KarmaConyers at 18:35, 14 February 2025

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{{Short description|Indian film producer (1933–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Krishna Ravindranathan Nair
| image = Kravindranathannair.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1933|07|03|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Kollam]], [[Travancore]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|07|08|1933|07|03|df=y}}
| death_place =
| other_names = Achani Ravi<br>General Pictures Ravi
| occupation = Film producer
| yearsactive = 1967–2023
| spouse = Usha Ravi
| domesticpartner =
| children = 3
| father = Krishna Pillai
| website = {{URL||Official web site}}
| awards = [[J. C. Daniel Award]]<br>[[National Film Awards|National Film Award]]<br>[[Kerala State Film Award]]
}}

{{Indian name|Ravindranathan Nair|Krishna}}'''Krishna Ravindranathan Nair ''' (3 July 1933{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} – 8 July 2023), also known as '''Achani Ravi''' or '''General Pictures Ravi''', was an Indian film producer of [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam]] films, industrialist and philanthropist. He was known for a number of critically acclaimed films he produced, such as [[Kanchana Sita]], [[Thampu]], [[Kummatty]], [[Esthappan]], [[Pokkuveyil]], [[Elippathayam]], [[Manju (film)|Manju]], [[Mukhamukham]], [[Anantaram]] and [[Vidheyan]]. Nair was credited with fostering the [[art film]] movement in Malayalam cinema during the period from the 1970s to the 1990s.<ref name="Mathrubhumi">{{cite web | url=http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/6114/a-meaningful-producer-who-stood-for-meaningful-cinema/E | title=Mathrubhumi | publisher=Mathrubhumi | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014 | archive-date=27 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427034954/http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/6114/a-meaningful-producer-who-stood-for-meaningful-cinema/E | url-status=dead }}</ref> A multiple recipient of [[National Film Awards|National]] and [[Kerala State Film Awards|State film awards]], Nair was awarded the [[J. C. Daniel Award]] by the [[Government of Kerala]], in 2008, for his contributions to Malayalam cinema.<ref name="The Hindu">{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/The-alchemist-of-cinema/article15938715.ece | title=The alchemist of cinema | newspaper=The Hindu | date=19 June 2009 | first=C. S. | last=Venkiteswaran | access-date=4 September 2018 }}</ref><ref name="The New Indian Express">{{cite web | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article104502.ece?service=print | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223124128/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article104502.ece?service=print | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 December 2014 | title=The New Indian Express | publisher=The New Indian Express | date=2009 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref>

==Biography==
K. Ravindran Nair was the fifth son of ''Vendor'' Krishna Pillai, one of the cashew processing pioneers of Kerala.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} His passion for literature and arts brought him into [[Malayalam cinema]] and in 1967, he established ''General Pictures'' under the banner of which he produced his first movie, [[Anweshichu Kandethiyilla]], directed by [[P. Bhaskaran]].<ref name="The alchemist of Cinema">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/article658871.ece | title=The alchemist of Cinema | work=The Hindu | date=19 June 2009 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}}<ref name="Kollam City">{{cite web | url=http://kollamcity.in/k-ravindran-nair | title=Kollam City | publisher=Kollam City | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014 | url-status=usurped | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208164151/http://kollamcity.in/k-ravindran-nair | archive-date=8 December 2014 }}</ref> This was followed by two more films the next year, [[Kattukurangu]] and [[Lakshaprabhu]], both directed by Bhaskaran. Ravi, as he is generally known, was silent for the next few years till he came out with his next film, [[Achani (film)|Achani]], an [[A. Vincent]] movie, in 1973, which earned him the moniker, ''Achani Ravi''. The film was reported to be a commercial success like his earlier films and Ravi is known to have contributed the returns from the movie to building a Public Library in Kollam,<ref name="Thiruvananthapuram First">{{cite web |date=11 June 2014 |title=Thiruvananthapuram First |url=http://www.thiruvananthapuramfirst.in/?p=244 |access-date=6 December 2014 |publisher=Thiruvananthapuram First}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}}<ref name="Achani">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/achani-1973/article6044438.ece | title=Achani | publisher=Achani | date=25 May 2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> of which he was a founder member and honorary secretary.<ref name="Thiruvananthapuram First" />{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}}

1977 marked a new chapter in Nair's life with the first of his films with the filmmaker [[G. Aravindan]], [[Kanchana Sita]] releasing that year. This was followed by four more Aravindan films, [[Thampu]] (1978), [[Kummatty]] (1979), [[Esthappan]] (1979) and [[Pokkuveyil]] (1981).<ref name="The alchemist of Cinema" /> {{Failed verification|date=June 2023}} <ref name="Kollam City" /> The next film he produced, [[Elippathayam]] (1981), was directed by [[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]]. Three more films, [[Mukhamukham]] (1984), [[Anantaram]] (1987) and [[Vidheyan]] (1993), with the same director were released in the ensuing years. In between, he also produced a film, [[Manju (film)|Manju]] (1982) for the [[Jnanpith]] and [[National Film Awards|National Film award]] winner, [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]].<ref name="The alchemist of Cinema" />{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}}<ref name="Kollam City" />

Nair produced a total of 14 films for which he received 18 awards before he retired from cinema.<ref name="Ee Vazhitharayil">{{cite AV media | url=http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/6114/a-meaningful-producer-who-stood-for-meaningful-cinema/E | title=Ee Vazhitharayil (Along this pathway) | publisher=Mathrubhumi News | date=2014 | medium=Documentary | location=Kerala | access-date=6 December 2014 | archive-date=27 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427034954/http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/6114/a-meaningful-producer-who-stood-for-meaningful-cinema/E | url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}}

==Personal life and death==
Usha Ravi, Nair's wife, was a playback singer having sung in movies such as [[Thampu]], Aambal poovu and Detective 909.<ref name="Usha Ravi">{{cite web | url=http://www.kaumudi.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=41684 | title=Usha Ravi | publisher=Kaumudi | date=3 October 2013 | access-date=6 December 2014 | archive-date=13 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213043330/http://www.kaumudi.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=41684 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Usha died on 2 October 2013.<ref name="Usha Ravi" />{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}}

Nair died on 8 July 2023, at the age of 90.<ref>{{cite news |title=Famous Film Producer Achani Ravi Passes Away |url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1103666 |access-date=8 July 2023 |publisher=Kaumudi Online |date=8 July 2023}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="0" width="100%"
! Film
! Year
! Director
! Awards
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|-BHAI NIRMAL SINGH JI ARTIST SHRI AMRITSAR SAHIB PUNJAB

|''[[Anweshichu Kandethiyilla]]''||1967||[[P. Bhaskaran]]||[[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam|National Film Award]]<ref name="15thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/15th_nff_1967.pdf|title=15th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=21 September 2011}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Kattukurangu]]||1968||[[P. Bhaskaran]]||-
|-
|[[Lakshaprabhu]]||1968||[[P. Bhaskaran]]||-
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Achani (film)|Achani]]||1973||[[A. Vincent]]||-
|-
|[[Kanchana Sita]]||1977||[[G. Aravindan]]||[[National Film Award for Best Direction]]<ref name="25thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/25th_nff_1977.pdf|title=25th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=4 October 2011|page=2,44}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Thampu]]||1978||[[G. Aravindan]]||[[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam|National Film Award]]<ref name="26thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/26th_NFA.pdf|title=26th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=4 October 2011}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kummatty]]||1979||[[G. Aravindan]]||[[Kerala State Film Award for Best Children's Film|Kerala State Film Award]]<ref name="1979 Film Awards">{{cite web | url=http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/stateawares.htm | title=1979 Film Awards | publisher=Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala | access-date=6 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232254/http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/stateawares.htm | archive-date=3 March 2016 }}</ref>
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Esthappan]]||1979||[[G. Aravindan]]||[[Kerala State Film Award]]<ref name="1979 Film Awards" />
|-
|[[Pokkuveyil]]||1981||[[G. Aravindan]]||-
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Elippathayam]]||1981||[[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]]||[[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam|National Film Award]]<ref name="29thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/29th_nff_1982.pdf|title=29th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=4 October 2011}}</ref><br>[[Kerala State Film Award]]<ref name="1979 Film Awards" />
|-
|[[Manju (film)|Manju]]||1982||[[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]||-
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Mukhamukham]]||1984||[[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]]||[[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam|National Film Award]]<ref name="32ndawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/32nd_nff_1985.pdf|title=32nd National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=6 January 2012}}</ref>
|-
|[[Anantaram]]||1987||[[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]]||[[National Film Award for Best Direction]]<ref name="35thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/35th_nff_1988.pdf|title=35th National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=9 January 2012|pages=12–13}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=#edf3fe
|[[Vidheyan]]||1993||[[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]]||[[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam|National Film Award]]<ref name="41stawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/41st_nff_1994.pdf|title=41st National Film Awards|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref>
|}

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[G. Aravindan]]
* [[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]]
* [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]
* [[P. Bhaskaran]]
* [[A. Vincent]]
{{div col end}}
{{Portal|India}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal | url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2701/stories/19890610160.htm | title=Aravindan's art | author=Sashi Kumar | journal=Frontline |date=January 2010 | volume=27 | issue=1}}

==External links==
* {{cite AV media | url=http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/6114/a-meaningful-producer-who-stood-for-meaningful-cinema/E | title=Ee Vazhitharayil (Along this pathway) | publisher=Mathrubhumi News | date=2014 | medium=Documentary | location=Kerala | access-date=6 December 2014 | archive-date=27 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427034954/http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/6114/a-meaningful-producer-who-stood-for-meaningful-cinema/E | url-status=dead }}
* {{imdb name|0619754}}

{{J. C. Daniel Award}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, K. Ravindran}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:J. C. Daniel Award winners]]
[[Category:Kerala State Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kollam]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Film producers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Malayalam film producers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]

K. Ravindranathan Nair - Revision history

KarmaConyers at 18:35, 14 February 2025