KG George (1946-2023) was an Indian film producer, known primarily for his work in the Malayalam film industry. He died of a stroke on September 24, 2023.
Wiki/Biography
KG George was born Kulakkattil Geevarghese George on Friday 24 May 1946 in Tiruvalla, Travancore, British India (now Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India) (he died aged 77; ). In 1967, he pursued BA in Political Science from the University of Kerala. He then pursued a diploma in film directing from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Maharashtra.
KG George when he was young
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′8″
Hair color: gray
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Kulakadir Jevarghese Samuel and his mother’s name is Annama Samuel.
wife and children
He married Thelma George on February 7, 1977 at St. Mathias Church in Chennai. She is a playback singer in the Malayalam film industry. In an interview, Selma talked about how they got married and said that they first met in Chennai when Selma approached him and asked for a chance to sing in one of his films. She further stated that George asked her mother for Thelma’s hand in marriage during their second meeting. They have a son, Arun George, who is an actor, and a daughter, Tara George, who is a flight attendant in Dubai.
KG George with wife and daughter
Profession
film producer
KG George started his career in the Malayalam film industry in 1972 as an assistant to famous film director Ramu Kariat on the film Maya (1972). In 1974, he served as assistant director and screenwriter for the Malayalam film “Nellu”. He made his directorial debut with the marital psychodrama Swapnadanam (1975). The film does not contain any of the typical song and dance sequences.
Movie “Swapnadanam” poster
In 1978, he served as director, script writer and dialogue writer for the film “Iniyaval Urangatte”. He directed and wrote the screenplay, story and dialogues for the film Mela (1980), starring Mammootty. In his detective thriller Yavanika (1982), George used film-within-a-movie techniques. The film was well received by audiences and critics.
Movie “Yavanika” poster
In 1983, he made the film “Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback” based on the suicide of famous actress Shobha. The film was criticized even before its release.
Movie “Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback” poster
His film Panchavadi Palam (1984) is a satirical comedy based on a short story by Veloor Krishnankutty. It was the first Malayalam film that attempted to satirize the political situation in Kerala.
Movie “Panchavadi Palam” poster
In 1985, he directed and wrote the story, screenplay and dialogue for “Iraq”, a film based on the psychology of violence. In 1992, he served as the producer of the film Mahanagaram. His last film, Elavamkodu Desam (1998), did not do well at the box office. He served as director, story writer and screenplay writer for the film.
KG George (centre) during the shooting of the movie “Elavamkodu Desam”
Some of his other famous films include “Rappadikalude Gatha” (1978), “Ulkkadal” (1979), “Kolangal” (1981), “Adaminte Vaariyellu” (1984), “Yaathrayude Anthyam” (1989) and “Ee Kanni Koodi” ” (1990).
actor
In 1984, George appeared in the Malayalam film Adaminte Vaariyellu starring Mammootty. He played a doctor in the films Pranayavarnangal (1998) and Five Fingers (2005).
KG George (right) in a still from the movie “Five Fingers”
In 2009, he appeared in the Malayalam film Currency.
dispute
Fabricated cases and false accusations
On April 17, 2003, he was arrested in a check fraud case filed by a financier with an intention to extort nearly Rs 8 lakh over a failed film he directed in 1998. However, he was released on bail the next day. George revealed at a press conference that he had been harassed by an Abu Dhabi businessman named Francis Cletus, who had financed the film Elavangodu Desam (1998), which did not do well at the box office. Later, the filmmaker filed a harassment case against Cletus in a Thiruvananthapuram court.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
kerala film awards
- Won the Best Film Award in 1975 for the film “Swapnadanam”
- Best Screenplay for the 1975 film Swapnadanam
- The 1978 film “Rappadikalude Gatha” won the Best Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value Film
- Won the Best Film Award in 1982 for the movie “Yavanika”
- Won the Best Story Award in 1982 for the film “Yavanika”
- In 1983, he won the second Best Film Award for the film “Adaminte Variyellu”
- In 1983, he won the Best Story Award for the film “Adaminte Variyellu”
- In 1985, he won the second Best Film Award for the movie “Iraq”
- Won the Best Story Award in 1985 for the film “Iraqkar”
- Received the JC Daniel Award in 2015 for his contribution to the film industry
Kerala Film Critics Association Award
- Won the Best Film Award in 1982 for the movie “Yavanika”
- In 1982, he won the Best Director Award for the film “Yavanika”
- In 1985, he won the Best Director Award for the film “Iraqkar”
- In 1985, he won the second Best Film Award for the movie “Iraq”
- In 1987, he won the second Best Film Award for the movie “Mattoral”
- Chalachitra Ratnam Award 2014
Other awards
- Filmfare Special Award – South Special Recognition Award for the 1976 film Swapnadanam
- 1976 President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed conferred the National Award for Best Regional Language Film on “Dance of Dreams”
KG George receives National Award for Best Regional Language Film from President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed for “Dance of Dreams”
- Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) Master Award 2015
- 2015 Indywood Golden Frame Lifetime Achievement Award (ALIIFF)
- In 2016, he won the Muttathu Varkey Award for the film “Iraq”
- 2017 Vanitha Film Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2017 Chinese Communist Party Film Awards Special Honor Award
die
KG George breathed his last on September 24, 2023, at a nursing home in Kakkanad, Kerala, where he had been living for the past five years. He had been undergoing treatment for a stroke for a long time.
Facts/Trivia
- Before entering the film industry, George was a painter.
- With the success of his directorial debut Swapnadanam, George established himself as an important figure in the new Indian cinema movement of the early 1970s.
- In the 1980s, he earned the respected label of “media auteur” along with filmmakers Padmarajan, Bharathan and Mohan.
- In 2012, George published his memoir titled “Flashback Enteyum Cinemayudeyum.”
- In 2018, the documentary “8½ Interrupt: The Life and Films of KG George” was released. The film is directed by Likin Jose.
- George’s wife Thelma said in an interview that when George proposed to her mother, she was not ready to marry him, but her brother was already engaged to him. In the same interview, she said she didn’t think he was a good husband because he was always busy with work and she had to take care of the home alone. She said his tendency to get angry at her and ignore her had a big impact on her during the first few years of their marriage. Thelma thought about divorcing him many times, but was unable to do so because of her lack of financial independence.
- In 2021, there were rumors that the filmmaker was abandoned by his family in a nursing home after suffering a stroke in 2018. But his wife Thelma George denied the rumors. She clarified this in an interview, saying:
We pay a hefty monthly fee here. There are ambulance facilities in case of emergency. Our home is only 10 minutes away from this place. Every week we visit him with his favorite dishes. Despite this, some people spread the lie that we abandoned George in an orphanage at the expense of the actors and some other organizations. ”
- Seven of George’s films have screened at several international film festivals around the world.
- He is the founder and president of Malayalam Cinema Technicians Association (MACTA).
- He was chairman of the Kerala Film Development Corporation.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education