Blessy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Blessy Ipe Thomas (1963-09-03)3 September 1963 (age 62) Thiruvalla,Kerala, India |
| Alma mater | Mar Thoma College, Tiruvalla |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | Mini |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | |
Blessy Ipe Thomas (born 3 September 1963), best known mononymously asBlessy, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works inMalayalam cinema.[1] He has won oneNational Film Awards, threeFilmfare Awards South and nineKerala State Film Awards for his feature filmsKaazhcha (2004),Thanmathra (2005),Pranayam (2011) andAadujeevitham (2024).100 Years of Chrysostom (2018) received theGuinness World Record for the longest documentary in the world, with a runtime of 48 hours and 10 minutes. His most recent release was his dream project,Aadujeevitham (2024).
Blessy was born on 3 September 1963 inThiruvalla,Kerala, India. He was the youngest of six children born to Benny Thomas and Ammini Thomas. He lost his parents at a very young age. He studied at Mar Thoma School, SCS High School andMar Thoma College in Thiruvalla.[2][3][4]
Blessy is married to Mini and has two children, Adith and Akhil.
Blessy worked as anassistant director with filmmakers such asPadmarajan,Lohithadas andJayaraj. He scripted and directed his debut filmKaazhcha in 2004.Kaazcha portrayed the story of an orphaned boy, a victim ofGujarat earthquake and how he changes the life of a small-town film operator (played byMammootty) and his family. The film won threeKerala State Film Awards includingBest Debut Director,Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value, andBest Actor (Mammootty).[5]
His second film wasThanmathra (2005), which depicted the story of a middle-class government employee (played byMohanlal) and his family, and portrayed the effects ofAlzheimer's disease on his life and his family. The film won BlessyNational Award for the Best Feature Film in Malayalam and fiveKerala State Film Awards includingBest Film,Best Director,Best Screenplay andBest Actor (Mohanlal).[6]
Blessy's next venture had Mammootty inPalunku (2006), followed byCalcutta News (2008), starringDileep andMeera Jasmine, went on to be marginal hits.Bhramaram (2009), which had Mohanlal once again in the lead role was another successful film. It was a story of revenge against those that falsely accused a man of murder and ruined his life. His 2011 filmPranayam includes Mohanlal,Anupam Kher, andJaya Prada. His 2013 filmKalimannu starringSwetha Menon andBiju Menon in leading roles dwelled upon the theme of childbirth and the maternal and paternal connect towards a child. Menon's labor was shot live in the film.[7]
He directed a biopicdocumentary film titled100 Years of Chrysostom (2018) based on the life of Christian prelatePhilipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma.[8] Beginning in 2015, it took two years to complete filming. A public screening was held for five consecutive days. With a runtime of 48 hours and 10 minutes, the film received theGuinness World Record for the longest documentary in the world.[9][10] The film is narrated by Mohanlal.[11] His latest filmAadujeevitham (2024) was a survival drama based on the novelGoat Days byBenyamin. It starredPrithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role and had music composed byA. R. Rahman. Development for the film began in 2008 and the film's production lasted for more than 6 years, mainly due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[12]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Kaazhcha | |
| 2005 | Thanmathra | |
| 2006 | Palunku | |
| 2008 | Calcutta News | |
| 2009 | Bhramaram | |
| 2011 | Pranayam | |
| 2013 | Kalimannu | |
| 2018 | 100 Years of Chrysostom | 48-hourdocumentary film |
| 2024 | The Goat Life | Adaptation of the novelAadujeevitham |
| Award | Year | Category | Movie | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Film Awards | 2005 | Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Thanmathra | |
| Kerala State Film Awards | 2024 | Best Director | Aadujeevitham | |
| Best Screen Play (Adapted) | ||||
| Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value | ||||
| 2011 | Best Director | Pranayam | ||
| 2005 | Best Director | Thanmathra | ||
| Best Screen Play | ||||
| Best Film | ||||
| 2004 | Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value | Kaazhcha | ||
| Best Debut Director | ||||
| Filmfare Awards South | 2011 | Best Director | Pranayam[14] | |
| 2005 | Best Director | Thanmathra | ||
| 2004 | Best Director | Kaazhcha | ||
| Asianet Film Awards | 2005 | Best Director | Thanmathra | |
| 2004 | Best Film | Kaazhcha |