B. Unnikrishnan

Unnikrishnan B (born 14 August 1970) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, distributor and exhibitor who works in the Malayalam film industry.

B Unnikrishnan
Born
Unnikrishnan Bhaskaran

(1970-08-14) 14 August 1970
Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer/distributor
  • Exhibitor
  • writer
Years active1999 – present

Early life

Unnikrishnan. B. was born on 14 August 1970 in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, India.[1]

Career

He began his film career in 1999 by writing the screenplay of Jalamarmaram directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar, which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay that year. The film dealt with the politics of water and environmentalism. In 2000, his screenplay Cover Story directed by G. S. Vijayan was released. It was a box office failure.[2] He was the screenwriter of the thriller Black and White, a television serial telecast in Asianet in 2004, which won two Kerala State Television Awards.[3][4] The serial was directed by Viji Thampi.[5] in 2004, he wrote and directed a telefilm titled Antharangal, which won the Kerala state television award for the best telefilm. In 2005, he wrote, produced and directed a telefilm, Annum Mazhayayirunnu which was aired by Amrita TV. The Hindu wrote "The suspense that is maintained throughout the short movie, despite it being set in a domestic, sylvan setting, goes to the credit of the carefully crafted script".[3] The telefilm won six Kerala State Television Awards, including Best Telefilm and Best screenplay for Unnikrishnan.[6]

He scripted Shaji Kailas-directorial action film Shivam in 2002 and the thriller film The Tiger in 2005,[7] the latter starring Suresh Gopi was successful.[8] He made his feature film directorial debut in 2006 with the action film Smart City. His second directorial Madampi starring Mohanlal was a blockbuster . Unlike his previous films, Madampi was a family drama that told the story of a money lender in a village.[9] In 2009, he scripted and directed the action police story I. G. – Inspector General starring Suresh Gopi. The film talked issues like terrorism and communal politics.[10] In the same year, he wrote and directed the segment Aviramam in the anthology film Kerala Cafe.[11] In 2010, he scripted and directed the political satire Pramani starring Mammootty as a corrupt panchayat president,[12] which was a box office failure.[13]

His directorial crime thriller Grandmaster released in 2012 was written by himself starring Mohanlal as a loner cop who is challenged to investigate a crime. Not only that it was a financial success, but it showed Mohanlal in a totally different look and style.[14] Grandmaster was the first Malayalam film produced by UTV and it is also the first Malayalam film to be released in Netflix, apart from its theatrical release.[15] It was followed by I Love Me, a romantic thriller written by Sethu, that revolves around a group of youngsters.[16] In 2015, he wrote and directed the heist film Mr. Fraud, starring Mohanlal, which was a commercial failure.[17]

Unnikrishnan forayed into production and distribution with his company, RD Illuminations, which acquired and released the Malayalam dubbed versions of Sarrainodu (2016), Fidaa (2017), DJ: Duvvada Jagannadham (2017), and Bhaagamathie (2018).[18] He collaborated with Mohanlal, in 2017, for the crime thriller, Villain. With the film, he introduced Vishal into Malayalam cinema. It was also the first Indian film to be completely shot in 8K resolution.[19] After that, he co-produced and distributed the action thriller, Swathandriam Ardharathriyil (2018). It was produced by B. C. Joshy, Lijo Jose Pellissery, and Chemban Vinod Jose. It was a huge success at the box-office.[20] In 2019, he wrote and directed the first Malayalam film produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Kodathi Samaksham Balan Vakeel.It was a commercial success. In 2022. he collaborated with Mohanlal, for the fifth time, with Neyyattinkara Gopante Aaraattu written by Udaykrishna. However, it was critically panned by both the critics and audience, alike and box-office failure. In 2023, he collaborated with Mammootty, for a second time with Christopher written by Udaykrishna, it received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences.

Other work

He is the general secretary of Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) since 2008, he was re-elected to the position three times—2010, 2013 and 2017.[21][22][23] In 2014, he was elected as the general secretary of All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC).[24] He is a member in the advisory committee of Cine Workers' Welfare Board and director of Saamskaarika Kshemanidhi in Kerala. In 2016, he opened the multi-cuisine restaurant named Grandmaster's Kitchen in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, the restaurant was named after his film Grandmaster.[25] He owns the film distribution company RD Illuminations, that debuted in 2016 by releasing Yodhavu in Kerala. He was the managing director of the film post-production studio Vismayas Max and also the multiplex Aries Plex SL Cinemas, a Double-4K 64-channel Dolby Atmos theatre in Thiruvananthapuram.[26] It is the first theatre with Double-4K facility in South India.[27]

Filmography
Year Title Credited as Notes
Director Writer
1999 Jalamarmaram Yes Director: T. K. Rajeev Kumar
2000 Cover Story Yes Director: G. S. Vijayan
2002 Shivam Yes Director: Shaji Kailas
2005 The Tiger Yes Director: Shaji Kailas
2006 Smart City Yes Yes
2008 Madampi Yes Yes
2009 I. G. – Inspector General Yes Yes
Aviramam Yes Yes Segment from Kerala Cafe
2010 Pramani Yes Yes
The Thriller Yes Yes
2012 Grandmaster Yes Yes
I Love Me Yes Writer: Sethu
2014 Mr. Fraud Yes Yes
2017 Villain Yes Yes
2019 Kodathi Samaksham Balan Vakeel Yes Yes
2022 Aaraattu Yes Writer: Udaykrishna
2023 Christopher Yes Writer: Udaykrishna
List of television credits
Year Title Credit Network Notes
2004 Black and White Writer Asianet Serial; director: Viji Thampi
2005 Annu Mazhayayirunnu Director
Writer
Producer		 Amrita TV Telefilm

Accolades
Kerala State Film Awards
Kerala State Television Awards[6]
  • 2003: Best telefilm – Antharangal
  • 2005: Best Telefilm – Annum Mazhayayirunnu
  • 2005: Best Screenplay – Annum Mazhayayirunnu

References
  1. "ബി. ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണന്റെ ജന്മദിനം" (in Malayalam). DC Books. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  2. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (21 December 2012). "I love cinema". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  3. Manmadhan, Prema (29 April 2005). "Pangs of love". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  4. Special correspondent (4 November 2005). "'Avicharitham' wins five State television awards". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  5. Unni, Deepa. "Viji Thampy". Sify. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  6. Special correspondent (7 May 2006). "Siddique, Ambili Devi adjudged best TV actors". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  7. Manmadan, Prema (16 December 2005). "It's all about mind games". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  8. "After 'The King and the Commissioner', actor Suresh Gopi to star in Shaji Kailas' next action flick". News18. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  9. പ്രതീഷ്‌, ടി. എസ്. (19 May 2008). "മാടമ്പിയെക്കുറിച്ച് ബി. ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണൻ". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  10. Staff reporter (8 April 2009). "No fears of being typecast: Suresh Gopi". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  11. Moviebuzz (30 October 2009). "Review:Kerala Cafe". Sify. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  12. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (25 March 2010). "Follow the leader". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  13. "Kerala Box-Office- March 1 to April 13". Sify. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  14. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (5 July 2012). "Grandmaster in Hindi". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  15. Prakash, Asha (10 September 2010). "How about paying for viewing films online?". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  16. George, Vijay (1 November 2012). "Selfless acts". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  17. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (15 May 2014). "Mr. Fraud comes to town". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  18. Nair, Sree Prasad (5 September 2017). "After Allu Arjun's Yodhavu and Dhruvaraja Jagannadh, B Unnikrishnan to score hat-trick of hits with Fidaa". Catch News. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  19. Ramachandran, Mythily (25 October 2017). "Director Unnikrishnan returns with Mohanlal's 'Villain'". Gulf News. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  20. Onmanorama staff (18 August 2017). "Angamaly's Vincent Peppe to play Kottayam banker in next". Malayala Manorama. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  21. Nayar, Parvathy S. (9 May 2013). "B Unnikrishnan is FEFKA general secretary again". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  22. "Fefka office-bearers". The Hindu. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  23. "FEFKA office-bearers elected". The Hindu. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  24. Moviebuzz. "I have no political ambitions: says B Unnikrishnan". Sify. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  25. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (30 June 2016). "Five-star dining experience". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  26. Sreekumar, Priya (2 June 2016). "Menu card of Unnikrishnanan". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  27. Praveen, S. R. (15 July 2015). "Baahubali director to watch his film in city". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  28. "State Film Awards – 1999". Department of Information and Public Relations. 1999. p. 3. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
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