Sanal Kumar Sasidharan Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Profession	Poet, lawyer and filmmaker
Known for	Directing the film Sexy Durga in 2017 that received many international awards
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 165 cm in meters- 1.65 m in feet & inches- 5’ 5”
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film (director): Short film Athisayalokam (2001)
Awards	• He won the Hivos Tiger Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2017. • He won the Golden Apricot Award at Yerevan International Film Festival in 2017. • In 2017, he won the award for the Best International Feature in Guanajuato International Film Festival, Mexico. • He won the Disruptor Award at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in 2021. • He won the Jury Mention For Direction at Valencia International Film Festival Cinema Jove in 2017. • He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film at the 2015 Kerala State Film Awards. • He won the Best Director award in the 2014 Kerala State Film Awards. • He won the Special Jury award in the John Abraham Awards 2014. • He won the Special Jury mention in the Aravindan Puraskaram 2014. • He won the Mohan Raghavan award for Best director in 2014. • In 2021, he received the IFFM Disruptor Award at the Indian Film Fest of Melbourne.
Personal Life
Date of Birth	8 April 1977 (Friday)
Age (as of 2022)	45 Years
Birthplace	Perumkadavila village, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Zodiac sign	Aries
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Perumkadavila village, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
School	• Perumkadavila Lpbs, Thiruvananthapuram • Govt Hss Marayamuttom High School, Thiruvananthapuram • Christian College, Kattakada
College/University	• VTMNSS Dhanuvachapuram, Kerala • Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram
Educational Qualification(s) [1]Sanal Kumar Sasidharan - Linkedin	• Bachelor of Science in Zoology • Bachelor of Laws
Religious views	He considers himself athiest. [2]Sanal Kumar Sasidharan - Facebook
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Address	Melathil, MRA-35, Plancherry Lane, Punnapuram, Vallakadavu, Thiruvananthapuram-695008
Hobbies	Travelling, Photography
Controversy	Sanal Kumar Sasidharan attracted controversy on 6 May 2022 when actress Manju Warrier accused him of blackmailing her and defaming reputation through social media. He was arrested by the police from Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram. While he was being arrested, he went live on Facebook and said that the police was trying to kidnap and kill him. [3]Hindustan Times
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Wife/Spouse	Sreeja Suseela (advocate)
Children	Son- 2 Kailasapathi Sanal
Parents	Father- Sasidharan Mother- Sarojam
Siblings	Sister- Name Not Known

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

• Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is an Indian poet, filmmaker and lawyer who is known for directing the film Sexy Durga in 2017 which has received many international awards.

• In an interview, he revealed that when he was a child, he was aware of all the verses from the Sunderkanda of the Ramayana and used to recite them.
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his father as a child

• His father wanted him to become a doctor which is why he studied Zoology. When he told his father that he wanted to study filmmaking, his father denied him, and later, he took admission to law.
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan while he was studying law

• When he was in college, he was the unit secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), that is a student organization associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Later, he left the party due to some differences and became a critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan during his college days

• In 2001, he came up with the idea of a film society that could make independent movies through crowd funding. He formed a society, Kazhcha Chalachithra Vedi, with his colleagues. He has directed three short films and one feature film through crowdfunding.

• He started his film career as an art assistant in the Malayalam film Mankolangal in 2000. In an interview, he said that when he started his career as a filmmaker, he used to follow John Abraham‘s style of filmmaking. He further said,
  

  I had no idea how to make a film and how to find a producer. I was keenly watching these kinds of film society movements, the Odessa film movement. I read books about John Abraham, about his parallel way of filmmaking and his philosophy of the “people’s cinema.” But I wasn’t following all this practically. Then I tried to make a film on my own and approached a lot of people, but no one was willing to produce it.”

• His film Sexy Durga became the first Indian film to win the Hivos Tiger Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017.

• He directed other short films including Parole (2008), Frog (2012), Ozhivudivasathe Kali (2015), Chola (2019), and Vazhakku (2021).
  

  Poster of the film Vazhakku

• In an interview, he said that the scripts he wrote were just fifteen to twenty pages. He further added,
  

  A location gives a lot of inputs. My scripts are usually just 10-15 pages. Ahr Kayattam’s script itself isn’t more than 25 pages. So, there is a lot of space for the location and artistes to contribute. It’s basically because I am someone who likes to view cinema in a spiritual plane. That’s something that I have understood from experience. I have always felt that cinema gives you more energy than you put in. My style is to observe and record that.”

• In 2016, Sanal tweeted about P.V Sindhu winning a second silver medal at Olympics 2016. The tweet that he made in Malayalam was criticized by many people. He wrote, ‘Everyone is celebrating Sindhu’s achievement now. What if I spit on this? What is there to celebrate much about it?’
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s post about P.V. Sindhu

• In 2017, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), asked Sanal to change the name of the film Sexy Durga to S Durga. He filed a writ petition before the Kerala high court against the action taken by the I&B ministry. In an interview, he talked about this and said,
  

  This is how right-wing politics works. They need not even watch a work of art to put a ban on it. Prejudice is a part of their politics. It is the same kind of judgment they always have against the other. You could be thrashed or killed simply for growing a beard, no matter who you are or what you do. They would not even bother asking before attacking you. This is quintessential fascism, isn’t it?”

• Reportedly, the film ‘Kayyattam’ (2020), directed by him was shot on an iPhone in the Himalayas.
  

  Poster of the movie ‘Kayyattam’

• In 2019, he decided to withdraw his film, ‘Chola’ from the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). In an interview, he talked about the removal of his film and said,
  

  Chola has been invited to the Kaleidoscope section in the 24th IFFK. I am much humbled by the invitation but I have sent a mail stating that I am withdrawing the film from the festival, protesting against its overtly biased and unprofessional way of selection process in the Malayalam Cinema Today section. I believe that, it would be huge irresponsibility from my part to participate in the festival which is openly biased and outdated in its selection process.”

• He is a passionate animal lover and often posts pictures of them on social media.
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan with his pet dog

• He is often featured in various newspapers.
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan featured in a newspaper

• He is often spotted drinking alcohol on various occasions.
  

  Sanal Kumar Sasidharan having beer