Rajesh Touchriver

Rajesh Touchriver
Rajesh Touchriver
	File:Touchriver2.jpg
Born	Rajesh Touchriver
Occupation(s)	Director, Producer, Designer, Writer
Years active	1997 - Present
Website	http://www.rajeshtouchriver.in/

Rajesh Touchriver (born 6 March 1972) is a critically acclaimed Indian filmmaker, art director and scriptwriter. He has won 5 international film festival awards.

Biography

Rajesh was born in Kerala to a Malayali family. He took his Bachelor’s Degree in Design and Direction from the School of Drama in Trissur, Kerala and did his Masters in Visual Language/Scenography and Direction from the Wimbledon School of Art, London as a Charles Wallace Trust Awardee. Rajesh inherited a flair for Kathakali, the classical dance of Kerala from his father who was a veteran Kathakali artist. He also had some early training in Kalaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala and directed more than 30 plays during his stint in theater. This background has instilled discipline and irreverence, aesthetics and structure, originality and spontaneity in his work as a director.

Rajesh as director

Rajesh's debut film In the Name of Buddha In_the_Name_of_Buddha(2002) was premiered at the Oslo International Film Festival. The film won critical acclaim and won the best film award at the festival. Though a controversial theme, the film is a non-partisan treatment of the ethnic conflict then raging in Sri Lanka with a touch of magic realism. The film was well received in many other international film festivals in 2003 and won the Best foreign film Award at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival, the New port Beach International Film Festival and at the Wine country International Film Festival in the same year.

Rajesh directed 2 Telugu films in the interim: 10 the strangers and Alex, the Blue Fox. Besides feature films and music albums/videos, Rajesh has by now essayed other genres including – documentaries, short films, ad films, public service announcements and commercials and won several accolades.

Immediately following the success of In the name of Buddha, Rajesh directed the music album Sunshowers for Maya Arulpragasam M.I.A (UK). Maya is known for her O saya with A.R Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire which was nominated for the Oscars in 2009. Rajesh directed Ente Malayalam, a promotional for the Manorama Music channel to celebrate the 50th year of Kerala formation, capturing many noted Malayali achievers from various fields in natural, evocative, rich and rhythmic frames.

Documentaries and Short films

Rajesh has been making several thought-provoking short films and documentaries on human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and communal riots that support the media advocacy initiatives of the United Nations and NGOs, national and international. His most recent film for the UN, One Life No Price for social sensitization against human trafficking has been widely acclaimed by civil society organizations across the world and is regarded as one of its kind in South Asia. Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta and John Abraham appear in the film as spokespersons for the cause.

Another recent success is Anamika, the Nameless that was shot adventurously in the red light areas of India in Mumbai, Kolkatta, Poona and Delhi. The film won the AC award for the Best Director and the Best Documentary Film Award Hyderabad International Film Festival - 2008.The film has been included in the curriculum of National Police Academy and National Judicial Academy. Rajesh is grateful that the film could transform numerous pimps, brokers and madams, turned them away from trafficking and inspired them to join the battle against this social evil.

The sacred face, a short film on child sexual abuse, sent the audience back home thoroughly unsettled at its screening in Hyderabad. The film was screened at the Cannes film festival in 2005 and received accolades and commendation from audiences. Rajesh himself wrote the screenplays for most of the docmentaries.

Rajesh as Art Director

Besides direction, theatre and classical traditional art, Rajesh does art direction for films and has by now done art direction for popular Telugu, Hindi and Hollywood films. The evocative backdrop of the Telugu hit Manassantha Nuvve owes it to Rajesh’s art direction.

Rajesh looks up to common people for inspiration and believes that true art – be it in cinema, art direction or theatre -- has a soul of its own, is profoundly human and strikingly original.

Filmography

Feature Films – (Screenplay & Direction)

In the Name of Buddha (150 mins, English/Sinhalese/Tamil/Hindi, 35mm anamorphic, 2002)

10-The Strangers (125 mins, Telugu, Hindi, 35mm anamorphic, 2005)

Alex-The Blue Fox (160 mins, Telugu, 35 mm anamorphic, 2005)

The Red Terror ( Under production)

Short Films – (Screenplay & Direction)

The Sacred Face (13 mins, English, 2006)

Pehachan (14 mins, Hindi, 2008)

Needalu (Shadows) (14 mins,Telugu, 2009)

Main Aur Meri Sachaien (13 mins, Hindi, 2009)

Documentaries – (Screenplay, Direction, Cinematography)

Of Freedom and Fear - (30 mins, English/Telugu, DV, 2003)

Bhagnagar - (15 mins, Hindi, DV, 2003)

Agni - (34 mins, Hindi, DV, 2004)

Shanti Ki Aur - (30 mins, Hindi, DV, 2004)

A Chance to Live - (30 mins, English, DV, 2004)

Dahan - (34 mins, Hindi, DV, 2004)

Astha-An Ode to Life - (26 mins, English, DV, 2004)

Me and Us - (24 mins, English, DV, 2004)

Building Bridges - (11 mins, English, DV, 2004)

Anamika - The Nameless - (26 mins, English/Hindi/Telugu,Oriya,Kannada, DV, 2005

The Man, His Mission - (11 mins, English, DV, 2006)

Aparajitha - (26 mins, English, DV, 2006)

One Life No Price - (9 mins, English, HD, 2007)

Synergy in Action - (20 mins , English, HD, 2007)

Music Videos – (Screenplay, Direction)

Sunshowers for M.I.A. XL Recording, London , UK (3 mins, English, Super 16 mm, 2004)

Hire Fire for Prajwala (music album containing six 4 mins songs against human trafficking, Hindi/Telugu, DV, 2004)

Commercials – (Direction)

Ente Malayalam - 50 yrs celebration of kerala formation (2 mins, Malayalam, 35 mm, 2006)

Whose Child ? - (30 secs, Telugu, DV, 2004)

Why? - (30 secs, Telugu, DV, 2004)

Reach Out - (30 secs, Telugu, DV, 2004)

Feature Films – (Production Design

Quicksand - (English, 35mm, 2001)

Student # 1 - (Telugu, 35mm, 2002)

Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu - (Telugu, 35mm, 2002)

Manasantha Nuvve - (Telugu, 35mm, 2001)

Iddaru Mitralu - (Telugu, 35mm, 1999)

Kalisundaam Raa - (Telugu, 35mm, 1999)

AWARDS

Rajesh was awarded

1, The Charles Wallace India Trust Award.- 2001

2, Best foreign film Award Beverly Hills International Film Festival- 2003

3, Best Film Award New port Beach International Film Festival - 2003

4, Best Film Award Wine country International Film Festival- 2003

5, Best Foreign Documentary film Award Action Cut International Film Festival 2006

6, Best Editing Award Festival De Cine De Granada - 2007

7, Best Documentary Film Award Hyderabad International Film Festival - 2008

References

External links