Amal Neerad | |
|---|---|
 Amal in 2009 | |
| Born | (1978-02-13)13 February 1978 (age 48) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Organization | Amal Neerad Productions |
| Spouse | |
| Parents |
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Amal NeeradISC (born 13 February 1978) is an Indian film director,cinematographer and producer who mainly works inMalayalam cinema. He attended theSatyajit Ray Film and Television Institute,Kolkata (first batch). He was awarded theNational Film Award for Best Cinematography (special mention) in 2001 for hisdiploma filmMeena Jha (short feature section).
He started his career shooting music videos, documentaries and advertising. It was his diploma film that brought him to the attention ofRam Gopal Varma and his team. Amal Neerad moved intoHindi cinema with three back to back films;James (2005),Darna Zaroori Hai (2006) andShiva (2006). In 2004, he also shot the Malayalam filmBlack starringMammootty.
Amal Neerad was born inKollam, Kerala. He attended school and college inKochi.[1] He was the college union chairman ofMaharaja's College, Ernakulam during two consecutive terms, 1992–93 and 1993–94.[2] He married actressJyothirmayi on 4 April 2015.[3]
Amal joined theSatyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in 1995.[4] He is a winner of theNational Film Awards for best cinematography. After his graduation from the institute he worked as a cinematographer withRam Gopal Varma's production company for films such asJames,Darna Zaroori Hai andShiva. His debut movie in Malayalam as cinematographer wasBlack, directed byRanjith.
In 2007, he made his directorial debut withBig B starringMammootty andShereveer Vakil. Even though the movie was an average grosser at the box office, the stylish narrative and technical brilliance that the film possessed apparently gave the movie an iconic stature and cult following.[5][6][7][8][9] His next film wasSagar Alias Jacky starringMohanlal, a sequel to the 1987 filmIrupatham Noottandu. In 2010, he directedAnwar withPrithviraj in the lead role.
Amal Neerad launched his production company Amal Neerad Productions through the 2012 filmBachelor Party directed by himself. In 2013, he produced the anthology film,5 Sundarikal. Amal directed the segmentKullante Bharya which starredDulquer Salmaan and handled camera for the segmentAami, directed by Anwar Rasheed. He directed and co-produced (with Fahad Faasil) the period thrillerIyobinte Pustakam starringFahadh Faasil,Lal, andJayasurya in 2014. In 2017, he produced and directedComrade in America starringDulquer Salmaan. He later directedFahadh Faasil starredVarathan in 2018. The movie was jointly produced by Neerad and Fahadh Faasil. Amal joined hands withAnwar Rasheed again as a cinematographer for the movieTrance, starringFahadh Faasil.[10] Later, he joined Mammootty again after 15 years for the movieBheeshma Parvam which emerged as one of the biggest hits inMollywood industry.
In a post on the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council's Jagratha Commission Facebook page, it was claimed that Amal Neerad's blockbuster filmBheeshma Parvam offendedChristian sentiments. The KCBC Jagratha Commission alleged that the portrayal of drug use, homosexuality, alcohol, and adultery among key Christian characters was a deliberate attempt to depict them negatively.[11] A formal complaint was also filed against the song "Sthuthi" from the Malayalam filmBougainvillea, directed by Amal Neerad. The complaint said that the song offends religious sentiments by misusing sacred Christianhymns. According to the complainants, the combination of a devotional hymn with modern music is seen as disrespectful and offensive to religious beliefs.[12]
| Year | Title | Director | Cinematographer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Black | No | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | James | No | Yes | No | Hindi film |
| 2006 | Shiva | No | Yes | No | |
| 2006 | Darna Zaroori Hai | No | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Big B | Yes | No | No | Director debut |
| 2009 | Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2010 | Anwar | Yes | No | No | |
| Tournament | No | Yes | No | A song only (Nila Nila). | |
| 2012 | Bachelor Party | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2013 | 5 Sundarikal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Anthology film. Director of "Kullante Bharya". Cinematographer of "Aami" |
| 2014 | Iyobinte Pusthakam | Yes | Yes | Yes | Winner: Kerala state film award for best cinematography |
| 2017 | Comrade in America | Yes | No | Yes | [13][14] |
| 2018 | Varathan | Yes | No | Yes | Co-produced withNazriya Nazim |
| 2020 | Trance | No | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | Bheeshma Parvam | Yes | No | Yes | Also co-writer |
| 2024 | Bougainvillea | Yes | No | Yes |
2024,55th Kerala State Film Awards[17]
- Award Shared withLajo Jose
