Years active 1963–2008 Name P. Menon | Role Film director Died September 9, 2008, Kochi | |
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Born 1928 Vadakkaanchery, Kingdom of Cochin Occupation Director
Art Director
Promotional Poster Designer Spouse Bharathi Menon (m. ?–2008) Awards Kerala State Film Award for Best Film Movies Chembarathi, Olavum Theeravum, Kuttyedathi, Panimudakku, Chayam Similar People Balan K Nair, Vayalar Ramavarma, Sankaradi, Bharath Gopi, Madhu | ||
P. N. Menon (1928 – 9 September 2008) was an Indian film director and art director in Malayalam cinema. He is also famous as the Designer of Promotional Posters.
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Early life
Born in a poor family in Vadakkaanchery, Kerala, he completed his studies at Thrissur and from School of Art in Chennai. He came to Chennai when he was only 20 years old. He couldn't find any job in Chennai, so travelled to Salem and become a production boy in a Studio. But, after two-and-a-half years, the studio was shut down and went back to Chennai. He got back to sketches, then painting, then doing magazine covers. One of his designing assignments was for one of Producer B. Nagi Reddy's magazines. The production house was so impressed with his talent that when they bought Vahini Studio in 1951, Nagi Reddy's son appointed him as a paid apprentice in the painting department.
He got a job as an art director in an English play produced by the daughter of the then Andhra Chief Minister. They had three performances in Delhi, one for the then Vice president Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, another for Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the third for Army Chief Field Marshal K M Cariappa. Ninamaninja Kalpadukal was his first movie Malayalam movie as the art director and his debut in the field of film direction in the 60s with the film Rosie (1965).
Career
P N Menon's Olavum Theeravum based on M. T. Vasudevan Nair's script and released in 1970. It won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film. Menon's boldest film is Kuttiyedathi (Eldest Sister), again based on a short story by M. T. Vasudevan Nair.
Perhaps his most successful commercial film was Chembarathi (Hibiscus) which was based on a script by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan and starred newcomers like Raghavan, Sudhir and Roja Ramani (Sobhana) along with veteran actors like Madhu and Rani Chandra. Another script of Malayattoor Ramakrishnan named Gayathri which was directed by him was awarded the President's Special Film Award Medal for National Integration. Menon's film Malamukalile Daivam, has won National Award too.
After a long period of absence lasting more than a decade, he directed a film, Nerkkuneraey ("Face to Face"), in (2004).
Poster Designer
P N Menon made a name as a versatile Poster Designer as well. He artistic posters always helped the film to gain attention of cinegoers. He has also done posters even for Bollywood films like Anokha Rishta starring Rajesh Khanna. Some of the Malayalam films he had designed posters are Oomakkuyil, Kakkothikkavile Appooppan Thaadikal, Itha Innu Muthal, Poomadhathe Pennu, Aavanazhi, Amrutham Gamaya and Manivathoorile Aayiram Sivarathrikal.
Personal life
His wife's name was Bharathi Menon and they had two daughters. He died on 9 September 2008, at a private hospital in Kochi.