Panna Rittikrai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Panna Rittikrai
พันนา ฤทธิไกร
Actor/comedian Petchtai Wongkamlao (left), and director Panna Rittikrai attend ceremonies for the press screening of Tom-Yum-Goong at Major Cineplex Ratchayothin in Bangkok on August 4, 2005.
Born	Krittiya Lardphanna (1961-02-17)February 17, 1961 Khon Kaen, Thailand
Died	July 20, 2014(2014-07-20) (aged 53) Bangkok, Thailand
Education	Maha Sarakham Physical Education Institute
Occupation	Martial arts choreographer film director screenwriter actor
Spouse(s)	Laksana Saothongchai

Panna Rittikrai (Thai: พันนา ฤทธิไกร) was a famous Thai action movie expert. He was born Krittiya Lardphanna on February 17, 1961, and passed away on July 20, 2014. Panna was a talented martial arts choreographer, which means he designed all the cool fight scenes in movies. He was also a film director, screenwriter, and actor.

Panna led a stunt team called Muay Thai Stunt. He is best known for his amazing work on the films Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (2003) and Tom-Yum-Goong (2005), also known as The Protector. These movies starred Tony Jaa, who Panna helped train and guide.

The Life of Panna Rittikrai

Starting His Film Journey

Panna Rittikrai was born in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. He began his career in movies in 1979. He first worked as a physical trainer for actors in Bangkok.

He learned about filmmaking and was inspired by action movie legends. These included Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. He also loved the exciting stunts in James Bond films. Panna then returned to Khon Kaen. There, he created his own stunt team, the P.P.N. Stunt Team. This team later became known as Muay Thai Stunt. They started making their own action movies.

His very first movie was Gerd ma lui, which means Born to Fight. He even remade this movie in 2004.

Becoming World Famous

Panna's movies like Ong-Bak and Tom-Yum-Goong became very popular worldwide. Fans loved their realistic and intense fight scenes. This led to his older films being released on DVDs for international audiences.

Some of his earlier movies that gained new life included Spirited Killer (also called Puen Hode). This film co-starred Tony Jaa. Tony Jaa also played a villain in Mission Hunter 2.

Panna also choreographed martial arts for other films. These included the action-comedy The Bodyguard. He also worked on Mercury Man, a Thai superhero movie. He helped direct Ong Bak 2 and Ong Bak 3, the sequels to Ong-Bak. He also worked on Chocolate, which starred a female martial artist named Yanin Vismistananda. Panna also acted in Dynamite Warrior (2006). This was his first acting role in nine years.

His Legacy

Panna Rittikrai was a true pioneer in Thai action cinema. He helped bring Thai martial arts to the world stage. He mentored many actors, including Tony Jaa. His work continues to inspire filmmakers and martial artists globally.

Panna Rittikrai received treatment for liver disease starting in November 2013. He passed away in a hospital in Bangkok on July 20, 2014. This was due to problems with his liver and kidneys. Doctors later found he also had a brain tumor.

Main Filmography

Panna Rittikrai was involved in many films throughout his career. Here are some of the movies where he worked as an actor or as part of the crew.

Actor

Crew