C Saratchandran

C.Saratchandran (1958–2010), (Sarat) was an Indian documentary film maker, based in Kerala, India. He was also a documentary activist, who managed to conduct hundreds of film screenings of documentaries and film classics in remote towns and villages of Kerala Saratchandran was born on 16 February 1958. His parents are Chandrasekharan Nair and his mother is T. Sarada. His maternal grandfather was Professor M. P. Manmathan, a well known Gandhian and orator. He has two sisters, Neeraja Rajendran and Sarada Sunanda.
Early life.
Saratchandran studied in Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram. As a student activist he participated in protests against the repression and human rights violations during the Internal Emergency (1975–77) declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. After his graduation he joined a construction company as an accountant. Satatchandran was part of the group that published the radical magazines "Samkramanam" and "Niyogam" in the late 70's and early 80's.
As cinema activist.
He was also active in the successful fight against the decision of the government to construct a hydroelectric project in Silent Valley in the Western Ghats ranges of Kerala, which would have destroyed the pristine rainforests of the region. He was associated with the film making efforts of two stalwarts of Indian Cinema, G. Aravindan and John Abraham (director). John Abraham and Odessa Film Society under his leadership were trying to develop an alternate crowd funded film making and distribution strategy that aimed to reach the people directly, breaking away from the commercially oriented film industry. Saratchandran imbibed the idea of this direct cinema approach and put it into practice successfully later.
Later Saratchandan moved to Saudi Arabia and took up the job of Education Promotion Adviser with the British Council there. He came back to India in 1998 with a VHS camera and a video projector and started his stint as a film maker making his first 5 documentaries on VHS. With his video projector he traveled in the villages and cities of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnata and states for screening his own films and others' films. His screenings helped in raising the awareness of the public on environment, human rights and other social issues. He often became involved with the peoples' struggles that formed the subject of all of his films. His long collaboration with P. Baburaj resulted in a few very important films that were acclaimed internationally.
Sarat was one of the founders of the ViBGYOR Film Festival, one of the largest independent film festivals of South Asia. He was also an active member of Vikalp, a human rights platform protesting against censorship and freedom of expression.
Death.
He died on 31 March 2010 when he fell out of a train near Kodakara, Thrissur District while he was travelling from Thrissur to Ernakulam. 