C. S. Venkiteswaran

Career

He has written about the social aspects of cinema and their artistic expression. His writings and reviews on film and media, in both English and Malayalam, have appeared in journals including Deep Focus, Film International, Cinema in India, Bhashaposhini, Pachakuthira, Indian Express, The Hindu, Mathrubhumi, and Madhyamam. He wrote the column "Rumblestrip" (1999–2008) in Indian Express, which covered films and media in Kerala.

He authored a book on filmmaker K. R. Mohanan titled Samanthara Yathrakal – K R Mohanante Cinema and co-edited A Door to Adoor, a book on Adoor Gopalakrishnan, with Lalit Mohan Joshi. Three books containing Venkiteswaran's articles on trends and developments in Malayalam cinema were published by DC Books at the DC International Book Fair and Cultural Fest in 2011. The book Malayala Cinema Padanangal won a Special Jury Mention in the State film awards for the year 2011. He has interviewed film personalities including Adoor Gopalakrishnan, T.V. Chandran, Werner Herzog and Jean-Luc Godard.

He is a documentary filmmaker and won the National Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film in 1995 along with M.R. Rajan for Pakarnattam – Ammannur, The Actor, the lyrical cinematic documentation of the life of Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, the exponent of the ancient classical Sanskrit theatrical artform of Koodiyattam. This film won the Kerala State Award for the Best Documentary category in the same year. His article "Tea-shops In Mayalam Cinema" was included in the revamped Kerala SCERT Class X English textbook in 2011.

He is the Artistic Director of the Signs film festival for short films and documentaries. He was a jury member for best writing on cinema at the 60th National Film Awards. In July 2018, he resigned from the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy as a gesture of protest against the state government's decision to invite Mohanlal as the chief guest for the event.

Venkiteswaran is also a subtitler, done subtitles for around 150 films.

Awards

• 2023: Kerala State Film Awards – Best Book on Cinema.
• 2011: Kerala State Film Awards. - Special Jury Award for Best Book on Cinema
• 2009: National Film Awards - Best Film Critic
• 2005: Kerala State Film Award for Best Article on Cinema
• 1995: National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film - Pakarnnattam – Ammannur the actor, shared with M.R. Rajan
• 1995: Kerala State Film Award for Best Documentary – Pakarnnattam – Ammannur the actor, shared with M.R. Rajan

Bibliography

• Malayala Cinema Padanangal , DC Books, 2011

Filmography

• Matha to Ma (2002) - Documentary on Mandakini Narayanan.

References

References

1. [http://gift.res.in/people/cs-venkiteswaran-/profile.html "Profile - Faculty, GIFT"] {{webarchive. link. (21 April 2016)
2. """Is Another Cinema Possible?" - Talk by Dr. C.S Venkiteswaran"".
3. [http://gift.res.in/departments/accounting-and-management/people.html "Faculty - Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation"] {{webarchive. link. (21 April 2016)
4. (17 September 2010). "National award for film critic – 2009". [[The Hindu]].
5. "NATIONAL AWARDS 1995 WINNERS". [[The Times of India]].
6. ""Adoor: the man and the auteur"".
7. [http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/article2052445.ece?css=print "Quest for ‘the pest'"]
8. ""Critical acclaim"".
9. ""A Door to Adoor"".
10. [http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2605409.ece "After laurels, the works of a critic"]
11. (2 March 2021). "Jean-Luc Godard in conversation with C S Venkiteswaran {{!}} 25th IFFK".
12. [http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/adoor_df1.html "interview: adoor gopalakrishnan"] {{webarchive. link. (5 April 2012)
13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110616135338/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2011/06/10/stories/2011061051030100.htm "Encounters with the living dead"]
14. [http://www.keralafilm.com/sfa95.htm "STATE FILM AWARDS-1995"] {{webarchive. link. (13 July 2011)
15. "Comprehensive revamp of Class X textbooks".
16. "SCERT – Class X textbook Part 1".
17. [http://www.signsfestival.com/contact.html "Signs Festival-Contact"]
18. [http://dff.nic.in/National%20Film%20Award%20(NFA)%20Booklet.pdf "Official Catalogue of 60th National Film Awards"]
19. [https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2018/aug/01/c-s-venkiteswaran-resigns-from-chalachitra-academy-1851375.html "C S Venkiteswaran resigns from Chalachitra Academy"]
20. [https://www.madhyamam.com/movies/movies-news/movie-news-others/film-critic-cs-venkiteswaran-explain-his-resignation-movies "മോഹൻലാലിന് എതിരല്ല; പുരസ്കാരദാനം താരനിശയാക്കരുത് -സി.എസ്. വെങ്കിടേശ്വരൻ."]
21. (23 August 2020). "Time constraints to convincing film makers, subtitling Malayalam films isn't easy". [[The News Minute]].
22. ""Kerala State Film Awards 2023: Full Winners List - Best Actors, Movie & Director"".
23. (19 July 2012). ""2012 Kerala State Awards"".
24. [http://dff.nic.in/2011/57thNFA.pdf "57th National Film Awards"]
25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060917001549/http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/24/stories/2005072411480100.htm "The Hindu, July 24, 2005"]
26. "43rd National film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film".
27. "Kerala films state awards - 1995".
28. ""Plea for professionalism, April 6, 2012"".
29. [https://archive.today/20120721191938/http://naxalwatch.blogspot.in/2005/08/matha-to-ma-odyssey-of-naxalite.html "Matha to Ma, the odyssey of a Naxalite" ]