Leena Manimekalai is an Indian filmmaker, poet, and actor, who mainly focuses on short films and documentaries. She is also a multilingual poet who has released many poems in different languages. Leena is an advocate for the LGBTQ community. Recently, her latest documentary’s poster featuring Maa Kaali smoking a cigarette and carrying the pride flag of the LGBTQ community has created controversy.
Social media users accused her of insulting Hindu religious sentiment due to the depiction of Kaali smoking. Despite the backlash, Leena has gained popularity on the internet, and her work has been praised for its boldness and creativity.
Leena Manimekalai reported on social media that she received death threats from director Susi Ganesan. However, the investigation found the accusations to be false and slanderous. This incident highlights the importance of verifying information before making serious allegations. It is commendable that the authorities took prompt action to investigate the matter.
It is important to respect each other’s opinions and differences and refrain from resorting to violence or intimidation. This incident also sheds light on the prevalence of online harassment and the need to address it. Social media platforms should take steps to ensure user safety and prevent such incidents from occurring.
Biography
| Stage Name | Leena Manimekalai |
| Real Name | Leena Manimekalai |
| Nickname | Leena and Karuvaachi |
| Profession | Actor, Director, Poet |
| Age | Not Known |
| Date of Birth | Not Known |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Zodiac sign | Not Known |
| Family | Father Name – Not Known Mother Name – Not Known |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Not Known |
| Husband | Not Known |
| Children | Not Known |
| Nationality | Indian, Canadian |
| Educational Qualification | Master of Fine Arts in Film B.E. Graduate in Instrumentation and Control Visual Ethnography Artist in Residence Media and Conflict Resolution |
| School | Holy Cross Convent, Tamil Nadu |
| College | GFAD Fellow at York University Madurai Kamarajar University, Maduri SOAS University of London Thomson Media Foundation, Cardiff, UK at EU Fellowship The University of Chicago |
| Hobbies | Listening to music, Singing, Dancing, Writing |
| Birth Place | Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Current City | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Hometown | Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu, India |
Leena Manimekalai is an Indian filmmaker and poet known for her work on short films, documentaries, and multilingual poetry, as well as her advocacy for the LGBTQ community. However, her latest documentary’s poster featuring Maa Kaali smoking and carrying the pride flag of the LGBTQ community has sparked controversy.
Social Media
Leena has over 9,000 followers as of July 2022. Leena’s latest documentary Kaali premiered at the Canada film festival (Rhythms of Canada).
Filmography – Director
| Movie Name | Total Duration | Movie Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathamma | 20 minutes | Documentary | 2003 |
| Parai | 45 minutes | Documentary | 2004 |
| Break the Shackles | 50 minutes | Documentary | 2004 |
| Love Lost | 5 minutes | Video Poem | 2004 |
| Connecting Lines | 35 minutes | Documentary | 2005 |
| Altar | 50 minutes | Documentary | 2005 |
| Waves After Waves | 60 minutes | Documentary | 2006 |
| A Hole in the Bucket | 30 minutes | Documentary | 2007 |
| Goddesses | 42 minutes | Documentary | 2008 |
| Sengadal | 100 minutes | Feature Fiction | 2011 |
| My Mirror is the Door | 52 minutes | Video Poem | 2012 |
| Ballad of Resistance | 42 Minutes | Video Portrait | 2012 |
| White Van Stories | 70 minutes | Documentary | 2013 |
| Is it too much to Ask | 28 minutes | Documentary | 2017 |
| Maadathy | Feature film | 2021 |
Filmography – Actor
| Movie Name | Director | Role Name | Total Duration | Movie Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chellamma | Sivakumar | Protagonist | 90 mins | Feature fiction | 2004 |
| Love Lost | Leena Manimekalai | Protagonist | 5 mins | Video Poem | 2005 |
| The White Cat | Sivakumar | Female Protagonist | 10 mins | Short Fiction | 2004 |
| Sengadal the Dead Sea | Leena Manimekalai | Female Protagonist | 102 mins | Feature Fiction | 2011 |
Publications Poem Collections
| Original Name | English Name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ottrailaiyena | As a Lone Leaf | 2003 |
| Ulakin Azhakiya Muthal Penn | The First Beautiful Woman in the World | 2009 |
| Parathaiyarul Raani | Queen of Sluts | 2011 |
| Antharakanni | N/A | 2012 |
| Chichili | N/A | 2016 |
Awards And Achievements
| Awards And Achievements Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Retro – Ethnographic Montages, Chicago Women in Director’s Chair International Film Festival | 2004 |
| Silver Trophy for the Best Documentary in Europe Movies Film Festival | 2004 |
| Best Actor and Best Experimental Video in Independent Art Film Festival | 2005 |
| Best Documentary in Paris and Norway Independent Diaspora Festivals | 2005 |
| European Union Fellowship for Conflict Resolution in Media | 2005 |
| Retrospective, International Democratic Socialist Youth Film Festival, Venezuela | 2005 |
| International Jury in Asian Film Festival, Malaysia | 2006 |
| Jury Award for Best Cinema of Resistance – John Abraham National Award | 2007 |
| Golden Conch for Best International Documentary at Mumbai International Film Festival | 2008 |
| Visiting Scholar Fellowship, Berlinale | 2008 |
| Nominations to Horizon Award, Munich International Film Festival | 2008 |
| One Billion Eyes National Award – Best Documentary | 2008 |
| Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, Bird’s Eye view film Festival, London | 2008 |
| Iyal Best Poetry Award from the Tamil Literary Garden for Ulkain Azhakiya Muthal Penn | 2008 |
| Sirpi Literary Award for contribution to Tamil Poetry | 2011 |
| Indian Panorama Selections for Sengadal | 2011 |
| NAWFF Award for Best Asian Women Cinema (Tokyo) – Sengadal | 2011 |
| As Jury, International Women Film Festival, Seoul | 2012 |
| Lenin Award from Thamizh Studio (instituted in the name of film editor B. Lenin) who highlights social issues | 2013 |
| Srishti Tamil Lambda Literary Award for her book “Antharakanni” conferred by Bracha Ettinger and Anjali Gopalan Advisory Board of Srishti Madurai | 2014 |
| L’Oreal Paris Femina Women Awards 2015 | 2015 |
Leena Images
Leena has a strong following on social media and her latest documentary, Kaali, was screened at a Canadian film festival.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
