Who is Geetu Mohandas? Former actor, director of Yash's upcoming action-thriller Toxic

Here's all you need to know about the director behind Yash's upcoming movie Toxic. The first glimpse was unveiled on the actor's birthday.

On the occasion of Kannada superstar Yash's birthday, fans received a special treat as the makers of his upcoming film, Toxic, unveiled an intriguing teaser. The teaser showed Yash in a dashing avatar, enjoying a night out at a club. While fans couldn't stop gushing about Yash's look, the teaser also shifted the spotlight on the film's director, Geetu Mohandas.

All about Geetu Mohandas, director of Yash's Toxic. (Instagram)

Who is Geetu Mohandas?

Geetu Mohandas, the director of Toxic, is a former actor who has worked in several hit films. Born as Gayathri Mohandas on February 14, 1981, in Kannur, Kerala, Geetu began her cinematic journey as a child artist. She adopted the screen name Geetu during her fourth film, Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare (1986), in which she shared the screen with Mohanlal when she was just five years old. Her performance earned her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist.

Her first film as an adult was Life is Beautiful, starring Mohanlal. Over the years, Geetu appeared in notable Malayalam films such as Thenkasi Pattanam, Valkannadi, and Akale, directed by Shyamaprasad. Her role in Akale won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam. After her final acting project, Nammal Thammil (2009), Geetu transitioned into filmmaking.

Geetu Mohandas’ journey as a director

Geetu ventured into direction with her short fiction film Kelkkunnundo (Are You Listening?), produced under her own banner, Unplugged, in 2009. The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, won three international awards for Best Short Fiction, and received the National Film Award in India. It became so influential that it was included as part of the Kerala state syllabus for 12th-grade students in 2014.

In 2013, Geetu made her feature film debut as a director with Liar’s Dice, starring Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film earned critical acclaim, bagging two National Film Awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography. It was also India’s official entry to the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, though it did not make the shortlist.

Her second feature film, Moothon (The Elder One), continued her streak of success, winning her the Global Filmmaker Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. The film, which dealt with complex themes of identity and love, further cemented her reputation as a visionary filmmaker.

Geetu Mohandas’ upcoming film

Geetu Mohandas is now set to captivate audiences with her latest project, Toxic, starring Yash in the lead role. This marks Yash’s highly anticipated return to the big screen after the massive success of KGF: Chapter 2. The film is slated for release later this year.