Jeo Baby

Jeo Baby
Born
Thalanadu, Kerala, India
Occupations
Years active2016–present

Jeo Baby is an Indian film director, scriptwriter and actor who works in Malayalam films.[1] His family drama film The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) won the 51st Kerala State Film Award for Best Film and he received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay.[2]

Early life

He studied cinema at St. Joseph College of Communication, Changanacherry. During his final year, he directed the 2007 short film Secret Minds which discussed same-sex relationships. He, along with three other students (the producer and actors), were suspended and later expelled from the college, which alleged the film had "obscene scenes which were capable of misleading young minds" and that they had not gotten permission to shoot it on campus. However, Jeo Baby later stated that the film "did well at international film festivals".[3][4]

Career

Jeo Baby started his career in the entertainment industry by writing for Television sitcoms in 2010.[4] He was involved in scripting the initial episodes of popular television sitcoms Marimayam, 'Uppum Mulakum' and 'M80 Moosa'. He made his directional movie debut through the Malayalam movie '2 Penkuttikal' which was released in 2016.[5] His second movie Kunju Daivam was released in 2017.[6] In 2020 he directed Kilometers and Kilometers which has Tovino Thomas playing the lead role. The movie didn't get a theatrical release due to COVID-19 pandemic & premiered directly on Malayalam satellite channel Asianet followed by an OTT release on Netflix.[7] His fourth Malayalam film, The Great Indian Kitchen, which has Suraj Venjaramoodu & Nimisha Sajayan playing the lead roles, was directly released on 'NeeStream' OTT platform on 15 January 2021. The movie was later officially released on Amazon Prime.[8] The film was successful, with a Tamil remake being released in 2023 and a Hindi one in the works. Jeo Baby stated that it had given him the confidence to take more risks for his own 2023 film Kaathal – The Core. Starring Mammootty (who also financed the film and decided to collaborate with Jeo Baby after watching The Great Indian Kitchen) and Jyothika in the lead roles, the film has been praised as a serious and sensitive drama about a panchayat candidate navigating societal reactions and his relationships after his wife outs him as gay to end their loveless marriage.[9]

Short Film

[citation needed]

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Secret Minds Script 1.Screened in Queer LGBT Film Festivals, Bangalore

2. Screened in International Queer Film Festival, Rice University, Houston

Television

Sitcoms

Year Title Role Channel
2011 Marimayam Scriptwriter Mazhavil Manorama
2014 M80 Moosa Scriptwriter Media One
2015 Uppum Mulakum Scriptwriter Flowers TV

Filmography

As director

Year Title Notes
2016 2 Penkuttikal Debut film as director
2017 Kunju Daivam [10]
2020 Kilometers and Kilometers [11]
2021 The Great Indian Kitchen [12]
2022 Freedom Fight Anthology Film
Segment: Old Age Home
Sreedhanya Catering Service Writing & Direction
2023 Kaathal – The Core [13]

As actor

Jeo Baby has done short roles in various Malayalam feature films.

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Ain
2018 Kunju Daivam
2019 Edakkad Battalion 06 Villager
2020 Kilometers and Kilometers
2021 Varthamanam Advocate
Kho-Kho Cameo
2022 Freedom Fight
Sreedhanya Catering Service Siby
Chera
2023 Purusha Pretham [14]
Kolla S.I. Victor Sebastian [15]
Pulimada Agustine [16]
2024 Mandakini [17]
Swakaryam Sambhava Bahulam Raveendran [18]

References

  1. ^ Anand, Shilpa Nair (30 October 2017). "The Unrelenting Storyteller". The Hindu. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  2. ^ "51st Kerala State Film Awards: The complete winners list". The Indian Express. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  3. ^ Bourke, Amy (15 May 2007). "Students suspended for gay film". PinkNews. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  4. ^ a b Anand, Shilpa Nair (30 October 2017). "The unrelenting storyteller". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-11-28 – via www.thehindu.com.
  5. ^ "Tovino, Amala pitch in for 2 Penkuttikal". Times of India. 3 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Baby's Little God". The Deccan Chronicle. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  7. ^ "Tovino's movie 'Kilometers and Kilometers' postponed in wake of COVID-19 outbreak". 10 March 2020 – via Manorama Online.
  8. ^ "Suraj Venjaramoodu starrer 'The Great Indian Kitchen' for OTT Release". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  9. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (28 November 2023). "How Jeo Baby's risky 'Kaathal' fell into place: 'Once Mammootty agreed, everything became easy'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  10. ^ "National award winner 'Kunjudaivam' has a quiet release". Times of India. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  11. ^ "'Kilometers and Kilometers' is an out and out entertainer-Director Jeo Baby". Times of India. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  12. ^ "Suraj, Nimisha Film 'The Great Indian Kitchen' to release on January 15". The New Indian Express. 12 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Mammootty and Jyothika roped in for Jeo Baby's next". 18 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Purusha Pretham Movie Review: Gritty procedural with an even blend of the comic and morbid". Cinema Express. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  15. ^ "Kolla movie review: This Rajisha Vijayan-Priya Varrier starrer will make you yell at the screen for conspicuously missing good opportunities". The Indian Express. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  16. ^ "Joju's Pulimada gets a release date". Cinema Express. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  17. ^ Features, C. E. (2024-04-06). "Althaf Salim-Anarkali Marikar starrer Mandakini gets a release date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  18. ^ Santhosh, Vivek (2024-05-31). "Swakaryam Sambhava Bahulam Movie Review: A dismal experience trivialising women's woes". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2024-05-31.