Anwar Ali (poet)

Anwar Ali (born 1 July 1966) is an Indian poet, lyricist, translator, and documentary filmmaker,^[1][2] he has been contributing poems and poetic studies in leading literary journals and periodicals of Kerala since 1984; Mazhakkalam (The Rainy Season), 1999, his first collection of poems established him as one of the prominent voices in contemporary Malayalam poetry; his poems have been translated into various Indian and forien languages and are included in several anthologies of Malayalam as well as Indian poetry of the post-modern phase. His other important works include Atiyaati Alanja marangale (Ye Trees, Swaying Ramblers), collection of poems, 2009, Eternal Sculptures, Poetry Collection in English, 2007, and, I Rappai, Novella, 1995.

He has translated the English version of Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, 1994, the renowned Japanese work, into Malayalam and has co-translated Oru Gramathile Nadi (A river in a village), 2010, the poetry Collection by Sirpi Balasubrhamaniam, the renowned Tamil poet, with Abdul Jaleel; also translated a series of modern Anglophone African poems and poems from other Indian languages like Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Assamese into Malayalam. Maruvili (Call from the Other Shore)^[3] produced under the banner of Image Commune(2015), his debut documentary film on Attoor Ravi Varma,^[4] the renowned Indian Poet writes in Malayalam,^[5] is a notable work in the genre of Biopic and selected for IDSFFK,2015 (International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala) MIFF,2016 Mumbai International Film Festival and SIGNS Festival,2015. He has co-written the scenario of Margam (film)(2003), an internationally acclaimed Malayalam feature film, co-produced a documentary series on the history of Malayalam cinema for Doordarshan, India (1995–97) and wrote for Saasthra Kouthukam,^[6] the popular science programme in Doordarshan, India (1991-1995), on behalf of C Dit Centre for Development of Imaging Technology. Also wrote a number of scripts for C Dit documentaries.

Career

He has Co-edited Pakshikkoottam (The Birds’ Flock), a parallel journal & publication for literature, and Kavithakku Oru Idam (A Space for Poetry), a journal exclusively for New Poetry, with fellow writers of Kerala; worked as the Chief Editor of Seventy Five Years of Malayalam Cinema an exclusive CD Rom on the history of Malayalam cinema produced by Kerala Film Academy (2003),

He has Participated in the Writer-in-Residence Program of Literature Translation Institute, South Korea on 2007 and attended the Afro-Asian Literature Festival, 2007, Jonju, Korea; also participated in various poetry/book/film festivals which include Asselieh Film Festival, Morocco, 2004, Paju Book festival, South Korea,2014 Sharjah International Book Fair 2014 Young Poets Meet, New Delhi, 1997, Kavi Bharati, Bhopal, 2005, and The New Voices, Trivandrum, 2004.

Awards

Received Kunchu Pillai Award (1992) and The Kanakasree Endowment Award of Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award(Academy of Literature, Kerala State) for Poetry (2000); shared Best Film-script Prize in The South-South Film Encounter, Morocco (2003), Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran(2003), and Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay (2003) for the scenario of Margam (film), the renowned Malayalam Film. Maruvili^[7] has won the Best Biopic Award in Signs Festival,^[8] 2015.

Selected filmography

Lyricist:

• Kando Kando (Annayum Rasoolum – 2013)
• Vazhivakkil (Annayum Rasoolum – 2013)
• Aaru Ninte Naavikan (Annayum Rasoolum – 2013)
• Theruvukal Nee (Njaan Steve Lopez – 2014)
• Ooraake Kalapila (Njaan Steve Lopez – 2014)
• Chirakukal Njan Nee Dooramaay (Njaan Steve Lopez – 2014)
• Muthu Penne (Njaan Steve Lopez – 2014)
• Ulakam Vayalaakki (Jalaamsam – 2014)
• Para Para (Kammattippaadam – 2016)
• Kaathirunna Pakshi Njaan (Kammattippaadam – 2016)
• Puzhu Pulikal (Kammattippaadam – 2016)
• Kisa Paathiyil (Kismath – 2016)
• Chilathunaam (Kismath – 2016)
• Vinnu Churanna (Kismath – 2016)
• Thambiran (Ezra – 2017)
• Lokam Ennum (Sakhaavu – 2017)
• Mizhiyil Ninnum (Maayanadi – 2017)
• Mizhi Niranju (Eeda – 2018)
• Marivil (Eeda – 2018)
• Udalin (Eeda – 2018)
• Kinavu Kondoru (Sudani From Nigeria – 2018)
• Plathoore Sivantambalathin (Kuttanpillayude Shivarathri - 2018)

References