Bharat Gopi (1937–2008) is an Indian actor, producer, director, writer and litterateur, most of whose films have been in the Malayalam film industry. He is known for his films Kodiyettam (1978), Yavanika (1982), Kattathe Kilikkudu (1983), Adaminte Variyelu (1983) and Chidambaram (1985). He died at the age of 71 due to a heart attack.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Gopinathan Velayudhan Nair, popularly known as Bharat Gopi, was born on 2 November 1937 (age 71 at death) in Chirayinkeezhu, Travancore, British India (now Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India). Their zodiac sign is Scorpio.
Bharat Gopi in his younger days
After his schooling, he joined the University College in Thiruvananthapuram and completed his graduation in science. During his school days he first acted in Jagathy NK Achari’s production Karakku Company in 1952. For a short period, he worked as a Lower Division Clerk in the Kerala State Electricity Board in 1957. His interest in theater and acting inspired him. Learn about it in depth.
family and caste
Bharat Gopi belonged to a Hindu Nair family from Kerala.
parents and siblings
Bharat Gopi’s father, Kochuvettil Velayudhan Pillai, was a teacher. He was also a theater enthusiast who acted in amateur plays in his time. His mother Parvatimma was a housewife. Gopi was the youngest of his four children. In one of his articles, he mentioned that his eldest brother served in the Indian Army. He has one more brother and sister.
wife and children
Bharat Gopi was married to Jayalakshmi SV, a retired AEO from government services.
Bharat Gopi’s wedding photo
They have a son, Murali Gopi, and a daughter, Dr. Meenu Gopi. Murali Gopi is an actor, filmmaker, writer and journalist. Some of the films written by him are Raasikan (2004), Left Right Left (2013), and Lucifer (2019).
Bharat Gopi with family
religion/religious views
In an interview published in Kilipattu in 2007, he talked about his religious and political views. He noted that while his ideologies were communist, he also affirmed that he was never an atheist. Praying was part of his discipline.
Address
Thrikkarthika, No. 27, Skyline Park Villas, Payad, Thiruvananthapuram.
signature/autograph
Bharat Gopi’s signature
livelihood
Theater
Bharat Gopi was an all-rounder in his theater career. He was an actor (100 stage productions), a playwright (5 plays), and a director (5 stage productions). He started his stage-acting career under the influence of playwright and literary critic G. Under the guidance of Shankar Pillai. In 1960, he founded the Prasadana Little Theater Group, promoting his ideas about modern plays. He played a role of one minute duration in his first play, Abhayarthikal (1962). This character named Raghavan had no dialogues but had to convey a shocking shock through his expressions. Gopi’s acting was highly appreciated.
Bharat Gopi’s first play Abhayarthikal
Prasadhan’s other major productions were Mrigatrishna (1963), Pe Pidichcha Lokam and Pooja Muri. The last production was Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in 1973, directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Bharat Gopi played the role of Astagon in this production. Of the five plays he wrote, Muthukal and Shiksha were for children’s theater in 1974. He wrote and directed Rajavu, Rajyam and Rajakanmaar (1974).
Bharat Gopi in Mirage
He collaborated with the productions of other theater groups such as Karamana Janardhan Nair and CN Srikantan. His creative pursuits took him to Kavalam Narayana Panikkar’s indigenous theater group, Thiruvarangu. He became a part of productions like Daivatar, Avanvan Katamba (1976), and Bhagavadujakam. He directed the plays, Thirumudi and Aprikkan, written by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar.
Bharat Gopi with Kavalam Narayan Panikkar and Devarajan Master
film
Bharat Gopi’s first film is Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swayamvaram (1972) in which the duration of his role is only 48 seconds. It was well received by critics and audiences.
Bharat Gopi in Swayamvaram
He appeared in Adoor’s Kodiyettam (1977), in which he played an ordinary man named Sankarankutty. For this role he received the National Award for Best Actor, then known as the Bharat Award, thus earning him the nickname Bharat Gopi.
Yes. He played the role of a circus manager in the film Thampu (1978) directed by Aravindan. Tea shop owner in Peruvazhiyambalam (1979). In 1980, he played the character of Ramesh in Mani Kaul’s film ‘Satha Se Uthta Aadmi’. The film was screened at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.
Bharat Gopi in ‘Man rising from the surface’
In 1981, he played various characters like Dr. Thomas in the film Vida Parayum Munpe, Vasu Menon in Palangal and Mammachan in Kallan Pavithram. Some notable characters and films up to 1986 are percussionist Ayyapan in Yavanika (1982), deaf sculptor Nandu in Ormakkayi (1982), Shakespeare Krishna Pillai in Kattathe Kilikkudu (1983), Mohandas in Chidambaram (1985), and Balan Menon. Revathikkoru Pavakutty (1986). He played the negative character of Krishnan Raju, a trade union leader, in Govind Nihalini’s film ‘Aghat’ in 1985. It won much praise.
Bharat Gopi with Smita Patil in the film Chidambaram
He was paralyzed in 1986, causing a temporary break in his acting career. The characters she played in Suzanna (2000), Rasathantharam (2006), and Nasrani (2007) were well received by the audience and critics.
Bharat Gopi in Rasathantram
Gopi’s directorial debut was the 1979 film Najattadi. This was also the debut film of actor Murali. This film could not be released because the Censor Board had banned this film saying that this film promotes Naxalite ideas.
Bharat Gopi behind the scenes of the film Najattadi
He later directed three more films – Ulsavapittenu (1989), Yamanam (1991), and Ente Hridayathinte Udama (2002). Yamanam won the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues. He turned producer with the film Pathayum (1993).
Bharat Gopi on the sets of the film Patheyam
Write
He wrote two books. The first was published in 1994 – Abhinaya Anubhavam. His syndicated column titled Vichar Kauthukam in Chitrabhoomi in the early 90s became the basis of this book. It is now considered a treatise on Indian cinema. The book received the National Award for Best Book on Indian Cinema and the jury noted,
For his introspective and self-analytic first-person account. Abhinaya Anubhavam is at times sobering and mournful, as the actor weaves an interesting picture of his interactions with his colleagues in cinema and the medium. “This book is as unusual as it is revealing.”
Cover page of Bharat Gopi’s Abhinayam Anubhavam
The second book, Nataka Niyogam, was published in 2002. It is an autobiography and gives information about his years in the theatre. The book is a collection of syndicated columns that were published in Mathrubhumi. It won the Kerala State Award for Best Book on Drama and Theatre. The introduction to this book by Dr. Ayyappa Panicker provides a good overview of the book.
But, it is a good idea to read more about ‘नाटकनीयोग’थि प्रशाष्ट्यूष्ट्यून।। And much more, also read more
He was writing his third book, believed to be a sequel to the drama Niyogam, at the time of his death. The tentative title given for the book was The Philosophy of Acting.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 1977, Gopi received the Best Actor Award at the National Film Awards for the film Kodiyettam.
Bharat Gopi received Bharat Award for the film Kodiyettam
- He won the Best Actor Award from the Kerala State Film Awards four times. This was for Kodiyettam in 1977, Oramakkayi in 1982, Ente Mamattikuttiyammakku, Eenam, Ettilam and Kattathe Kilikkodu in 1983 and Chidambaram in 1985.
- In 1981, he received the Best Supporting Actor Award from the Kerala Film Critics Association for the film Kallan Pavithran.
- Bharat Gopi received the Best Actor Award from the Kerala Film Critics Association in 1982 for the films Oramakkayi and Yavanika, in 1983 for Sandhya Mayangam Neram, and in 1984 for the films Kattathe Kilikkodu and Rachana.
- In 1985, he won the Special Jury Prize at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival (APFF) in Tokyo for the film Kattathe Kilikkoodu.
- He received the Best Actor Award twice at the Filmfare Awards South in 1982 for the film Oramakkayi and in 1985 for the film Kattathe Kilikudu.
- The French Government honored Bharat Gopi with a five-film retrospective at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris in 1985.
- In 1991, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
Bharat Gopi receiving Padma Shri
- In 1991, the film Yamnam directed by Bharat Gopi won the Best Film on Social Issues award at the National Film Awards.
- In 1991, he received the V. Shantaram Award for Best Film as a producer for the film Padhayam.
- In 1993 he received the Senior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture.
- In 1994, he received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Fellowship.
- In 1995, his book Abhinaya Anubhavam won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema.
Bharat Gopi received the National Award for the book Anantha Anubhavam
- In 2002, his book Nataka Niyogam won the Best Book on Drama and Theater award from the Kerala State Award on Professional Theatre.
- In 2002, the Kerala Film Critics Association honored him with the Chalachitra Ratnam Award for his overall contribution.
Death
Bharat Gopi suffered a heart attack during the shooting of the film De Ingottu Nokkiye in 2008. He was hospitalized for about a week before he passed away. In 1986 he suffered a fatal paralytic attack, from which he never fully recovered. Changes in blood pressure had troubled him since the early 1980s.
Favorite
- Actor: Sivaji Ganesan, Nedumudi Venu
Facts/General Knowledge
- The cover of Bharat Gopi’s book Nataka Niyogam has been designed by his son Murali Gopi.
Cover of Bharat Gopi’s book drama Niyogam
- Bharat Gopi is the only Malayalam actor to receive the honor of a five-film retrospective by the French government. Other Indian actors to receive this honor are Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan.
- During a college summer camp, he played the lead role in Ponkunnam Varkey’s Najanoradhikapattanu, his first play, with his close friend Karamana Janardhanan Nair. Years later in 2005, his son Sudhir Karamana debuted through the telefilm Maraviyude Manam (2005), directed by Bharat Gopi.
- Bharat Gopi stars with Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah in the film Aghat.
Bharat Gopi with Om Puri in the film Aghat
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn