Geetu Mohandas


Gayatri Das known professionally as Geetu Mohandas is an Indian film actress and director known for her works in Malayalam cinema and Bollywood. In 2013, she directed the socio political film Liar's Dice which has received two National Film Awards, was premiered at Sundance Film Festival, and was chosen by the Government of India as India's entry for the U.S. 87th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, but was not shortlisted or nominated.

As an actress

Geetu's actual name is Gayatri das. Affectionately called Geetu by her family, the name was adopted as her screen name when she starred in her fourth movie Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare in 1986 with Mohanlal in the lead role. Geetu was five years old then and captured the hearts of Malayalam filmgoers as a fatherless child who discovers a father in an anonymous telephone caller. She acted in the top grosser En Bommukutty Ammavukku as the title role, which was the Tamil remake of Fazil's Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku done by Baby Shalini in the title role. Geetu's first movie as an adult was Life is Beautiful starring Mohanlal in the lead. She went on to act in Thenkasi Pattanam, Valkannadi, Nammal Thammil and several other Malayalam movies. The high point of her career was Akale directed by Shyamaprasad, and produced by Tom George Kolath which won her the Kerala State Award for Best Actress in 2004. Geetu also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam, for her role as Rose, in Akale.

As director

Geetu Mohandas formed her film production house- Unplugged in 2009 which produced her directorial debut short fiction film titled Kelkkunnundo Are you listening. The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and subsequently won 3 International awards for Best Short fiction as well as the National Film Award in India. The film has been included as a chapter in the 12th standard Kerala state syllabus since 2014. Her first feature film Liar's Dice received the Hubert Bals fund for script and project development and the film was selected in Competition for the world dramatic competition at Sundance Film Festival in 2014. Liar's Dice went on to win six major international awards across the world and two National awards in India. It was also India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. Her second feature film, Moothon was mentored by the Sundance film lab and Geetu also won the Global film maker award at Sundance Film Festival in 2016. Moothon had its World premiere at Toronto International film festival in 2019 and was the opening film at MAMI 2019.,

Personal life

She was born as Gayatri Das to Mohandas and Latha on June 8, 1981 at Kochi. Studied in India, Malaysia and Canada. She has a brother, Dr. Arjun Das, nephrologist, living in US.
On 14 November 2009, she married cinematographer Rajeev Ravi. The wedding took place at night in Kochi, Kerala, India.The couple have a daughter, Aradhana.

Awards

As Director

International Film Festival of India
International Awards
Mumbai International Film Festival
Awards for Liar's Dice
;Kerala State Film Awards
;Filmfare Awards South
;Asianet Film Awards
;Kerala Film Critics Association Awards
;Mathrubhumi, Medimix film
;Ramu Karyat award

As an actress

YearFilmRoleNotes
1986Onnu Muthal Poojaym VareDeepa MolKerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist
1986Sayam SandhyaVinu Mol
1986VeendumAnu
1986RareeramGeethu
1988En Bommukutty AmmavukkuTinnuTamil film
2000Life Is BeautifulBala
2000ThenkasipattanamSangeetha
2001KannakiKumudam
2002Kakke Kakke KoodevideSudharma
2002PakalppooramSeemandini / Ghost
2002Krishna GopalakrishnaGayathri
2002SeshamMeera
2002ValkannadiDevu
2003Sahodharan SahadevanArathi
2003Shingari BolonaMaya
2003Nala DamayanthiDamayanthiTamil film
2003ChoondaMohini Varma/Archana
2003Mullavalliyum ThenmavumEva Cherian
2004OridamNo name in the movie
2004ThudakkamKarthika
2004AkaleRoseKerala State Film Award for Best Actress
Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam
2005UllamRadha
2005PauranAnnie
2005RappakalMalavika Varma
2006KisanAmmu/Ambili Varma
2006PoiRamyaTamil film
2006ArunamSeetha
2007Bharathan EffectGeetha
2007ThakarachendaLatha
2007Naalu PennungalKumari
The Virgin		aka Four Women
2008Akasha GopuramCatherineNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam
2009Seetha KalyanamAbhirami
2009Nammal ThammilAnu

As Director