Jayatheertha

Jayathirtha
Born (1977-05-08) 8 May 1977 (age 47)
Bangalore, India
Occupations
  • Film director
  • Theatre director
  • Production designer
Known forOlave Mandara
Tony
Beautiful Manasugalu
Bell Bottom
SpousePoornima H. D.
Children1

Jayathirtha B. V. (born May 8, 1977) is an Indian theater activist, production designer and filmmaker.[1] He is known for his movies Olave Mandara, Tony, Beautiful Manasugalu, and Bell Bottom.

He is also known for his work as a director and play writer.

Early life

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Jayathirtha was born and brought up in Bangalore, Karnataka. A high school dropout due to financial constraints, he started working as a salesman at 17 and took up theater as a pastime.[citation needed] He trained at Abhinayataranga under the renowned theatre personality A. S. Murthy[2] and later became a teacher in the same institution.

Jayathirtha won several awards for his works in theatre including the B. V. Karanth Best Stage Reviewer Award (1997) for his critical review of the play, Maranayak.[citation needed]

Film career

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Early beginnings

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In 2007, he directed a short film called Hasivu (Hunger). The movie won the Best Indian Short Film award at Cinerail Film Festival, Paris.[citation needed]

2011–2013: Directorial debut and breakthrough

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In 2011, he directed a full-fledged Kannada feature film, Olave Mandara which brought several awards including the 59th Filmfare Awards (Best Director).[3] The sub-plot of Olave Mandara is inspired by the real-life events of Dashrath Manjhi who cut a rocky hill for 22 years to build a road in memory of his wife. Later he directed Tony (2013) which won him the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay.[4]

2015–2018: Career fluctuations

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He wrote the screenplay for the 2015 film Endendigu. His next was Bullet Basya (2015) starring Sharan and Haripriya which opened to mixed reviews towards its sexist jokes.[5] He made a comeback with the movie Beautiful Manasugalu (2017) which was based on the true occurrences that shocked people in 2012.[6][7][8] The movie won Best Dialogues Award at KAFTA Times of India 2017, the only awards given to technicians in Kannada film industry.[9] His next movie was Vanilla (2018),[10] a murder mystery with a message of social concerns.

2019–Present: Commercial success and Fluctuations

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Bell Bottom (2019)[11] is a comedy crime thriller, a story of a die-hard fan of detective stories. It became the first Kannada film in 2019 to complete 100 days.[12] It also won the second best commercial film recognition at Bangalore International Film Festival 2020.[13] The movie has won Best Director Award in Critics Choice Film Awards 2020.[14]

Director Jayathirtha during the shooting of Banaras, on the banks of river Ganga.

In November 2020, It was reported that Jayathirtha along with four other Kannada film directors KM Chaitanya, Shashank (director), Yogaraj Bhat, and Pawan Kumar (director) would team up to make a 2-hour film.[15] However it did not materialise. His next directorial was Banaras which starred newcomer Zaid Khan alongside Sonal Monteiro which opened to mixed revies and ended as box office failure.[16][17] He then directed the action drama Kaiva with Dhanveerah and Megha Shetty in the lead roles and released in 2023, which also opened to mixed reviews and ended as box office disappointment.

In January 2021, Bell Bottom 2, the sequel to the blockbuster Bell Bottom was announced to be directed by Jayathirtha.[18] However the shooting of the film is currently has been paused owing to Rishab's further commitments.[19][20]

Theatre Activities

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Jayathirtha has conducted more than 150 theater training programs, focusing on issues including life skills.[citation needed] He penned and directed 65 street plays and ten stage plays from 1996 to 2007. He organized those plays to spread social awareness among illiterates and the backward classes. Jayathirtha directed Hathim Thi, an experiment with 500 actors, at the Al-Ameen school building.

Jayathirtha has used street plays as an effective medium to convey philosophical messages, concerning social issues, imbued with the entertaining flow. His approach is to involve the audience in the flow of the plays. He scripted six stage plays and 69 street plays/shows.[21]

Radio

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Jayathirtha directed a 450-episode[when?] of educational radio drama for children, Chukki Chinna – Chinnara Chukki, for an NGO Education Development Center under Sarva Shikshana Abhiyana program of Government of India.[22] This interactive syllabus-based radio program was recorded between 2005-2007, but it continues to play on the radio for first-standard to sixth-standard students in Karnataka government schools.[citation needed]

Recognition

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  • Best Back Stage designer 1994 (Abhinaya Tharanga)
  • Best script writer 1996 (Abhinaya Tharanga)
  • Best stage reviewer 1997 (B.V.Karanth Award)
  • Second Best Small Story Award – from Gulbarga University (2002)
  • First place in small story award – from Belagali Sahithya Pratistana. (2002)
  • First place in small story award – from Kannada Sahithya Parishath. (2002)
  • First place in script writing – Street play – Pravardhini from Sahithya Sankramana (2003)
  • Best Indian short film Hasivu from Cinerail film festival in Paris[citation needed]

Filmography

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Year Title Director Writer Notes
2007 Hasivu Yes Yes Short Film
2011 Olave Mandara Yes Yes
2013 Tony Yes Yes also Lyricist
2015 Endendigu Yes
Bullet Basya Yes Yes
2017 Beautiful Manasugalu Yes Yes
2018 Vanilla Yes Yes
2019 Bell Bottom Yes Yes
2022 Banaras Yes Yes [23]
2023 Kaiva Yes Yes
TBA Bell Bottom 2[24] Yes Yes Announced

Awards

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Movie Award Category Result Ref.
Hasivu Cinerail Film Festival, Paris Best short film (Indian) Won
Olave Mandara 59th Filmfare Awards South Best Director – Kannada Won [25]
Raghavendra Chitravaani Award Best Director Won
'Big FM – ETV' award Best Director Won
Santosham Award Best Director - Kannada Won
1st SIIMA Awards Best Director Nominated [26]
Tony 2013 Karnataka State Film Awards Best Screenplay Won [27]
Lalitha Kala Academy Award Best Director Won
Beautiful Manasugalu 65th Filmfare Awards South Best Director Nominated [28]
KAFTA Times of India 2017 Best Dialogues Won [29]
Bell Bottom Zee Comedy Awards 2020 Best Director Won [30]
Chandanavana Critics' Academy Award Best Screenplay Won
Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020 Best Director Won [31]
9th SIIMA Awards Best Director Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Five top Kannada directors to collaborate on a film". 3 November 2020.
  2. ^ "A S Murthy".
  3. ^ "The 59th Idea Filmfare Awards 2011(South) - Times of India ►". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  4. ^ Bansal, Akshay (5 January 2015). "South Cinema Karnataka State Film awards 2013 announced". BollywoodDhamaka.
  5. ^ "Bullet Basya". Sify.com. 28 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Beautiful Manasugalu". Charleston City Paper. 30 December 2008.
  7. ^ N., Nishcith (28 November 2016). "A beautiful return for 'Lucia' stars". The New Indian Express.
  8. ^ Mehar, Rakesh (20 January 2017). "Review: 'Beautiful Manasugalu' lets the usual stereotypes drag down a 'women-centric' film". The News Minute.
  9. ^ "Presenting the list of awardees for Times KAFTA 2017". The News Minute. 28 October 2018.
  10. ^ "'Beautiful Manasugalu' director Jayathirtha explores Capnophobia in next 'Vanilla'". The New Indian Express. 31 May 2018. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  11. ^ "True-life theft turns inspiration for Rishab Shetty starrer 'Bell Bottom'". The New Indian Express. 9 February 2019. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Bell Bottom is an enjoyable crime comedy". Deccan Herald. 15 February 2019.
  13. ^ www.facebook.com https://www.facebook.com/BIFFESblr/posts/12th-bengaluru-international-film-festival-second-popular-kannada-cinemabell-bot/2758391440941470/. Retrieved 8 June 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ "Critics' Choice Film Awards 2020: Complete winners list". The Indian Express. 28 March 2020.
  15. ^ A., Sharadaa (3 November 2020). "Five renowned Kannada film directors come together for commercial entertainer". Cinema Express.
  16. ^ "Banaras: Zaid Khan and Sonal Monteiro's time-loop romance gets TV premiere". OTTPlay. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  17. ^ Khajane, Muralidhara (4 November 2022). "'Banaras' movie review: Spirituality and time travel meet to tell a unique, poignant love story". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Official title poster of Bell Bottom 2 revealed". The Times of India. 27 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Exclusive | Bell Bottom 2 with Rishab Shetty to take off after Kantara 2? Jayatheertha answers". OTTPlay. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  20. ^ Sharadhaa, A. (29 December 2022). "Rishab Shetty talks about the year that was, his plans for Bell Bottom 2 and much more". Indulgexpress. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  21. ^ Khajane, Muralidhar (24 March 2016). "Filmmaker takes on big pharma". The Hindu.
  22. ^ Anandraj, Shilpa (24 June 2021). "'Banaras' will be a poignant love story, says Kannada director Jayathirtha". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Director Jayathirtha completes the shoot of new film 'Banaras', film's team shares pictures - Times of India". The Times of India. 14 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Jayathirtha promises even more twists and turns in the Bell Bottom sequel - Times of India". The Times of India. 7 November 2020.
  25. ^ Filmfare Editorial (9 July 2012). "59th Idea Filmfare Awards South (Winners list)". Filmfare. Times Internet Limited. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  26. ^ "SIIMA Awards 2012 Winners". South Indian International Movie Awards. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  27. ^ "Karnataka State Film Awards Announced". The Times Of India. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  28. ^ "Winners of the 65th Jio Filmfare Awards (South) 2018". Filmfare. 16 June 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  29. ^ "Presenting the list of awardees for Times KAFTA 2017". The News Minute. 28 October 2018.
  30. ^ "'ಜೀ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಾಮಿಡಿ ಅವಾರ್ಡ್ಸ್‌' ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಿಂಚಿದ ಸ್ಯಾಂಡಲ್‌ವುಡ್ ತಾರೆಯರು!". vijaykarnataka.com. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  31. ^ "Critics' Choice Film Awards 2020: Complete winners list". The Indian Express. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
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