, ]Thiruvalla
Thiruvalla, () also spelled Tiruvalla, is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipality in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of and has a population of 52,883 people, down from 56,837 in 2001. It is also the H ...
, he worked as a private college teacher and latter he joined as an office assistant
The Office Assistant is a discontinued intelligent user interface for Microsoft Office that assisted users by way of an interactive animated character which user interface, interfaced with the Office help content. It was included in Microsoft Off ...
with Life Insurance Corporation of India
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, public sector life insurance company headquartered in Mumbai. It is India's largest insurance company as well as the largest institutional investor ...
in Udupi
Udupi () also known as 'Odipu' () is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka an ...
, Karnataka. After that he joined the FTII, Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
and there he met film-makers such as Ritwik Ghatak
Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor and playwright. Widely considered as one of the greatest film makers of all time, his works remained largely underrated and ignored during hi ...
and Mani Kaul. John graduated out of the FTII with gold medals in screenwriting and film direction. He entered the film industry working as an assistant director
The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
to Mani Kaul for the film ''Uski Roti
''Uski Roti'' (English titles: ''Other's bread'', ''His/her bread'', ''A Day's Bread'') is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mani Kaul. It was Kaul's first feature film, based on a short story of the same name by Mohan Rakesh, who also wrote the di ...
'' (1969, Hindi). He has worked for some Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
projects that was shot in Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, but none were released. John's first attempt in direction came in 1967 named '' Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile''. It was the Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
film '' Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' (1977) that gave John recognition.
Career
John entered the film industry working as an assistant director
The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
to Mani Kaul for the film ''Uski Roti
''Uski Roti'' (English titles: ''Other's bread'', ''His/her bread'', ''A Day's Bread'') is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mani Kaul. It was Kaul's first feature film, based on a short story of the same name by Mohan Rakesh, who also wrote the di ...
'' (1969, Hindi). He has worked for some Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
projects that was shot in Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, but none were released. John's first attempt in direction came in 1967 named '' Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile''. It was the Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
film '' Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' (1977) that gave John recognition.
He completed only four films, namely '' Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile'' (1972), '' Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' (1977, Tamil), '' Cheriachante Krurakrithyangal'' (1979, Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
) and '' Amma Ariyan'' (1986, Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
).
Odessa Collective
Under John, the ''Odessa Collective'' came into existence in 1984 with a street drama in Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi ( , ; Cochin Portuguese: ''Cochim de Baixo'', , Tamil: ''Koçhé Kōtàì''), formerly also known as Fort Cochin or British Cochin or Old Kochi, is a region of Kochi city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the For ...
named ''Nayykali'' (The game of dogs). ''Odessa'' was an attempt by a group of movie enthusiasts to change the history of film production and distribution by making it a collaborative effort with the public and thus act as an empowering and liberating medium. For the financing of the first film produced by Odessa, John and his friends travelled through villages and collected money from the general public. Odessa also collected funds for the film by screening Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
's '' The Kid''. The film, '' Amma Ariyan'' (Report to mother) (1986) was exhibited across the state of Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
on a non-commercial basis, an initiative kept alive, after John's death, by his colleague and co-founder of Odessa Collective, Odessa Sathyan.
He started shooting a documentary based on the life of E.M.S. Namboodiripad, but never completed it.
The media called him ''Ottayan'' (The Lone Tusker).
He has left behind a number of complete and incomplete scripts. A collection of his stories had been published under the title Nerchakkozhi. Another collection of his stories has been published posthumously under the title ''John Abrahaminte Kathakal'' by Pakshikkottam Books, Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
in 1993.
Death
On 30 May 1987 John was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College hospital following his fall from a house top after a party. He was not identified by the hospital authorities, and allegedly not given due attention and medical care, which caused his condition to deteriorate, leading to his death on 31 May. Following the allegations of medical negligence, a departmental inquiry was conducted into the incident. 26 years after John's death, social activist B. Ekbal who was a surgeon at the Kozhikode Medical College when John was admitted for treatment, revealed that the director could have been saved if his identity was known to the doctors at the time of admission. He said the doctors at the casualty did not know John and mistook him for a film representative when he said that he was a filmmaker. In a Facebook post, Ekbal said the doctors failed to diagnose internal bleeding suffered by John and to check his blood pressure which could have prevented him from slipping into a shock through a timely surgery.
Filmography
;Documentaries
* 1967: ''Koyna Nagar'' – Director (in English) – Unreleased
* 1969: ''Priya'' – Director (in Hindi) – (John's Diploma film at FTII, Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
)
* 1969: ''Hides and Strings'' – Director (in English)
;Feature films
* 1972: '' Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile'' (''This Way, Students'') – Director (in Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
)
** Screenplay: M Azad — Cast: Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/médʰu, ''*médʰu'', whenc ...
, Adoor Bhasi
K. Bhaskaran Nair (1 March 1929 – 29 March 1990), professionally credited by his stage name Adoor Bhasi, was an Indian actor and film director. He was mostly cast as a sidekick to protagonists, particularly Prem Nazir. His comedic roles were w ...
, Manorama, S. V. Ranga Rao, Jayabharathi
Jayabharathi (born 28 June 1954 as Lekshmi Bharathi) is an Indian actress and two-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award, Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress and National Film Award – Special Mention (feature film), Nationa ...
, S. P. Pillai – Cinematography: Ramachandra Babu
K. Ramachandra Babu (15 December 1947 – 21 December 2019) was an Indian cinematographer of over 125 films, out of which most are Malayalam films. He also worked for films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Arabic and English languages. He served as ...
– Music: M. B. Sreenivasan
Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan (19 September 1925 – 9 March 1988), or MBS, was a South Indian music director who worked mainly in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
He was born to an orthodox Tamil Brahmin family on 19 Sept ...
* 1977: '' Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' (''Donkey in the Elite Colony'') – Director and screenwriter (in Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
)
** Screenplay: Venkat Saminathan – Cast: M. B. Sreenivasan
Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan (19 September 1925 – 9 March 1988), or MBS, was a South Indian music director who worked mainly in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
He was born to an orthodox Tamil Brahmin family on 19 Sept ...
, , Swathi, Savitri, Raman Veeraraghavan – Cinematography: Ramachandra Babu
K. Ramachandra Babu (15 December 1947 – 21 December 2019) was an Indian cinematographer of over 125 films, out of which most are Malayalam films. He also worked for films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Arabic and English languages. He served as ...
– Art Director: Jeevan Thomas — Music: M. B. Sreenivasan
Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan (19 September 1925 – 9 March 1988), or MBS, was a South Indian music director who worked mainly in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.
He was born to an orthodox Tamil Brahmin family on 19 Sept ...
* 1979: '' Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal'' (''Cruelties of Cheriyachan'') – Director and screenwriter (in Malayalam)
** Cast: Adoor Bhasi
K. Bhaskaran Nair (1 March 1929 – 29 March 1990), professionally credited by his stage name Adoor Bhasi, was an Indian actor and film director. He was mostly cast as a sidekick to protagonists, particularly Prem Nazir. His comedic roles were w ...
, Kaviyoor Ponnamma
Kaviyoor Ponnamma (10 September 1945 – 20 September 2024) was an Indian actress who appeared in Malayalam films and television. She began her career performing in theatre dramas before foraying into cinema. She also acted in TV serials and c ...
, Poornima Jayaram, Abraham Joseph, Venu
The ''venu'' (Sanskrit: ; /मुरळि; ''muraļi'') is one of the ancient transverse flutes of Indian classical music. It is an aerophone typically made from bamboo, that is a side blown wind instrument. It continues to be in use in the ...
– Cinematography: Madhu Ambat – Music: Johnson
Johnson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Johnson (surname), a common surname in English
* Johnson (given name), a list of people
* List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters
*Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...
* 1986: '' Amma Ariyan'' (''Report to Mother'') – Director and screenwriter (in Malayalam)
** Cast: Joy Mathew, Maji Venkitesh, Nilambur Balan
Nilambur Balan was an Indian actor in Malayalam movies. He was one of the prominent supporting actor in late 1960s and 1970s in Malayalam movies. He has acted in more than 50 movies.
Biography
He was born in Vatakara. He was a theater artist ...
, Harinarayanan, Sara Thomas – Cinematography: Venu
The ''venu'' (Sanskrit: ; /मुरळि; ''muraļi'') is one of the ancient transverse flutes of Indian classical music. It is an aerophone typically made from bamboo, that is a side blown wind instrument. It continues to be in use in the ...
– Music: Sunitha
Books
* ''Nerchakkozhi'' (1986)
* ''John Abrahaminte Kathakal'' (1993)
Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
:
* 1977 – Best Feature Film in Tamil – '' Agraharathil Kazhuthai''
* 1986 – Special Jury Award – '' Amma Ariyan''
Kerala State Film Awards:
* 1979 – Special Jury Award – '' Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal''
Legacy
According to one reviewer, John Abraham has influenced an entire generation of filmmakers to think and create content beyond the ordinary. He's one of the founding fathers of Independent Cinema in Malayalam.
John Abraham Award
The Federation of Film Societies of India – Kerala instituted the John Abraham Award for Best Malayalam Film in 1998. The John Abraham National Awards for Documentary and Short Features are awarded since 2005 for the best documentary and short feature screened in the SIGNS, festival organised by Federation of Film Societies of India – Kerala.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
Profile
at Cinemaofmalayalam
at Weblokam
*
John Abraham: New Indian Cinema's most creative representative
Yours Truly John – Trailer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abraham
Abraham, John
Abraham, John
Abraham, John
Indian male screenwriters
Malayali people
Malayalam film directors
Malayalam-language writers
Malayalam screenwriters
Malayalam short story writers
Film and Television Institute of India alumni
Kerala State Film Award winners
Accidental deaths from falls
Screenwriters from Kerala
20th-century Indian novelists
Indian male novelists
People from Alappuzha district
20th-century Indian short story writers
Indian male short story writers
20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
Novelists from Kerala
Writers from Kozhikode
20th-century Indian male writers
Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners
Filmmaking pioneers
20th-century Indian screenwriters