John Abraham (director) facts for kids

John Abraham (born August 11, 1937 – died May 31, 1987) was a famous Indian filmmaker. He was also a short story writer and screenwriter. Most of his work was in Malayalam cinema.

One of his films, Amma Ariyan (1986), was very special. It was the only South Indian movie chosen by the British Film Institute as one of the "Top 10 Indian Films" ever. Another film, Agraharathil Kazhuthai, was also listed among the "100 Greatest Indian Films" in a 2013 poll.

Early Life and Education

John Abraham was born in 1937 in a place called Chennamkary, Kuttanadu. He grew up in the Alleppey area.

He studied at CMS College Kottayam and then at Marthoma College in Thiruvalla. After college, he worked as a teacher for a short time. Later, he joined the Life Insurance Corporation of India.

John then went to the FTII in Pune. This is a famous school for filmmaking. There, he met other important filmmakers like Ritwik Ghatak. John did very well at FTII, earning gold medals for writing and directing films.

Starting His Film Career

After finishing film school, John Abraham began his career in movies. He worked as an assistant director for the film Uski Roti in 1969. This was a Hindi film.

His first movie as a director was Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile in 1967. It was a Malayalam film. He also worked on some Hindi projects in Kerala, but these movies were not released.

John became well-known after his Tamil film Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1977). This movie helped him get recognition.

His Main Films

John Abraham directed only four main films during his career:

• Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile (1972, Malayalam)
• Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1977, Tamil)
• Cheriachante Krurakrithyangal (1979, Malayalam)
• Amma Ariyan (1986, Malayalam)

The Odessa Collective

In 1984, John Abraham started something special called the Odessa Collective. This was a group of people who loved movies. They wanted to change how films were made and shared. Their idea was to make movies with help from the public. This way, films could be a way to share ideas and inspire people.

To make their first film, Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother), John and his friends did something unique. They traveled through villages and collected money from ordinary people. They also showed Charlie Chaplin's silent film The Kid to raise money.

Amma Ariyan was shown all over Kerala without being sold for profit. This idea of showing films freely continued even after John's death.

People in the media sometimes called him Ottayan. This means "The Lone Tusker" in Malayalam. It showed he was a unique and independent person.

John Abraham also wrote many stories and scripts. Some of his stories were published in books like Nerchakkozhi and John Abrahaminte Kathakal.

His Passing

John Abraham passed away on May 31, 1987. He had an accident where he fell from a house. He was taken to the hospital, but sadly, he did not survive.

Years later, a doctor who was at the hospital at that time said that John might have been saved if the doctors had known who he was. They did not realize he was a famous filmmaker and might not have given him the urgent care he needed for his injuries.

Filmography

Documentaries

• 1967: Koyna Nagar – Director (English) – This film was not released.
• 1969: Priya – Director (Hindi) – This was John's final project at FTII.
• 1969: Hides and Strings – Director (English)

Feature Films

• 1972: Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile (This Way, Students) – Director (Malayalam)
  • Main actors: Madhu, Adoor Bhasi, Jayabharathi
• 1977: Agraharathil Kazhuthai (Donkey in the Elite Colony) – Director and screenwriter (Tamil)
  • Main actor: M. B. Sreenivasan
• 1979: Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal (Cruelties of Cheriyachan) – Director and screenwriter (Malayalam)
  • Main actors: Adoor Bhasi, Kaviyoor Ponnamma
• 1986: Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother) – Director and screenwriter (Malayalam)
  • Main actors: Joy Mathew, Maji Venkitesh

Books Written by John Abraham

• Nerchakkozhi (1986)
• John Abrahaminte Kathakal (1993) – This book was published after his death.

Awards and Recognition

John Abraham received several important awards for his films:

National Film Awards

• 1977: Best Feature Film in Tamil for Agraharathil Kazhuthai
• 1986: Special Jury Award for Amma Ariyan

Kerala State Film Awards

• 1979: Special Jury Award for Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal

His Legacy

John Abraham had a big impact on filmmaking. Many filmmakers after him were inspired to make unique and different movies. He is seen as one of the people who helped start independent cinema in Malayalam.

John Abraham Award

To honor his memory, the Federation of Film Societies of India – Kerala started the John Abraham Award for Best Malayalam Film in 1998. Since 2005, there are also John Abraham National Awards for the best documentaries and short films. These awards are given at a festival called SIGNS.

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