Odessa Sathyan

Born|

Cheeram Veetti Sathyan

(1957-10-10)10 October 1957

Vatakara, Kerala, India

Died| 19 August 2014(2014-08-19) (aged 56)

Kerala, India

Resting place| Narayana Nagar, Kozhikode, India
Occupation(s)| Filmmaker, social activist
Spouse| Jennifer
Children| 2 daughters
Awards| Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award
Special Jury Prize IFFK
Website| Official web site

Cheeram Veetti Sathyan (10 October 1957 – 19 August 2014), popularly known as Odessa Sathyan was an Indian documentary filmmaker and social activist, known for his involvement in the naxal movements of the seventies in Kerala and his association with Odessa Collective, a people's film movement which was founded by the noted Malayalam filmmaker, John Abraham. He received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award,[1] for his musical documentary Balikurup, a film on Malayalam poet, A. Ayyappan.[2]

## Biography

[edit]

C. V. Sathyan was born on 10 October 1957, at Vatakara, in Kozhikode district, in the South Indian state of Kerala, to Cheeramveettil Kunkan and Cheeru.[3] He was attracted by the leftist movement early on in his life and was associated with the social activism, in the district of Kozhikode, in the 1970s. These activities gathered momentum when he joined the naxalite movement.[4]

The next phase of his life started with his association with the renowned filmmaker John Abraham.[4] Together, they launched Odessa Collective, a people's film movement, which made films such as Amma Ariyan, which gained critical and social acclaim. With John Abraham's death, in 1987, the movement lost its steam but Sathyan tried to carry it forward singlehandedly by founding Odessa Movies and keeping the free public screening of films on with a small projector.

Sathyan was married to Jennifer, a college lecturer, and had two daughters, Sandra and Soya.[5] He died on 19 August 2014, aged 56, succumbing to pancreatic cancer at the Kozhikode Medical College. His body was laid to rest at his residence at Narayana Nagar, Kozhikode.[6]

## Social activism

[edit]

Sathyan's social life was kickstarted by the trade union movements of 1970s, in Kerala, when he got actively involved in many of the leftist activities during that time in Kozhikode. He was reported to have been associated with the trade union strikes at Iringalpara and other areas in Kozhikode. Later, Sathyan joined the naxalite movement[7] and became the Kozhikode district Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) and had to undergo imprisonment during the Emergency period of 1975–77. He was said to be one of the leaders of a people's mass trial, conducted by the CPI ML, at the Kozhikode Medical College Campus.[8]

## Film career

[edit]

The friendship with John Abraham influenced Sathyan to join the Odessa Collective initiative.[5] He participated the activities of the movement and the group, by collecting donations from the public, produced Amma Ariyan, widely regarded as the first people's cinema in India, and exhibited the film all over Kerala, free of charge. With John Abraham's death in 1987, the movement withered but Sathyan established Odessa Movies to carry the activities forward.[6] His active association with the movement earned him the nickname Odessa Sathyan.

Sathyan made five documentaries and a musical album.

* Ithrayum Yathabhagam (The Path Traversed): a documentary on the life and works of noted Malayalam poet, A. Ayyappan. Sathyan's relationship with the poet was widely known[9][10][11] and the documentary was the filmmaker's attempt to look at the poet's life from the perspective of an insider.[4][5][6]
* Vettayadappetta Manasu (The Haunted Mind) : The documentary narrates the story of Ramachandran Nair,[12] a police officer who made headlines by confessing on killing the Naxalite leader, Varghese.[4][5]
* Mortuary of Love: A documentary on emotional and carnal natures of love and sexual exploitation of young girls.[5][6]
* Agnirekha (The Blazing Course): A documentary on the life of Angadippuram Balakriishnan, a Naxal activist hailed as a martyr by the movement.[6][13][14]
* Visudha Pashu (The Holy Cow): In the post production stage, under editing.
* Balikurippu (The Sacrificial Note): A musical on the life of the poet, A. Ayyappan.[2]

## Awards and recognitions

[edit]

His musical documentary, Balikurippu, has received Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award in the category musical videos.[1] Balikurippu also won the Special Jury Award, at the 6th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, in 2013.[15][16]

## See also

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* John Abraham (director)
* A. Ayyappan

* India portal

## References

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1. ^ a b "Mathrubhumi video". Video. Matheubhumi TV. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
2. ^ a b Odessa Sathyan (8 October 2012). "Balikurup". video. YouTube. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
3. ^ "Indian Express Bio". The New Indian Express. 20 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
4. ^ a b c d "Metro Matinee". News report. Metro Matinee. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
5. ^ a b c d e "Mathrubhumi". News report and video. Mathrubhumi online. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
6. ^ a b c d e "English Manorama". News report. Manorama Online. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
7. ^ Ajith Kumar (20 August 2014). "'Odessa' Sathyan was committed to society". Web article. The Hindu. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
8. ^ Dr. N. Padmanabhan. "Contemporary Kerala" (PDF). Study Material. Calicut University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
9. ^ Ayyappan, Sathyan and Jennifer (8 December 2010). Lives Less Ordinary – Ayyappan with Sathyan and Jenny – Part 1 (Video). Kozhikode: Sudhi Narayanan.
10. ^ Ayyappan, Sathyan and Jennifer (8 December 2010). Lives Less Ordinary – Ayyappan with Sathyan and Jenny – Part 2 (Video). Kozhikode: Sudhi Narayanan.
11. ^ Ayyappan, Sathyan and Jennifer (8 December 2010). Lives Less Ordinary – Ayyappan with Sathyan and Jenny – Part 3 (Video). Kozhikode: Sudhi Narayanan.
12. ^ Venu Menon (23 November 1998). "Confessions of a Cop". Article. Outlook India. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
13. ^ "Agnirekha". Web article. The Hindu. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
14. ^ Staff Reporter (19 August 2014). "Angadippuram Balakrishnan". News report. Manorama Online. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
15. ^ "IFFK". web site. International Film Festival of Kerala. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
16. ^ "Asianet video". Asianet TV. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Documentary on the life of Sathyan – Kairali TV video – Part 1
* Documentary on the life of Sathyan – Kairali TV video – Part 2
* Sathyan at the 18th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)
* News report on Madhyamam daily
* News report on Mathrubhumi News
* News report on Kaiali TV (YouTube video)
* Ayyappan, Sathyan and Jennifer (8 December 2010). Lives Less Ordinary – Ayyappan with Sathyan and Jenny – Part 1 (Video). Kozhikode: Sudhi Narayanan.
* Ayyappan, Sathyan and Jennifer (8 December 2010). Lives Less Ordinary – Ayyappan with Sathyan and Jenny – Part 2 (Video). Kozhikode: Sudhi Narayanan.
* Ayyappan, Sathyan and Jennifer (8 December 2010). Lives Less Ordinary – Ayyappan with Sathyan and Jenny – Part 3 (Video). Kozhikode: Sudhi Narayanan.
* Profile write up of Odessa Sathyan in www.malayalasangeetham.info