T. G. Vinayakumar, professionally credited as Vinayan, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and lyricist, who works predominantly 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 ...
and occasionally 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 ...
cinema. He has directed 40
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 ...
films and 4
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 ...
films.
Career
Vinayan started his career with the film ''Super Star'', and he has directed the following films like ''
Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum'', ''Akasha ganga 2,
Karumadikkuttan'', ''
Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan'', ''
Dada Sahib'', ''
Vellinakshatram'', ''
Aakasha Ganga'', ''
Rakshasa Rajavu'', ''
Kalyana Sougandhikam'', ''
Kasi'' (Tamil), Enn mana vaanil, Independence, Sathyam, Albhuthadweep, Athishayan, Dracula and ''Sipayi Lahala''. The genres of his films include comedy, horror, action, fantasy and family drama.
Vinayan also introduced a handful of actors and singers in the
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 ...
film industry.
Jayasurya
Jayasurya (born 31 August 1978) is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, and impressionist who works in Malayalam films. He has appeared in more than 100 films and has won several awards, including a National Film Awards, National Fi ...
,
Indrajith Sukumaran
Indrajith Sukumaran (born 17 December 1979) is an Indian actor and playback singer. He predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Indrajith was born to the actors Sukumaran and Mallika Sukumaran and is the elder brother of actor Prithviraj Sukum ...
,
Anoop Menon,
Honey Rose,
Priyamani,
Manikkuttan,
Suresh Krishna,
Meghana Raj,
Lakshmi Menon,
Sithara (singer), Sudeep kumar (singer) etc. are some of the actors and singers Vinayan has introduced 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 ...
.
In 2005, Vinayan wrote and directed the film ''
Albhuthadweep'' (Wonder Island) which cast around 300 dwarfs for the first time in a film. The two-foot-high hero of the film,
Ajayan, was written in the
Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
and Vinayan himself was listed in India's
Limca Book of Records. The film garnered the FilmFare and the Cinema Express awards, and was successfully remade in 2007 in the Tamil language by Vinayan himself.
Vinayan has also remade a few of his films into
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 ...
. He is also a
script writer and
lyricist
A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income derives ...
. He directed a Malayalam television serial ''Iniyonnu Visramikkatte'' before making movies.
Vinayan was the first general secretary of MACTA Federation, which was the first trade union in Malayalam cinema for workers and technicians. He has also launched a co-operative society (with the assistance of the Government of Kerala) for the benefit of film workers. Vinayan is also the Advisory Member of the Cine Workers Welfare Board, sponsored by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
.
MACTA , Film Institute , Cooperative Registrar , Vinayan , Co Operative Sector – Oneindia Entertainment
/ref>
In 2008, when actor Dileep violated an agreement and was called out by the MACTA Federation, the actors’ association—backed by superstars and supported by producers and directors—retaliated by splitting the federation and banning its general secretary, Vinayan, for daring to challenge their nexus. Challenging the ban, Vinayan took the matter to the Supreme Court, which in 2020 ruled in his favor—lifting the ban and imposing fines on the president of the actors’ association, Innocent, as well as key FEFKA leaders like Sibi Malayil and B. Unnikrishnan. It was after these events that Vinayan went on to direct Pathonpathaam Noottandu, a big-budget historical film that sparked widespread discussion in Kerala and emerged as a box office success.
Filmography
As screenwriter and director
Television serials
*''Iniyonnu Visramikkatte'' (Doordarshan
Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...
)
As producer
*'' Aakasha Ganga'' (1999)
*'' Raghuvinte Swantham Rasiya'' (2011)
*'' Dracula 2012'' (2013)
*'' Little Superman'' (2014)
As lyricist
* ''Karumadikuttan'' (2001)
* ''Rakshasarajavu'' (2001)
*'' Boyy Friennd'' (2001)
*'' Kaattuchembakam'' (2002)
* ''Omappenninu Uriyadapayyan'' (2002)
* ''Sathyam'' (2004)
* ''Albhuthadweep'' (2005)
*'' Athisayan'' (2007)
*'' Yakshiyum Njanum'' (2010)
*'' Dracula 3D'' (2013)
As actor
* '' Alilakkuruvikal'' (''1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
'')
*'' Meenamasathile Sooryan'' (1986) - Madhavan
Awards
References
External links
*
{{Filmfare Award Best Malayalam Director
20th-century Indian people
Tamil film directors
Malayalam film directors
Living people
Filmfare Awards South winners
21st-century Indian people
Film directors from Alappuzha district
Year of birth missing (living people)