Mohan Kumar Kallayil

Mohan Kumar has been in the field of Communication Technology for over 25 years and has been instrumental in initiating several Governmental Interventions effectively utilizing the medium of visual communication. He worked for a good many years in CDIT- an autonomous video production facility of Govt. of Kerala and Regional production facility of NCSTC, Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, from where he retired as Deputy Director in 2017.

During his tenure in CDIT ,he has designed and directed the popular science video series Sastrakauthukam (48 episodes) for Doordarshan, Manavodayam(Origin of Humankind) 26 episodes in 4 languages for the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, SUTHARYAKERALAM (over 300 Episodes), the Kerala Chief Minister's interactive public grievance redressal programme, NavaKeralam (Over 100 episodes) -a weekly Doordarshan interactive programme between Ministers in Kerala and the general public.

Mohan Kumar has co-coordinated more than 300 science, education and development video productions for NCSTC, Doordarshan, I&PRD and NCERT, SCERT, State committee on Science& Technology and Environment, Unesco, South Zone Cultural Centre, Tanjore and I&PRD, Depts of Social justice, tourism, health etc. He has been instrumental in designing and implementing the total communication strategy for the Modernizing Government Programme , the Sports Super Bumper Lottery, the Lucky Vat campaign, etc by bringing a convergence in Film, Video, Radio, Web, Hoardings, Digital displays, News paper advts etc.

He has conceptualized and co-directed 103 episodes of GreenKerala Express, the first social reality show in Indian television, which won the best innovation award 2011, constituted by the Ministry of Urban affairs in collaboration with Suchitwa Mission, Govt. of Kerala. Some of his other innovative initiations include Harithavidyalayam a social reality show (75 episodes)- for the department of Education to select and showcase the best public school of Kerala and Arogyatharakam-a quiz programme on Health sponsored by NRHM. He is also credited with initiating the first convergence course in media -post graduate diploma - in collaboration with Kerala University in 2002-2003.

Some of his other achievements include conducting the first international video festival IVFEST 95 and IVFEST 2002 in Kerala, starting the SooryaKeralam-project on Solar Photo Voltaics and MOU with NCPRE of IIT,Mumbai and beginning of the first energy survey at the Panchayat level at Chendamangalam grama Panchyat in collaboration with NCPRE, KSEB, ANERT and EMC, and LSGD.

Professional experience

  • Worked as Film Officer in Kerala State film Development Corporation, from1998 to 1999.
  • Initiated the website and online webcasting services for the Chief Minister of Kerala.
  • Initiated the interactive web portal on www.keralawomen.gov.in for the social welfare department. Govt of Kerala.
  • Facilitator and technical co-coordinator of ViCTORS project of EDUSAT -the first regional educational channel of the country.
  • Jury member for the All India Audio -Video Educational Festival of 2007 and Jury Chairman for the same festival of 2010 and 2011.
  • Executive member of SIET (State Institute of Educational technology), Govt. of Kerala.
  • Initiated the digital archiving projects for KITTS, NATPAC and VYLOPPILY SAMSKRUTHI BHAVAN
  • Initiated the first platform independent interactive web portal for KochiMetro.
  • Documented the Musical video (90 mts) -Rangathrayem-of Kalamandalam Gopi, Artist Namboothiri and Sreevalsan J Menon in collaboration with Thrippunithura Sangeetha sabha.
  • Director of the musical video album Vismaya, Of Dr.Sreevalsan J Menon, Carnatic vocalist and composer
  • Instrumental in bringing in collaborative ventures like Koodiyattam documentation for UNESCO and Kalam documentation for South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjore.
  • Directed a signature video and theme music on Muziris Heritage Project
  • Initiated the audio-visual supportand documentation of Thunjan Smarak Museum on Malayalam literature,Tirur
  • Acted as one of the Co-ordinators of Nottam festival -an interactive forum where social media entrepreneurs were asked to showcase their programme on developmental initiatives of the government, reality show telecast through DD Malayalam.

Awards and Recognitions

  • Won International Environment Award - Earthvision 1992 at Tokyo for the best video documentary-WEEPING RICE BOWL
  • Won National award for best science documentary-SASTRAKAUTHUKAM in 1995 in the International video festival held at TVM.
  • Won Kerala state award for best documentary-SASTRAKAUTHUKAM.-the popular science video magazine, produced by Doordarshan Kendra, Trivandrum
  • Won best documentary award for WEEPING RICE BOWL, produced by Govt. of Kerala.
  • Won Kerala state award for best documentary in film on People's Campaign for 9th plan.-Palathully Peruvellam.

Ongoing Projects

  • Documentary on Mohammed Abdul Rehman, the veteran freedom fighter of Kerala for the Muziris Heritage project, sponsored by the department of Tourism, Government of Kerala.
  • Coordinating the various documentation works and digitization of the Muziris Heritage project of phase 1 and 2.

Educational Qualification

  • MA(masscom), MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi(1984-86)
  • Fulbright fellow in communication technology at Syracuse University, New York 1999 -2000.

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