P.A. Backer was one of the "new wave" Malayalam film director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

s of the 1970s and 1980s. Backer was born in 1940 in Thrissur

Thrissur

This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...

, Kerala State. Whilst still a student Backer worked as a journalist for Kuttikal and Poomottukal. He then worked as an assistant to director Ramu Kariat

Ramu Kariat

Ramu Kariat was a Malayali Indian film director for almost three decades from the 1950s to the 1970s. He directed many acclaimed films in Malayalam...

 (1960). He made his debut as a producer in 1970 with Olavum Theeravum

Olavum Theeravum

Olavum Theeravum is a 1970 Malayalam film directed by P. N. Menon. It has been credited with helping to bring about a "flowering of art-house films that have today become the defining quality of Malayalam cinema", with being Malayalam cinema's "breakthrough into realism", and as "a watershed in the...

which won the state awards

Kerala State Film Award

The Kerala State Film Awards are the most prestigious film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, India....

 for the best film and best cinematography. He turned director in 1975 with Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol

Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol

Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol is a 1975 Malayalam feature film directed by P. A. Backer, produced by Pavithran, and starring T. V. Chandran, Shalini, Raveendran and J. Siddiqui. This leftist political drama film came out during the Emergency period. It was the directorial debut of P. A...

which won for him the State award for best director. Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol (When the River Kabani Turned Red), a bold movie about a leftist

Left-wing politics

In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...

 political activist, was released during the Indian Emergency. Some other notable movies by Backer are Manimuzhakkam

Manimuzhakkam

Manimuzhakkam is a 1976 Malayalam language black-and-white feature film directed by P. A. Backer and starring Hari, Veeran, Johnson, Sankaradi, Saritha, Urmila, Vani, Charulatha, Shanthakumari and Meena Ganesh. It is scripted by Backer based on the short story Murippaadukal by Sarah Thomas...

(Peal of Bells), Chuvanna Vithukal

Chuvanna Vithukal

Chuvanna Vithukal is a 1977 Malayalam socio-political film directed by P. A. Backer and starring Balan K. Nair, Kozhikode Shantha Devi and Shanthakumari....

(Red Seeds/Seeds of revolution), Sree Narayana Guru

Sree Narayana Guru (film)

Sree Narayana Guru is a 1985 Malayalam film directed by P. A. Backer and produced by A. Jaffer. It won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration....

and Sanghaganam

Sanghaganam

Sanghaganam is a 1979 Malayalam socio-political film directed by P. A. Backer based on a story by M. Sukumaran and starring Sreenivasan, Ramu Karyat, P. R. Nambyar and Madhu Master....

(Chorus). Sree Narayana Guru won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration

The Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration is a National Film Award - Silver Lotus, given to an Indian feature film director, for the best film relating to National Integration in India.The winners of the Award:-References:...

. His last film as a director was Innaleyude Baaki

Innaleyude Baaki

Innaleyude Baaki is a 1988 Malayalam film directed by P. A. Backer and starring Devan, Sreenath, Geetha and Captain Raju....

(The Balance of Yesterday; 1988). He died on 22 November 1993, aged 53, at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...

. He was survived by his wife Anita Backer.

Filmography

• Innalayude Baaki (1988)
• Premalekhanam (1985)
• Sree Narayana Guru
  Sree Narayana Guru (film)
  Sree Narayana Guru is a 1985 Malayalam film directed by P. A. Backer and produced by A. Jaffer. It won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration....
  
  (1985)
• Chappa
  Chappa
  Chappa is a 1982 Malayalam film directed by P. A. Backer and starring Hari, Kunjandi and Beena. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam....
  
  (1982)
• Charam
  Charam
  Charam is a 1983 Malayalam thriller film directed by P. A. Backer and starring Prem Nazir, Vijayakumar, Meena Menon and Urmila....
  
  (1981)
• Manninte Maril
  Manninte Maril
  Manninte Maril is a 1980 Malayalam film directed by P. A. Backer based on Cherukad's famous novel and starring P. J. Antony in the lead role....
  
  (1980)
• Unarthupattu (1980)
• Sanghaganam
  Sanghaganam
  Sanghaganam is a 1979 Malayalam socio-political film directed by P. A. Backer based on a story by M. Sukumaran and starring Sreenivasan, Ramu Karyat, P. R. Nambyar and Madhu Master....
  
  (1979)
• Chuvanna Vithukal
  Chuvanna Vithukal
  Chuvanna Vithukal is a 1977 Malayalam socio-political film directed by P. A. Backer and starring Balan K. Nair, Kozhikode Shantha Devi and Shanthakumari....
  
  (1977)
• Mani Muzhakkam (1977)
• Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol
  Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol
  Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol is a 1975 Malayalam feature film directed by P. A. Backer, produced by Pavithran, and starring T. V. Chandran, Shalini, Raveendran and J. Siddiqui. This leftist political drama film came out during the Emergency period. It was the directorial debut of P. A...
  
  (1975)

External links

• P. A. Backer at Cinema of Malayalam