Bharath Gopi

Bharath Gopi

Born	Veelayudhan Gopinathan Nair November 8, 1937 Chirayinkeezhu, Travancore, Indian Empire
Died	January 29, 2008 (aged 70) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Other names	Kodiyettam Gopi
Years active	1972 - 2008
Spouse	Jayalakshmy.S.V
Children	Murali Gopy, Dr.Minu Gopy
Parents	Veelayudhan Pillai, Parvathyamma
Awards	National Film Awards 1995: Best Book on Cinema - Abhinayam Anubhavam (Acting and the Experience) 1992: Best Film on Social Issues - Yamanam 1978: Best Actor - Kodiyettam Kerala State Film Awards 1977: Best Actor - Kodiyettam 1982: Best Actor - Ormakkayi 1983: Best Actor - Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku, Eenam,Ettillam, Kattathe Kilikoodu 1985: Best Actor - Chidambaram

Early life

Bharath Gopi was born on 8 November 1937 at Chirayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram District of the state of Kerala as the youngest of four children to Kochuveetil Veelayudhan Pillai and Parvathyamma. He completed his BSc. Degree from Thiruvananthapuram University College. Immediately after his studies, he was employed as Lower Division Clerk in the Kerala Electricity Board.

Career

Stage actor

Gopi began his acting career as a theatre actor at Prasadhana Little Theatres under G. Sankara Pillai. His first stage appearance was in the role of Raaghavan in the play Abhayarthikal. Later on, he became associated with Thiruvarange under Kaavalam Narayana Panicker. He has also written five plays and directed three.

Film actor

Bharath Gopi in Kodiyettam 1977

Gopi became interested in cinema through the Chitralekha Film Society, founded by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He made his movie debut in Adoor's Swayamvaram in 1972 in a small role. He did the lead role of Sankarankutty in Adoor's next film, Kodiyettam (1977), a performance for which he won the National Award for Best Actor.He was also noted for his performances in movies likeOrmakkayi, Yavanika, Panchavadi Palam and Adaminte Vaariyellu. Besides Malayalam movies, he acted in two Hindi movies, Aaghat and Satah Se Uthata Aadmi. Gopi was a film director andproducer as well. Gopi was paralyzed by a stroke on February 20, 1986, at the zenith of his career.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991.

In 1979, Gopi directed the movie Njattadi with Murali in lead role. The movie was only screened twice and the print is now lost.He directed three more movies Ulsavapittennu, Yamanam and Ente Hridhayathinte Utama. His Yamanam, about a physically handicapped person, was awarded Best Film on social issues by the National Award Jury in 1991.

On 24 January 2008, Gopi was hospitalized with chest pain.He died five days later following a cardiac arrest. His last role was in Balachandra Menon's De Ingottu Nokkiye (2008).

Author

Gopi authored two books. His book Abhinayam Anubhavam (Acting, Experience), won the national award for the best book on cinema in 1994. Nataka Niyogam, his book on drama won the state award for best book on drama in 2003.

Filmography as actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Swayamvaram	an unemployed youth
1977	Kodiyettam	Sankarankutty	National Film Award for Best Actor Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor
1978	Thampu	Panicker, the circus manager
1979	Peruvazhiyambalam	Vishwambharan, the tea shop owner
1980	Satah Se Uthata Aadmi	Ramesh	Screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival^[14]
1980	Greshamam
1981	Vida Parayum Munpe
1981	Palangal	Vasu Menon
1981	Kallan Pavithran	Maamachan
1982	Yavanika	Tabalist Ayyappan
1982	Ormakkayi	Nandu, the deaf and dumb sculpturer	Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor (1982)
1982	Snehapoorvam Meera
1982	Gaanam
1982	Alolam	Mukundan Menon
1983	Rachana	Sriprasad	Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor (1983)
1983	Purappad
1983	Asthi
1983	Marmaram	Naxalite Gopi
1983	Nizhal Moodiya Nirangal
1983	Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback	Suresh Babu
1983	Kattathe Kilikoodu	Shakespeare Krishna Pillai	Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor (1983)
1983	Oru Swakaryam
1983	Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku	Vinod	Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor (1983)
1983	Ashtapadi
1983	Asthram	Capt. C. S. Nair
1983	Eenam
1983	Adaminte Variyellu	Mamachan Muthalaly
1983	Eettillam	Moitheen Bawa
1984	Sandhya Mayangum Neram	Justice Balagangadhara Menon
1984	Panchavadi Palam	Dushassana Kurup
1984	Swantham Sarika
1984	Appunni	Perattupadaveettil Ayyappan Nair
1984	Akkare	K. N. Gopinathan
1984	Aarorumariyathe	Stephan George
1984	Aksharangal
1984	April 18	Constable Gopi Pillai
1984	Oru Painkili Katha
1985	Punnaram Cholli Cholli	Krishnankutty Nair
1985	Meenamasathile Sooryan	School Teacher
1985	Kaiyum Thalayum Purathidaruthu
1985	Chidambaram	Mohandas	Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor (1985)
1985	Gayathri Devi Ente Amma
1985	Aghaat	Krishnan Raju
1985	Principal Olivil
1985	Onathumpikkoroonjal
1985	Archana Aradhana	Advocate Rajendran
1985	Kanathaya Penkutty
1985	Karimpinpoovinakkare	Chellan
1985	Scene No 7
1985	Puli Varunne Puli
1985	Ente Ammu Ninte Thulasi Avarude Chakki	Chellappan Pillai
1985	Irakal
1986	Nilavinte Nattil
1986	Chekkeranoru Chilla
1986	Revathikkoru Pavakkutty	Balan Menon
1986	Udayam Padinjaru
1986	Neram Pularumbol
1986	Ice Cream	Panikkar
1992	Padheyam	K. V. Raghavan
1994	Swaham		Screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival^[15]
1995	Agnidevan	K. K. Menon
1995	Ormmakalalundayirikanam	Thakaran
1998	Elavamkodu Desam	Agnisarmman
1998	Samantharangal	Musaliyar
1999	Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum
1999	Devadasi
2000	Susanna
2001	Ennum Sambhavami Yuge Yuge
2001	Mookuthy
2001	Namukoru Koodaram
2002	Desam	Uppa
2003	Varum Varunnu Vannu	Kathanar
2004	Sethurama Iyer CBI	Fr. Gomez
2004	Wanted
2006	Rasathanthram	Balan Master
2007	Nivedyam	Ramavarma Thampuran
2007	Paradesi
2007	Nasraani	Narayana Swamy
2008	Aakasha Gopuram	Abraham Thomas
2008	De Ingottu Nokkiye	Bhuminadha Kurup
2009	Bharya Swantham Suhruthu

Filmography as director

Year	Title	Notes
1979	Njattadi
1989	Ulsavapittennu
1991	Yamanam	Best Film on Other Social Issues
2002	Ente Hridhayathinte Utama

Filmography as producer

Year	Title	Notes
1993	Padheyam	V. Shantaram award for the producer of the Best film

Awards

International awards:

Special Jury Award at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival, Tokyo (1985)
A five-film retrospective of his films was held in Paris, France by the Government of France (1985). The only other Indian actors to be awarded this honour are Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan

Civilian awards: