K. S. Sethumadhavan

K. S. Sethumadhavan (born 1931, in Palakkad) is an Indian film director and screenwriter working in Malayalam cinema. He has also directed films in Hindi, Oriya, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. Since the early 1960s he has directed over 60 movies. He has directed many landmark films in the Malayalam film history such as Odeyil Ninnu, Yakshi, Kadalpalam, Achanum Bappayum, Ara Nazhika Neram, Panitheeratha Veedu, Anubhavangal Palichakal and Punarjanmam. He has won numerous awards including ten National Film Awards and Nine Kerala State Film Awards including Four for Best Direction.

K. S. Sethumadhavan was born to Subrahmanyam and Lakshmi in Palakkad, Kerala, India in 1931. He has three sisters and one brother. His childhood was spent in Palakkad and in North Arcot, Tamil Nadu. He completed his degree in biology from Government Victoria College, Palakkad. He debuted in the film industry as the Assistant Director to K. Ramnath. He later assisted directors L. V. Prasad, A. S. A. Swamy, Sunder Rao and Nandakarni.

He debuted as an independent film director with Veeravijaya, a Singhalese film in 1960. His first Malayalam film was Jnanasundari, produced by T. E. Vasudevan under the banner of Associates Pictures based on a short story by Muttathu Varkey. He then went on to direct over 60 films including noted films Odayil Ninnu, Daaham, Sthanarthi Saramma, Koottukudumbam, Vazhve Mayam, Ara Nazhika Neram, Anubhavangal Palichakal, Karakanakkadal, Achanum Bappayum, Punarjanmam, Chattakkari, Oppol and Marupakkam. His only Oriya film was Manini.

His film Achanum Bappayum won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, a part of National Film Awards, in 1973. His Tamil film Marupakkam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1991. Thus it became the first Tamil film to win the award, the feat was repeated by Kanchivaram in 2007.

In 1996, his Telugu film Stri won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Director 4 times: for films Ara Nazhika Neram (1970), Karakanakkadal (1971), Pani Theeratha Veedu (1972) and Oppol (1980). He was the jury member for the National Film Awards in 1975 and 1980. In 1982, he was the chairman of the jury for the Kerala State Film Awards. He was the chairman of the National Film Awards jury in 2002, and was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award for the year 2009, honouring his achievements and contribution to Malayalam Cinema. In 2011, he was honoured with the Chalachitra Ratnam Award by the Kerala Film Critics Association.

Filmfare Awards South

• 1972 – Filmfare Best Director Award (Malayalam) : Punarjanmam
• 1973 – Filmfare Best Director Award (Malayalam) : Pani Theeratha Veedu
• 1974 – Filmfare Best Director Award (Malayalam) : Chattakari
• 1980 – Filmfare Best Director Award (Malayalam) : Oppol

Kerala State Film Awards

• 1970 – Best Director  : Ara Nazhika Neram
• 1971 – Best Director  : Karakanakadal
• 1971 – Third Best Film: Karakanakadal
• 1972 – Best Director  : Panitheeratha Veedu
• 1972 – Best Film: Pani Theeratha Veedu
• 1974 – Second Best Film: Chattakari
• 1980 – Best Director  : Oppol
• 1980 – Best Film: Oppol
• 2009 – J. C. Daniel Award

National Film Awards

• 1965 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam : Odayil Ninnu
• 1965 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam : Adimakal
• 1971 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam : Karakanakadal
• 1972 – Best Film on National Integration : Achanum Bappayum
• 1972 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam : Panitheeratha Veedu
• 1980 – Second Best Feature Film  : Oppol
• 1990 – Best Feature Film: Marupakkam
• 1990 – Best Screenplay  : Marupakkam
• 1994 – Best Feature Film in Tamil  : Nammavar
• 1995 – Best Feature Film in Telugu  : Stri