World-class INDIAN directors
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Magizh Thirumeni was born on 8 August 1977 in India. He is a writer and director, known for Thadaiyara Thaakka (2012), Thadam (2019) and VidaaMuyarchi (2024). He has been married to Ann Rosneha Fernando since 2021.- Writer
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Lokesh Kanagaraj is an Indian film director who works primarily in the Tamil film industry who started his film career with the 2016 anthology film called Aviyal.He was born in Kinathukadavu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. He majored in fashion technology before pursuing his MBA. He was an ex bank employee. He pursued his passion which is towards film making by participating in a corporate short film competition. The judge of the competition was director Karthick Subbaraj. He then encouraged Lokesh to continue making films.- Writer
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H. Vinoth is an Indian film writer and director who made his directorial debut with Sathuranga Vettai (2014), his debut was produced by actor, director Manobala and was distributed by Thirupathi Brothers Film Media and he worked with Ajith Kumar on Nerkonda Paarvai. His movies Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017), Nerkonda Paarvai (2019), Valimai (2020)- Writer
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The man who revolutionized Tamil-language cinema, Mani Ratnam is the biggest director in south India and one of the most respected directors in all of India. Each of his films contain its own unique style, with beautifully photographed songs and unique back-lighting. However, his films contain substance as well as style--Ratnam has dealt with a wide variety of topics, from the classic Indian love story to political thrillers.
He was born in Madras in 1956. Filmmaking was in his blood; he was the son of film producer 'Venus Gopalratnam' and his brother was G. Venkateswaran, a film distributor turned producer. Ironically, however, he studied at Madras University and received a management degree at the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, and had initially started out as a management consultant. His first film, Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983), starring Anil Kapoor, didn't make many waves, although it won the State Award from Karnataka that year, but even though he made two films in Tamil and one in Malayalam, nothing worked for him until he broke through with Mouna Ragam (1986). Starring Revathi, the film told the tale of a woman who, although forced into an arranged marriage, chooses to maintain a platonic relationship with her husband. The film was noted for its sophisticated approach and execution of an extremely sensitive topic.
His next film, Nayakan (1987), was also arguably his greatest. A take-off on Francis Ford Coppola' legendary The Godfather (1972), it established Ratnam as the leading director of Tamil-language Cinema and won its leading actor Kamal Haasan the National Award for Best Actor. The film draws on 30 years of Tamil Nadu's celebrity images and directly played to the anti-Hindi feelings of Tamil Nadu when the protagonist, beaten up, tells the Hindi policeman in Bombay, "If I ever hit you, you will die!"
Then came the best of his early work - Agni Natchathiram (1988), Geethanjali (1989), and Anjali (1990). The first was a tale of conflict between two step-brothers. Shot with glossy camera work, the film resembled a cross between an advertisement and a music video, and set a trend for a whole new visual style in Tamil-language Cinema. The next, Geethanjali (1989), shot in Ooty to create a soft and poetic mood, was a touching love story between two terminally ill people with less than six months left. The third, Anjali (1990), about a disabled child brought back to her family with two normal children had been chosen by India to be sent to the Oscars for Best Foreign-language Film, but it did not receive a nomination. The next year saw his first, and only collaboration so far, with the Tamil superstar Rajni Kant in the film Thalapathi (1991). It also starred Mamooty, along side a host of other actor. This star studded film was a gritty tale of an orphan who grows up to become a notorious gang member in Chennai. The story was inspired by the great epic of Mahabharata.
It was Roja (1992) that made Ratnam a household name all over India. A patriotic love story set against the backdrop of Kashmiri terrorism, the film was dubbed in Hindi and became a huge national success. It enforced Ratnam as a director of style and substance, as well as proving a highly auspicious debut for the now-acclaimed music director A.R. Rahman, whom Ratnam had discovered. It helped that India's at-the-time election commissioner T. N. Seshan took the rare step of officially endorsing the film. Thiruda Thiruda (1993), a remake of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was a misfire, but Ratnam bounced back with Bombay (1995), a politically charged romance between a Hindu man and a Muslim woman during the 1993 riots in Mumbai. The film underwent some controversy due to its slightly anti-Muslim viewpoint, but it contributed widely to the success of the film.
Continuing his political obsession, Ratnam made Iruvar (1997), based on the MGR-Karunanidhi affair, and Dil Se.. (1998), which starred superstars Manisha Koirala and Shah Rukh Khan. The latter was Ratnam's first Hindi-language film. Based on the northeast Indian problem, it told the story of a radio executive and a revolutionary. It had an excellent cast, beautifully crafted scenes, and most of all one of A.R. Rahman's greatest tunes--but did not go down too well with the audience, who hailed it as a strange and confusing film that headed nowhere. However, today it is held as ahead of its time, being that it was shot pre-9/11, and is now hailed as a contemporary classic.
He returned to familiar ground with Alai Payuthey (2000), which tackled the story of a couple in love that goes through the trials and tribulations of marriage. His subsequent film, Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), which told the tale of an adopted girl meeting her terrorist mother, saw Ratnam back in form as one of the greatest storytellers in Indian Cinema. His next film, Yuva (2004), saw Ratnam return to Hindi-language cinema after six years, but in spite of some fine flourishes, the film largely failed to work. However, don't take him too lightly: he is sure to return with something new next time....- Actor
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K.S. Ravikumar was born on 30 May 1958 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor and director, known for Dasavatharam (2008), Padaiyappa (1999) and Varalaaru (2006). He is married to Karpagam Ravikumar.- Producer
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Pa. Ranjith is an exciting prospect in the new age of Tamil film directors. His debut film was a cult romantic comedy film Attakathi, which had positive reviews and his next film was Madras (2014), which showcased the life of North Madras people and their daily life. It was a blockbuster. The neat story-telling with no nonsense in logic and screenplay makes his movies more exciting. His next film was Kabali, which starred the famous Tamil actor Superstar Rajinikanth. The film received mostly positive reviews and went on to become a massive blockbuster. All of Pa. Ranjith's films have one element in common: They express the lives and culture of Dalit people and the oppression they face in contemporary society. Since he himself is from the Dalit community, his fans are claiming that his films have opened up a new facet of Tamil cinema. His next film, Kaala (2018), also stars Superstar Rajinikanth as the protagonist.- Director
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Mari Selvaraj was born on 7 March 1984 in Tamil Nadu, India. He is a director and writer, known for Pariyerum Perumal (2018), Karnan (2021) and Maamannan (2023). He is married to Divya Mari Selvaraj.- Writer
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Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He started his career as an assistant director to SA Chandrasekar and now he is the highest paid director in the country. He made his debut in Gentleman (1993) and since 2015 he has directed 12 movies. He won the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2010, in the Entertainment category.- Writer
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Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut with the Polladhavan. His second feature film Aadukalam won six National Film Awards. He produces films under his production company, Grass Root Film Company. His movie Visaranai (2016) was selected as India's official entry to the Academy Awards.His film Asuran (2019) was named as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.- Actor
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Balaji Sakthivel began as an assistant director of popular director S. Shankar. In 2002, he directed his first film, Samurai for Vikram - however despite receiving positive reviews, did not make it big at the box-office. After a two-year break, he released Kaadhal under the S Pictures banner, the production house of Shankar. The film starring relatively new actors, Bharath and Sandhya made it big at the box-office and earned the stars and the director instant recognition. His Vazhakku Enn 18/9 won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.Balaji Sakthivel is married to Dr. L.R.S. Kalanithi, who is an Associate Professor of English and Vice-principal (Students' Affairs) of Guru Nanak College (Autonomous), Chennai. They have two children, a daughter (B.K.Koushi Mahalakshmi) born in 2004 and a son (B.K.Vidhyadharan) born in 2007. Their native is Dindigul. They were residing in Virugambakkam, Chennai. But have recently moved to a nearby neighbourhood Ramapuram, Chennai.- Writer
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Mohan Raja was born on 30 May 1974 in Tamil Nadu, India. He is a writer and director, known for Thani Oruvan (2015), M. Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi (2004) and Santhosh Subramaniyam (2008).- Actor
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2022 was a banner year for Rishab Shetty, with his critically-acclaimed Kantara (2022). His father is an astrologer, and his mother is a homemaker. Born as Prashant Shetty, he later adopted the name Rishab Shetty for his screen persona.
After completing his schooling in Kundapura, Shetty decided to pursue Bachelor of Commerce at Vijaya College (BHS FGC) in Jayanagar, Bengaluru. He attended the Government Film and Television Institute in Bengaluru to earn a diploma in filmmaking.
Shetty nurtured dreams of joining the film industry right from his childhood. While studying in class 6, he joined the Durga Parameshwari Yuvaka Sangha and performed as a Yakshagana artist. While at Vijaya College, he joined its theatre group Ranga Sourabha.
Shetty won the best actor award for his title role in the play Ghashiram Kotwal at the national level theatre contest. After Shetty graduated, he started looking for opportunities to get a break as a movie actor. Parallelly, he started doing several odd jobs, such as supplying mineral water cans.
Armed with his diploma in filmmaking, Shetty joined the industry as a clap boy and made his way to become an assistant director in the Kannada movie Cyanide (2006). Shetty's foray into acting began with Tuglak (2012) in the role of a villain. He went on to act in movies like Attahaasa (2013), Lucia (2013), and Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014) before he donned the hat of a director.
Shetty's directorial debut was Ricky (2016), in which he also played a small role. His next film as a director and actor was Kirik Party (2016), which became a runaway hit. Shetty was adjudicated the Best Director at the 6th SIIMA Awards and the 64th Filmfare Awards South. The film won the 2016 Karnataka State Film Awards as the Best Family Entertainer.
Shetty's next film was Sarkari. Hi. Pra. Shale Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai (2018), where his acting and directorial efforts were applauded by the audience and critics alike. For this film, he won the 66th National Film Awards for Best Children's Film and the 2018 Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Family Entertainer.
As an actor, Shetty's next film was Ambi Ning Vysaitho (2018). Shetty made his debut as the male lead actor in Bell Bottom (2019). His journey as an actor continued with films like Katha Sangama (2019) and Hero (2021).
Shetty's role as a gangster in Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021) earned him appreciation from the audience and critics alike. His next movie was a dual role in Harikathe Alla Girikathe (2022).
Shetty's next film was a critical and commercial blockbuster called Kantara (2022). He directed and acted in dual roles as the protagonist and his father in this Kannada action thriller. It became the second-highest revenue-generating Kannada movie of all time.
Shetty has also made cameo appearances over the years in movies like Avane Srimannarayana (2019), SriKrishna@gmail.com (2021), and Mishan Impossible (2022).
Rishab Shetty's wife is a software engineer, who has also been a costume designer for a few Kannada movies. The couple has two children, a son and daughter.- Actor
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Pradeep Ranganathan was born on 25 July 1993 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor and writer, known for Love Today (2022), Love Today and Comali (2019).- Writer
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Murugadoss Arunasalam, commonly known by his stage name AR Murugadoss, is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter who predominantly works in the Tamil Film Industry. He is best known for his action Tamil films and Telugu films and for remaking them in Hindi cinema. Murugadoss won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for his 2014 Tamil action-drama film Kaththi.Murugadoss was born in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. The initials "AR" refer to his father's name Arunasalam and were added after Murugadoss signed his first film, Dheena, in 2001. Murugadoss currently resides in Virugambakkam, Chennai. Murugadoss had his schooling at the Government Higher Secondary School and studied BA in Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirapalli. His brother, Dileepan made his acting debut with Vathikuchi, which is Murugadoss' production venture.- Writer
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P.S. Mithran was born in India. He is known for Sardar (2022), Hero (2019) and Irumbu Thirai (2018).