Actors - Panna Rittikrai

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	Actors - Panna Rittikrai

Panna Rittikrai (born in 1961 in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand) is a Thai martial arts action choreographer, film director, screenwriter and actor. He is best known for his work as martial arts and action choreographer on the (2003) film Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
, which starred Tony Jaa, whom Panna mentored.

Biography

Early films

Before Ong-Bak, Panna had toiled for decades as an actor, stuntman and director of B-movie action flicks in Thailand.

"You've probably never heard of my movies," Panna told the Bangkok Post in a 2004 interview. "They are popular among taxi drivers and som tam vendors and security guards and Isan coolies. My loyalest fans are folk people in the far-out tambons, where they lay out mattresses on the ground and drink moonshine whisky while watching my outdoor movies."

Panna started out in the movie business in 1979 as a physical trainer for actors in Bangkok. Learning a little about filmmaking and inspired by the films of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, as well as stunts seen in James Bond movies, Panna moved back to Khon Kaen and formed his own stunt team and set about making movies.

His first was Kerd ma lui
(Born to Fight), which he remade in 2004. With more than 50 titles in his filmography, which stretches back to the late 1970s, dozens of his movies are available in the inexpensive VCD format at markets throughout Thailand.

International fame

With the worldwide release of Ong-Bak and its gritty, hard-hitting stunts, action-film fans the world over have wanted to see more, so film distributors are starting to release some of Panna's older titles on DVDs geared for the international market.

Among the films leaking out are Spirited Killer, or Puen Hode, featuring Tony Jaa, as well as Mission Hunter 2, in which Jaa portrays a villain.

Panna's work also can be seen in the action-comedy, The Bodyguard
, which he co-directed with Thai comic actor Petchtai Wongkamlao. His most recent movie is Tom-Yum-Goong
, which also stars Tony Jaa.

Partial filmography

Director

Kerd ma lui (1979
)
Nuk leng klong yao (2001
)
Kon dib lhek nam pee (2001)
The Bodyguard
(co-directed with Petchtai Wongkamlao
) (2004
)
Kerd ma lui
(Born to Fight) (2004)

Stunt choreographer

The Legend of Suriyothai
(2001
) (as Panna Ritthikrai)
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
(2003
)
Kerd ma lui
(Born to Fight) (2004)
Tom-Yum-Goong
(2005
)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Panna Rittikrai ]

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