K. M. Chaitanya

K.M. Chaitanya (Kannada: ಚೈತನ್ಯ) is a film director, documentary maker and theater person. His first feature film Aa dinagalu in Kannada, won several awards including the Filmfare Awards South for Best Director and Best Feature Film in 2007. Chaitanya also won awards for Best Debutant Director by the South Indian Cinematographers' Association, Chennai Film Fans Association and Raghavendra Chitravani Award. Aa Dinagalu was listed by The Week among the top 10 Indian films of 2007. Chaitanya studied Journalism at Christ College.^[1][2]

Career

Films

Chaitanya directed “Suryakaanti”, a feature film in Kannada language, in 2010. The film was the first from South India to be shot in Uzbekistan. An action packed romance drama, the film’s music was scored by legendary composer Ilaiyaraja. Cinematography was by H C Venugopal. It stars Chetan, Regina, Tamil actor Nasser, Marathi actor Ganesh Yadav and Ramakrishna among others.

Documentaries

Chaitanya has also directed several documentaries. He was the director for the series "Back To the Floor" that was telecast on BBC World Service television. He also directed documentaries as part of the BBC series Business Bizarre. He also directed a Kannada documentary titled "Nadedu Banda Daari" on the life and work of his mentor Girish Karnad.

Television

Chaitanya has also produced and directed serials for television. These include Kichchu in ETV Kannada which brought about issues of rural woman and their turbulent lives.^[3] The serial had National award winning actor Umashree in the lead role. He has also produced "Mugilu" (Clouds) and written and produced the historical series "Ondaanondu Kaaladalli" for ETV, Kannada.

Chaitanya has directed a mini series for television based on "Kusumabaale" - the award winning novel by dalit activist and Padmashree award winning writer Devanooru Mahadeva. He then adapted yet another novel into a tele series. It was based on "Om Namo" written by renowned Kannada writer Shantinath Desai. Both the mini series were produced by Girish Karnad.

Stage Shows

Chaitanya has directed several dramas for the stage. Prominent among them are Mahesh Elkunchwar's play Vasamshi Jeernani produced by Drishti theatre group, translated by Girish Karnad. He has also directed Jnanpith award winning writer Chandrashekar Kambar's play "Sambashiva Prahasana", P. Lankesh's "Sankranthi", Prasanna's "Dangeya Munchina Dinagalu" and Edward Albee's "Zoo Story".

He has Directed Girish Karnad's Kannada play Odakalu bimba along with the playwright. Featuring Padmadshri and National award winning actress, Arundati Nag, the play was also staged in Hindi by Girish Karnad and Chaitanya as "Bikhare Bimb" and in English as "A heap of broken images" (Featuring Arundathi Raja). Bikhare Bimb won the Mahindra Excellence in Theater Award (National Award).

Chaitanya has worked as the Bangalore correspondent for a technology show on CNN, titled CNN dotcom.

He has worked as Associate director to Girish Karnad for the National award winning film "Kaanooru Heggadathi". He got Kanfida award for Best Associate Director.

Filmography

Footnotes