M. S. Sathyu
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M.S. Sathyu (b.6th July 1930 in Mysore, Karnataka) is a leading film director and stage designer from India. His film Garam Hawa is the first film on the partition of India. He is a leftist intellectual. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri.
M.S.Sathyu did his schooling and higher education at Mysore and Bangalore. Coming from a more privileged class of society, gave him the opportunity to go in for higher studies to Bangalore. In college he studied very little of his optional subjects Chemistry, Botany, and Geology, spending more time in sports, fine arts and theatre. In 1952 he quit college while doing BSc and plunged into the uncertain world of films in Bombay. Freelanced as an animator in 1952-3. After being unemployed for nearly four years, he got his first salaried job as assistant director to film-maker Chetan Anand. His first assignment as an independent Art Director was for HAQEEQAT, a film by Chetan Anand, which got him the Filmfare Award in 1964 and along with that came recognition. His best known work, Garam Hawa, is one of the last titles featuring 1950s Marxist cultural activists including Balraj Sahni and Kaifi Azmi.
Once in Mumbai he became very active in theatre and worked extensively with IPTA, Balraj Sahni's Juhu Art Theatre and various other offshoots like Left Organisation Bombay Youth.
M. S. Sathyu currently is associated mainly with television and stage.
THEATRE
Notable plays: Dara Shikoh, Bakri, Rakshas, Raat, Bidirina Vrutha, Safed Kundali.Has been working in theatre as a designer and director since 1952. Designed sets and lights for productions of Hindustani Theatre, Okhla Theatre, Kannada Bharati and other groups of Delhi. Also worked with Alyque Padamsee’s Theatre Group, Alkazi’s Theatre Unit, Herbert Marshall’s Civic Theatre, Balraj Sahni’s Juhu Art Theatre, Indian National Theatre and many other Gujarati, English and Marathi theatre groups of Bombay. In Bangalore he has worked with Samudaya, Nataranga, ADA and other groups.
Hindustani Theatre MUDRARAKSHAS, MERA NAAM TRUFALDIN
INT - Indian National Theatre Scripted and designed INT’s ballets, DEKH TERI BAMBAI, KRISHNA LEELA and DISCOVERY OF INDIA, choreographed by Parvati Kumar. LAGAN NA BEDI, SAPNANA VAVETAR, KUMAR NI AGASHI, THE VISIT
IPTA, Mumbai Some of their major stage productions directed and designed by M.S.Sathyu have been - Kaifi Azmi’s AAKHRI SHAMA, Balraj Sahani’s SOOKSHMAROOP, Qudsia Zaidi’s SUFAID KUNDALI, Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena’s BAKRI, Niaz Haider and Qudsia Zaidi’s MITTI KI GAADI, Javed Siddiqi’s RAKSHAS, Safdar Hashmi and Habib Tanvir’s MOTERAM KA SATYAGRAH, Niaz Haider and Shama Zaidi’s SHRIMAN BALE UIRE, Javed Siddiqi’s RAAT
IPTA productions designed: EK AUR DRONACHARYA directed by Subhash B. Dangayach, GHODA and others
Other productions deisgned: 1991 RASHOMON directed by Janak Toprani. A play based on Kurosawa's film. 1991 Girish Karnad's NAGMANDALA directed Vijaya Mehta. An NCPA and HUM production. 1992 Lankesh's GUNA MUKHA a political play in Kannada. 1992 Prithvi Players production of 4 American plays directed by John Cappeletti. Thornton Wilder's INFANCY , Edward Albee's SANDBOX, Robert Anderson's I'M HERBERT and John Guarve's THE LONELIEST AFTERNOON OF THE YEAR. TUMHARI AMRITA directed by Feroz Khan. EVA MUMBAI MA CHAL JAIYE directed by Feroz Khan, and others
Recent Stage Productions as DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER KURUKSHETRA DINDA KARGIL VARAGE (Kannada) for Drishti/Kannada Bharati, Bangalore, KURUKSHETRA SE KARGIL TAK (Hindi) for IPTA Mumbai, MATASH RAJA (Kannada) for Rangayana, Mysore, BAKRI.COM (Hindi) for IPTA Mumbai, ITI NINNA AMRITA (Kannada) for Sanket, Bangalore, KURI.COM (Kannada) for Suvi Creations, Mangalore, DARA SHIKOH (Hindustani) for K.K. Kohli, New Delhi
FILMS
M. S. Sathyu Filmography: Sathyu has been working in films since 1956 in various capacities as Art director, Camera-man, Script writer, Producer and Director. His filmography includes over 15 documentaries, around 25 advertisement films and 8 feature films in Hindi, Urdu and Kannada.
Feature Films EK THA CHOTU EK THA MOTU 1965 / B&W / No dialogues Director M.S.Sathyu An hour long children’s feature film for The Children’s Film Society, India.
GARM HAVA (Hot Winds) 1974 / Colour / 136min / Urdu Producer and Director M.S.Sathyu Screenplay Shama Zaidi & Kaifi Azmi Lyrics and dialogue by Kaifi Azmi Based on a short story by Ismat Chugtai A film on the plight of Muslims in India after partition. National Award 1974. National Integration Award. Invited for the competitive section at Cannes and also the Indian entry at the Oscars. Filmfare award for best screenplay.
KANNESHWARA RAMA (The Legendary Outlaw) 1976 / Colour / 137min / Kannada & Hindi Direction M S Sathyu Script Shama Zaidi Based on the exploits of a legendary dacoit of the Malnad region in Karnataka. Karnataka State Award 1976.
CHITEGU CHINTE 1979 / Kannada Direction M.S.Sathyu Script Javed Siddiqi A political spoof in Kannada. Special jury Award at the Karnataka State Awards.
BARA / SOOKHA (Famine) 1981 (Kannada) & 1983 (Hindi) / Colour / 140min Producer & Director M S Sathyu Screenplay & Dialogues Shama Zaidi & Javed Siddiqi Based on a short novel by U R Ananthamurthy. BARA - National Award for best Kannada film and Karnataka State Award 1982. SOOKHA - National Integration Award 1983.
KAHAN KAHAN SE GUZAR GAYA (The Paths I Have Trod) 1986 / Colour / Hindi Producer & Director M S Sathyu Scripted by Shama Zaidi and Javed Siddiqi. Original Screenplay Shama Zaidi A film on the socio-political conflict amongst urban youth.
GALIGE (Moment) 1995 / Colour / Kannada Producer, Director and Script M S Sathyu. A feature film in Kannada and partly in Punjabi. Indian Panorama IFFI 1996. The Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival USA 1997.
Art Direction HAQEEQAT, Director Chetan Anand, 1964 / B&W / Hindi DAKGHAR, Director Zul Vellani, 1966 / Colour / Hindi INSPECTOR EAGLE, Director V Adil, 1976-7 / Colour / Hindi HIMALAY SE OONCHA, Babbu Mehra & B Sthapa, 1977 / Colour / Hindi NAYA JANAM, Director Zul Vellani, Colour / Hindi
Costume Design ANJALI, Director Chetan Anand, 1956 / B&W / Hindi
Short films and Documentaries IRSHAD Director M.S.Sathyu A short film in mime for Children’s Film Society.
BLACK MOUNTAIN Co-director M.S.Sathyu An Indo-Russian co-production for Children’s Film Society.
GHALIB 1969 / B&W / 22min / Urdu and English Director M.S.Sathyu Research & Script Shama Zaidi A documentary film on the life of Mirza Ghalib through his own words taken from his letters, poetry, writings, etc.
ISLAM IN INDIA 1982 / B&W / 120 min Producer M.S.Sathyu Director Shama Zaidi A feature length documentary on the socio-cultural heritage of Islam in India. Made for the Hijri Celebration Committee, Govt. of India., celebrating the beginning of the 15th century of the Islamic Era.
HONHAR BIRWAN 20 min Producer and director M.S.Sathyu A film on nutrition for pregnant women, shot at Colnelganj, UP, for CARE.
Produced and directed biographical short films- 1971 NATAKA RATNA on Gubbi Veeranna. 1972 ONE MAN’S WAR on Dr. K M Modi, the miracle eye surgeon. 1986 MASTI on the Jnanapeeth Award winning writer Masti Venkatesa Iyengar. 1994 T S SATYAN, on the world renown photo journalist. 1994 SURENDRA KAVALGI, on a Sarvodaya worker at Melkote. 1994 SARASWATI, on a handicapped woman entrepreneur.
TELEVISION
Has been working for Television since its inception in India and has produced and directed a number of tele-serials and tele-films.
TV Serials PRATIDHWANI 1985 Direction M.S.Sathyu Produced by Odyssey, Bangalore. A TV serial in Tamil (Madras Doordarshan) and Kannada (Bangalore Doordarshan) versions, based on 12 short stories by Masti Venkatesa Iyengar.
CHOLI DAAMAN 1987-88 Direction M.S.Sathyu Script by Kartar Singh Duggal Produced by Mathur Video Vision, commissioned by DD. A 13 episode TV serial in Hindi (Doordarshan) on Hindu-Sikh harmony in the Punjab.
KAYAR (Coir) 1992 Producer and Director M.S.Sathyu Adaptation Babu Bhaskar and M.S.Sathyu A 26 episode TV serial in Hindi (Doordarshan) based on Jnanapeeth awardee Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s novel in Malayalam.
ANTIM RAJA (The Last Raja of Coorg) 1986 Direction M.S.Sathyu Based on a Jnanapeeth award winning Kannada novel by Masti Venkatesa Iyengar. Incomplete.
Under production is SWARNADWEEP, a TV serial, mainly for children, based on a story from Panchatantra in which a village tailor impersonates Lord Vishnu and in his sojourn encounters the real Vishnu.
Tele-films 1990 Directed AANGAN in Hindi. An hour long tele-film for HUDCO on motivating slum dwellers to better their environment. Produced by easel Productions, New Delhi.
1991 Produced and directed EK HADSA CHAR PEHLU, a tele-film in Hindi on bride burning for the Department of Women and Child Development.
1993 Produced and directed THANGAM, a tele-film in Hindi, for the Department of Women and Child Development, on atrocities against women.
1996 Produced and directed MALKA, a tele-film on Primary Education, for the Govt. of Karnataka, sponsored by the World Bank.
1998 Produced and directed KOTTA, a 90 min tele-film in Hindi and Kannada versions, for Doordarshan’s national network. Based on a novel by M Veerappa Moily, music by B V Karanth and script by Sushma Veerappa.
2001 Produced and directed CHANDRAVADANA, a 90 min tele-film in Kannada for ETV-Kannada. Based on a story by Masti Venkatesa Iyengar.
Currently, he runs an editing studio in Bangalore, India, called "Cinema Ityadi". He stays active in mind and body and enjoys cooking.
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