Resul Pookutty

He is a member of the Executive committee of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Motion Picture Sound Editors guild (MPSE) and Cinema Audio Society of America (CAS). In 2010, the Government of India honored him with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to cinema. In the same year, he was conferred an honorary doctorate by Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. Pookutty was awarded the title Distinguished Engineer by Rocheston, New York. (Distinguished Engineer is an honor awarded to Engineers of repute, selected from across the world in recognition of caliber, technical excellence and accomplishments that are an inspiration to people.

• Name — Resul Pookutty • Born — 30 May 1971 • Birthplace — Vilakkupara, Kollam, Kerala, India • Honours — Padma Shri (2010) • Occupation — Sound engineer • Years Active — 1997 – present • Spouse — Shadia • Children — 2

Born into a family in Vilakkupara, near Anchal about 40 km from Kollam, Kerala, India. He was the youngest of eight children. His father was a private bus ticket checker. Pookutty had to walk 6 km to the nearest school and study in the light of a kerosene lamp as his village had no electricity. He did his bachelor's degree in physics from Milad-E-Sherief Memorial College, Kayamkulam during 1987–1990. He joined Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram for studying Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, however, he was unable to complete it. In 1995, he graduated from Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. He wrote the remaining LLB exam papers and enrolled as an advocate in 2012. Pookutty said that it was his father's desire to make him an advocate.

• Illustration — Pookutty along with Slumdog Millionaire team at the 81st Academy Awards Pookutty moved to Mumbai after his graduation. He termed it as "a natural immigration as a graduate of the institute." He pointed out that "Ninety-five per cent of the technicians of the Mumbai film industry are alumni of FTII, Pune." Pookutty made his debut in sound design with the 1997 film Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One, directed by Rajat Kapoor. He got his big break with the critically acclaimed 2005 film Black, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He subsequently engineered sound for major productions like Musafir (2004), Zinda (2006), Traffic Signal (2007), Gandhi, My Father (2007), Saawariya (2007), Dus Kahaniyaan, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (2009), and Enthiran (2010).

Pookutty is married to Shadia. They have two children.

• Year — Film — Language — Notes • 2003 — Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women — Hindi • 2004 — Musafir — Hindi • 2007 — Traffic Signal • Gandhi, My Father • Saawariya • Dus Kahaniyaan • 2008 — Slumdog Millionaire — English — Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing • 2009 — Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja — Malayalam — National Film Award for Best Audiography • 2010 — Enthiran — Tamil • 2011 — Ra.One — Hindi • Adaminte Makan Abu — Malayalam • 2012 — Nanban — Tamil • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel — English • English Vinglish — Hindi • 2013 — Kunjananthante Kada — Malayalam • 2014 — Kochadaiiyaan — Tamil • Ankhon Dekhi — Hindi • Highway • Yaan — Tamil • 2015 — Unfreedom — Hindi and English • Pathemari — Malayalam • 2016 — Remo — Tamil • Niruttara — Kannada • 2017 — Kaabil — Hindi • The Sound Story — Malayalam • 2018 — Kammara Sambhavam • 2.0 — Tamil • 2019 — Kolaambi — Malayalam • Otha Seruppu Size 7 — Tamil — National Film Award for Best Audiography • 2020 — Trance — Malayalam • 2021 — Kaadan/ Aranya/ Haathi Mere Saathi — Tamil Telugu Hindi • Pushpa: The Rise — Telugu • 2022 — Radhe Shyam — Telugu, Hindi • Shabaash Mithu — Hindi • 2024 — Aadujeevitham — Malayalam — |Kerala State Film Award For Best Sound Design • Choo Mantar — Kannada — | • In the Belly of a Tiger — Hindi — | • Kanguva — Tamil • Pushpa 2: The Rule — Telugu • Baby John — Hindi • Vadakkan — Malayalam • 2025 — Tanvi the Great — Hindi • 2026 — Batwara 1947 — Hindi

• Year — Film — Language — Notes — Ref. • 2023 — Otta — Malayalam — Debut as a director