I. V. Sasi
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Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1948 – 24 October 2017), known professionally as I. V. Sasi, was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. Before becoming a director, he had debuted as a cinematographer in the 1971 Malayalam film Prathidhwani.
In 2015, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, the highest award in Malayalam cinema. Often described as a pathbreaker, Sasi made his mark during Malayalam cinema's transformative period from the 1970s to 1990s.
Early and personal life
Sasi was born on 28 March 1948 in West Hill near Kozhikode, as the son of I. V. Chandran and Kausalya. He married Malayalam film actress Seema on 28 August 1980. They met on the set of his film Avalude Ravukal (1978) and she remained his favorite heroine. They worked together in over 30 movies. They have two children, daughter Anu and son Ani. Anu has acted in Symphony, directed by her father. Anu married Milan Nair on 10 December 2010. Ani is a Telugu film director.
Career
Sasi has directed Malayalam movies in many genres. His war-themed movie 1921, written by screenwriter T. Damodaran, was the first Malayalam movie to be nominated in the Italian Film Festival. His Ina was the first Malayalam film about child marriage. In 1982, he shared The National film Awards' The Nargis Dutt award for the Best Feature Film on National Integration for his film Aaroodam with its producer Rosamma George. Ezhamkadalinakkare is the first Malayalam film to shoot in North America, with Manhattan being one of its locations. The song Suralokajaladhaara was filmed near in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
At the time of his death, he was working on pre-production of Burning Wells, a film based on the Kuwait war, which he was to co-direct with Sohan Roy.
Death
Sasi died at his home in Saligramam, Chennai on 24 October 2017 at the age of 69 at 10:30 am, following a heart attack.
Filmmaking
Known for technical command and handling massive crowds in complex sequences, I.V. Sasi is considered as the director who introduced larger canvases and vibrant narrative terrains in Malayalam cinema that were populated by the rustic and the ordinary and not by ideal and romantic. Most of his works were blended with artistic elements and commercial values. His stories were said to have charged with sensuality and a visual feel. Some of these were mostly set in an atmosphere with strong female presences. The characters in his films came from all kinds of backgrounds and some of these represented the emerging demands and desires of Kerala's civil society.
Awards
- 1982: Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration – Aaroodam
- 1976: Best Art Director – Anubhavam
- 1984: Second Best Film – Aalkkoottathil Thaniye
- 1988: Best Popular Film – 1921
- 1989: Best Director – Mrigaya
- 2014: J. C. Daniel Award
- 1977: Best Director – Malayalam – Itha Ivide Vare
- 1978: Best Director – Malayalam – Eetta
- 2015: Lifetime Achievement Award
Filmography
Malayalam
Tamil
- Allauddinum Arputha Vilakkum (1979)
- Pagalil Oru Iravu (1979)
- Ore Vaanam Ore Bhoomi (1979)
- Guru (1980)
- Kaali (1980)
- Illam (1987)
- Kolangal (1995)
Hindi
- Patita (1980)
- Karishmaa (1984)
- Anokha Rishta (1986)