Anjali Menon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anjali Menon
2016
Born	Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Alma mater	Providence Women's College Pune University London Film School
Occupation	Film director Screenwriter
Years active	2009–present
Spouse(s)	Vinod Menon
Parent(s)	T. Madhavan Nair Sarada Nair

Anjali Menon is a talented Indian film director and screenwriter. She mainly works in the Malayalam film industry, which makes movies in the Malayalam language spoken in Kerala, India. Anjali has won many awards for her films, both in India and internationally.

She is well-known for popular movies like Manjadikuru, Ustad Hotel, Bangalore Days, Koode, and Wonder Women. Many people see Anjali as someone who brings new ideas and changes to Indian cinema. Her work is often praised by both audiences and film critics.

Anjali also started her own film company called Little Films. This company, based in Mumbai and Kerala, creates both fictional stories and real-life documentaries. She is also one of the people who helped start the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). This group works to make sure there is fairness and equality for women in the Malayalam film industry. Anjali is also a board member of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.

Early Life and School

Anjali Menon was born in Kozhikode, a city in Kerala, India. Her parents are T M Nair and Sarada Nair. She spent her childhood growing up in Dubai, which is in the United Arab Emirates.

Anjali studied filmmaking at the London Film School. She graduated with high honors in 2003, specializing in film direction, producing, and editing. Before that, she went to Providence Women's College in Kozhikode. She also earned a master's degree in Communication Studies from Pune University. Anjali has also trained in traditional Indian dance and music.

Her Career in Film

Starting Out (2000-2009)

Anjali Menon (second from left) at a press conference in 2012.

Anjali Menon began her career by helping to edit and produce educational documentaries. She also worked as a photographer for events and wrote articles for magazines. Her graduation film from London Film School was called Black Nor White. This short film was produced by Asif Kapadia. It was shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and won an award from the British Film Institute.

Anjali's first full-length movie was Manjadikuru (2008). This film tells a story about growing up in the early 1980s. It won the FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam film. Anjali also won the Hassankutty Award for Best Indian Debut Director at the International Film Festival of Kerala. Manjadikuru also won several awards at the South Asian International Film Festival, including Best Film and Best Director. Anjali also received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for this movie.

There was a delay of four years in finishing Manjadikuru because of problems with the producer. Anjali's own company, Little Films India, took over the project. They finished the film, and it was released in 2012. It received excellent reviews from critics.

While Manjadikuru was on hold, Anjali worked on her first film to be released in theaters. This was Kerala Cafe (2009), which was the first-ever Malayalam film made up of several short stories. Anjali directed a funny part of this film called Happy Journey. This segment was about gender differences and was shown at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival. It also won an award at the IFFK in 2009.

Later Success (2012-2022)

Anjali wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogues for the very popular film Ustad Hotel (2012). This movie was directed by Anwar Rasheed. Ustad Hotel is a drama about a young man who grew up outside India and his grandfather, who runs a restaurant by the sea. The film was a big success and was loved for its local feel and appeal to different generations. Anjali won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay for the dialogues in Ustad Hotel. The film itself won the National Award for Most Popular Film. Anjali also won Best Writer awards at the Asianet Film Awards and Vanitha Film Awards.

In 2014, Anjali wrote and directed Bangalore Days. This movie is about three cousins from Kerala who move to Bangalore. It became a huge commercial success. This film showed that Anjali could make popular movies that also had meaningful stories. The movie had many famous actors like Dulquer Salman, Nivin Pauly, and Nazriya Nazim. Bangalore Days was a massive hit and helped introduce Malayalam cinema to people who didn't speak Malayalam. Anjali won the Kerala State Award for Best Writer and Best Director at the Filmfare Awards and the Asianet Film Awards.

Anjali also wrote, directed, and helped produce Koode (2018). This film was praised by critics and audiences. It explored important topics like migrant workers and child safety, while also dealing with themes of loss and comfort. The movie starred Prithviraj, Parvathy, and Nazriya Nazim. It was praised for its strong performances and beautiful storytelling. Koode was based on a Marathi film called Happy Journey, but Anjali added many new layers to the story.

Anjali Menon's first film released directly on an online streaming platform was Wonder Women. She wrote and directed this English-language film. It is a drama about the experiences of six pregnant women who meet in a prenatal class. The film was released on Sony Liv.

Other Work and Interests

Anjali is also a speaker who gives talks on many topics. These include filmmaking, community, empowering women, starting businesses, and parenting. She has spoken at events like TED. Anjali has also been a judge for several film festivals and awards.

She works to preserve culture by documenting performers and collecting old stories. Anjali has written short stories, screenplays, and articles. She also shares her thoughts on her blog, AM Blog.

Themes in Her Films

Anjali's movies often show themes about family, the experiences of people who move to new places, gender, and how different cultures interact. She has mentioned famous filmmakers like Mira Nair and Padmarajan as people who inspire her.

She often tells stories about Indians who live outside India. Anjali believes that her own experience of living in different places helps her create unique stories. She also speaks out about the importance of fairness for everyone in the workplace. She also believes that films should show people and situations in a sensitive way.

Filmography

Year	Title	Director	Screenwriter	Notes
2000	Black Nor White			Short film
2009	Kerala Cafe			Directed the Happy Journey segment
2012	Manjadikuru
	Ustad Hotel
2014	Bangalore Days
2018	Koode
2022	Wonder Women			English film, released directly online on Sony LIV.
2025	Backstage			English short film, part of an anthology series

Awards and Recognition