Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is an Indian poet, lawyer and film producer. He is best known for directing the film ‘Sexy Durga’ in 2017 which gained international recognition.
Wiki/Biography
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan was born on Friday, 8 April 1977.age 45 years; by 2022) at Perumakadvila village, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His zodiac sign is Aries. He attended three schools, Perumakadvila LPBS, Thiruvananthapuram, Government HSS Marayamuttam High School, Thiruvananthapuram and Christian College, Kattakada. He did his Bachelor of Science in Zoology from VTMNSS Dhanuvachapuram, Kerala and a Bachelor of Laws from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Color: black
Eye Colour: black
family
parents and siblings
Sanal’s father’s name is Sasidharan and mother’s name is Sarojam. She has a sister.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his father
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his mother
An old picture of Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his family
wife and children
Sanal married Sreeja Sushila, who is a lawyer. He has two sons. They have a son named Kailashpati Sanal.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his wife and children
religious point of view
He considers himself an atheist.
Know
He lives at Melathil, MRA-35, Planchery Lane, Punnapuram, Vallakadavu, Thiruvananthapuram-695008.
career
Sanal made her debut in films in 2000 as an art assistant in the Malayalam film Manakolangal. He directed other short films including Parole (2008), Frog (2012), Ozhivudivasthe Kali (2015), Chola (2019), and Vazhakku (2021). ,
Poster of movie ‘Chola’
dispute
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan attracted controversy on 6 May 2022 when actress Manju Warrier filed an FIR against him for blackmailing him and defaming his reputation through social media. Following his complaint, police arrested Sanal from Parasala in Thiruvananthapuram. When the police were arresting him, he went live on Facebook and told his fans that the police were trying to kidnap and kill him.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- He won the Hivos Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2017.
- He won the Golden Apricot Award at the Yerevan International Film Festival in 2017.
- In 2017, he won the Best International Feature award at the Guanajuato International Film Festival in Mexico.
- He won the Disruptor Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in 2021.
- He won the Jury Mention for Direction at the Valencia International Film Festival Cinema Jove in 2017.
- He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film at the 2015 Kerala State Film Awards.
- He won the Best Director award at the 2014 Kerala State Film Awards.
- He won the Special Jury Award at the John Abraham Awards 2014.
- He won the Special Jury Mention at the Aravindan Award 2014.
- He won the Mohan Raghavan Award for Best Director in 2014.
- In 2021, he received the IFFM Disruptor Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
Facts / Trivia
- Sanal follows a non-vegetarian diet.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Instagram post about his eating habits
- His hobbies include traveling and photography.
- As a child, he followed Hinduism. He used to recite all the verses of Sunderkand of Ramayana.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan as a child
- He took admission in zoology because his father wanted him to become a doctor. After completing his graduation, he told his father about his interest in filmmaking, but his father refused and so he took up law.
When Sanal Kumar Sasidharan was studying law
- He was associated with politics while studying in Law College. He was the unit secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organization affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party. In his final year of graduation, he left the party and started criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his friends during his college days
- In 2001, he formed a film society, Kajhacha Chalachitra Vedi, for crowdfunding. He has directed three short films and one feature film through crowdfunding.
- In an interview, he talked about the time when he started his career as a filmmaker. He said,
I didn’t know how to make a film and find a producer. I was eagerly watching such film society movements, the Odessa film movement. I read books about John Abraham, his parallel approach to filmmaking, and his philosophy of “people’s cinema”. But I was practically not following all this. Then I tried to make a film on my own and approached a lot of people, but no one was ready to produce it.”
- In 2017, her film Sexy Durga became the first Indian film to win the Hivos Tiger Award at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam.
- In an interview, he said that he writes fifteen to twenty pages of scripts for his actors. He further added,
One space gives a lot of inputs. My scripts are usually only 10-15 pages long. The script of Ahar Kayattam itself does not exceed 25 pages. Therefore, there is a lot of room for the contribution of the venue and the artists. It is basically because I am a person who likes to watch cinema on a spiritual level. This is something that I have learned from experience. I have always felt that cinema gives you more energy than it gives you. My style is to watch and record it. ,
- In 2016, he made a tweet about the badminton player PV Sindhu After winning her second silver medal in Olympics 2016. His tweet in Malayalam was condemned by many. He wrote, ‘Now everyone is celebrating Sindhu’s achievement. What if I spit on it? What is there to celebrate more in this?’
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s post about PV Sindhu
- In 2017, her film Sexy Durga was renamed as S Durga by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The organization claimed that the name of the film was inappropriate. Sanal filed a writ petition against the organization before the Kerala High Court. He talked about this in an interview and said,
This is how right-wing politics works. They don’t even have to see a work of art to ban it. Prejudice is part of their politics. This is the kind of judgment they always hold against the other. You can be beaten or killed just for growing a beard, no matter who or what you do. They don’t even bother to ask before attacking you. This is quintessential fascism, isn’t it?”
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan opposes renaming of his film ‘Sexy Durga’
- In an interview, he revealed that the film ‘Kayattam’ (2020) was shot on an iPhone in the Himalayas.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is shooting for the film ‘Kayattam’ on his phone
- In 2019, he dropped his film, ‘Chola’ from the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) because he felt that the program was biased. In an interview, he talked about removing his film and said,
Chola has been invited to the Kaleidoscope segment at the 24th IFFK. I am very humbled by the invitation, but I have sent a mail saying that I am withdrawing the film from the festival protesting the highly biased and unprofessional method of selection process in the Malayalam Cinema Today section. I believe that it would be a huge irresponsibility on my part to participate in this festival which is openly biased and outdated in its selection process.
- He is often featured in various newspapers.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan published in a newspaper
- They are often seen enjoying alcoholic beverages on various occasions.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s post about drinking habits
- He is an avid dog lover and often posts their pictures on social media.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his pet dog