Sajeev Pazhoor

For 19 years Sajeev Pazhoor worked as a sub-editor and then senior sub-editor at the Deshabhimani daily, before joining the Kerala government's Department of Information and Public Relations. Born on 8 April in Pazhoor village, Ernakulam district, the screenwriter, novelist and director studied Malayalam literature at Government College Manimalakunnu and took a postgraduate diploma in journalism. His debut documentary, Agnisakshiyude Sakshi, won the State television award for best documentary director in 2003. He has scripted and directed more than 80 documentaries and won that award again in 2014. Feature films came through Shaji N. Karun, whom he served as assistant and then associate director, and he wrote his first screenplay for Karun's Swapaanam (2013). He was associate director to Lenin Rajendran and Sanjeev Shivan, scripted Swayam for R. Sarath, and was associate director and script editor on several Kokborok-language films, including the National Award-winning Yarwng. His story, screenplay and dialogue for Dileesh Pothan's Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, starring Fahadh Faasil, won the National Film Award for Best Original Screenplay and the 2017 Kerala State Award for Best Scriptwriter. He turned director with the Tamil courtroom drama Enna Vilai (2026), starring Karunas and Nimisha Sajayan, now streaming on Netflix.