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Cheran (born 12 December 1970) is an Indian film director, producer, actor and lyricist known for his works in
Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
. He is a four time
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...
winner for ''
Vetri Kodi Kattu ''Vetri Kodi Kattu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars starring Murali, Parthiban, Meena, and Malavika, while Vadivelu, Manorama, Anandaraj, Vijayakumar, and Charle play supporting ...
'' (2000), ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' (2004) and ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' (2005). He has also won five
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
and six South Filmfare Awards. Cheran initially made breakthrough as a director by making village-based drama films focusing on human relationships, and achieved critical acclaim for his work in ''
Bharathi Kannamma ''Bharathi Kannama'' is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran, starring R. Parthiban and Meena. The film marks Cheran's debut as a director and screenwriter. It was well-received upon its commercial release. Prabhu Solomon ...
'' (1997) and ''
Porkkaalam ''Porkaalam'' ( ta, பொற்காலம் ) is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film has Murali, Meena, Sanghavi, Rajeshwari and Vadivelu in key roles. It was later remade in Telugu, Kannada an ...
'' (1997). He later moved on to work on themes exploring how globalisation affects the Indian middle class, and told the story of scam job offers in ''
Vetri Kodi Kattu ''Vetri Kodi Kattu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars starring Murali, Parthiban, Meena, and Malavika, while Vadivelu, Manorama, Anandaraj, Vijayakumar, and Charle play supporting ...
'' (2000) and village-to-city emigration in ''
Pandavar Bhoomi ''Paandavar Bhoomi'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language family drama film, written and directed by Cheran. The film has Arun Vijay (credited as Arun Kumar) Shamitha and Rajkiran playing the lead roles. While Vinu Chakravarthy and Mukesh Tiw ...
'' (2001). His most renowned film till date, ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' (2004), is a semi-autobiographical tale of a man at four stage of his life. He later also experienced success with the family drama film ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' (2005) and as an actor in films such as ''
Pirivom Santhippom ''Pirivom Santhippom'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language family drama film written and directed by Karu Pazhaniappan starring Cheran and Sneha alongside an ensemble cast. The film is about the life of a young couple in a joint family with ...
'' (2008) and ''
Yuddham Sei ''Yuddham Sei'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Mysskin. It stars Cheran and debutant Dipa Shah alongside an ensemble cast including Y. G. Mahendra, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Jayaprakash, a ...
'' (2011).


Early life

Cheran was born in Pazhaiyurpatty village near
Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
. His father Pandian was a film projector operator in
Vellalur Vellalur Nadu (வெள்ளலூர் நாடு) is a Tamil cultural village located in Melur Taluk in Madurai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Vellalur is 8.3 km from Melur, the Taluk main town; 32.1 km from Madura ...
's touring theatre. His mother Kamala was a primary school teacher, and he has two sisters. He came to
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
to pursue a career in films, and was keen to become an actor. Initially, he started career as a production manager in some films. In the film '' Puriyaadha Pudhir'' (1990), he worked as an assistant director
K. S. Ravikumar K. S. Ravikumar (born 30 May 1958) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, primarily working in Tamil films. Career 1990–1997 Ravikumar worked as co-director on R. B. Choudary's production ''Pudhu Vasantham'' direct ...
, and was later promoted to an associate director from ''
Cheran Pandiyan ''Cheran Pandian'' is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar, from a story by Erode Soundar. The film stars Vijayakumar, Sarathkumar, Anand Babu and Sreeja. The film, released on 31 May 1991, emerg ...
'' (1992) to ''
Nattamai ''Nattamai'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It starred Sarathkumar, Meena and Khushbu. The film was released on 2 November 1994, during Diwali, and completed a 175-day run at the box office. It is co ...
'' (1994).


Career


1997–2003: Breakthrough and early success

Cheran made his directorial debut through ''
Bharathi Kannamma ''Bharathi Kannama'' is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran, starring R. Parthiban and Meena. The film marks Cheran's debut as a director and screenwriter. It was well-received upon its commercial release. Prabhu Solomon ...
'' (1997), a village drama narrating the relationship between the daughter of a rich family and their retainer, starring
Parthiban R. Parthiban (born 14 October 1958) is an Indian actor and filmmaker who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He has directed 15 films, produced 13 films and acted in more than 70 films. He started his career as assistant director for K. Bhagyaraj in ...
and
Meena Meena () is a sub-group of Bhils. They speak Meena language. They started adopting the Brahmin worship system. Its name is also transliterated as ''Meenanda'' or ''Mina''. Historians claim that they belong to the Matsya tribe. They got the sta ...
. During its release, the film ran into trouble with
Thevar The Mukkulathor people, who are also collectively known as Thevar, are a community or group of communities native to the central and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. They comprise the Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar communities that sha ...
community who almost imposed a ban of the film due to its content. However the film won good reviews and performed well at the box office. In spite of controversies, the film became successful at box-office. His second film, ''
Porkkaalam ''Porkaalam'' ( ta, பொற்காலம் ) is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film has Murali, Meena, Sanghavi, Rajeshwari and Vadivelu in key roles. It was later remade in Telugu, Kannada an ...
'' (1997) was in the same genre, and also performed well commercially as well as winning favourable reviews from critics. The film, which explored the life of a hard-working potter and his poor family, earned Cheran an award for best director from the
Tamil Nadu State Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language— ...
. Unlike his first two films, his third film did not fare well at the box office despite winning positive reviews. ''
Desiya Geetham ''Desiya Geetham'' ( National Anthem) is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran. The film co-produced by R. Chandru, Abuthahir, Sathish Kumar, G. V. Suresh Kumar. The film created controversy during release and received pos ...
'' (1998) told the story of a Chief Minister being kidnapped and taken to a remote village, and it subsequently met with a controversial response from politicians. Despite Cheran's intervention and explanation of the script to senior political figures, the film was quickly removed from cinema halls, much to the director's dismay. However, the film won good reviews and a critic noted it was "a rare, good movie with a message" and added that Cheran "deserves credit for making a movie that tries to tell something and keeping away from the usual, commercial add-ons". Following the film's failure, Cheran announced several projects before opting not to continue with them. He initially considered other films with Murali, one co-starring
Shammi Kapoor Shammi Kapoor (born Shamsher Raj Kapoor; (pronounced ʌmːi kʌpuːɾ 21 October 1931 – 14 August 2011) was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards, winning in the categories of Best Actor f ...
titled ''Paraseega Roja'', and another co-starring Meena titled ''Maaya Maan'' but the films did not progress. Cheran then moved on an urban love story starring
Prashanth Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam ...
, Shamitha and himself. The film was initially titled ''Inniya Kaadalargale'' and then renamed as ''Vinnodum Mugilodum'', but the film was also later dropped. Another light-hearted film titled ''Aagaya Kottai'' was planned with Arunkumar,
Suriya Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter and a philanthropist. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He received numerou ...
and
Raju Sundaram Basuva Raju Sundaram is an Indian dance choreographer, actor and director, who works primarily in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. He appeared as an actor in films such as but not limited to: ''Jeans'' (1998), '' 123'' (2002), ''I Love You Da' ...
, but it did not start production. He later worked again with Parthiban and Murali for the social comedy drama, ''
Vetri Kodi Kattu ''Vetri Kodi Kattu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars starring Murali, Parthiban, Meena, and Malavika, while Vadivelu, Manorama, Anandaraj, Vijayakumar, and Charle play supporting ...
'' (2000), which focused on scams committed by agents who promised lavish jobs and salaries abroad, and in the process swindling the money of innocent people. The film won critical acclaim upon release, and Cheran won a
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...
for his work in the film. Cheran then made ''
Pandavar Bhoomi ''Paandavar Bhoomi'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language family drama film, written and directed by Cheran. The film has Arun Vijay (credited as Arun Kumar) Shamitha and Rajkiran playing the lead roles. While Vinu Chakravarthy and Mukesh Tiw ...
'' (2001) with actors Arunkumar, Shamitha and
Rajkiran J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar, known by his stage name Rajkiran, is an Indian actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 30 Tamil films. Early life Rajkiran was born as J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar on 16 March 1959 at Keelakarai into a Mu ...
, which explored themes of wholesale emigration of villagers to the city and the loss of good, solid agricultural lands, culture and solidarity. The film performed well at the box office and garnered mixed reviews from critics. A reviewer from Sify.com stated the film was "typical overdose of Cheran melodrama masala". Cheran then turned actor in director
Thangar Bachan Thangar Bachan (born 1961) is an Indian film director and actor, cinematographer and novelist. He has served as jury member in National Film Awards. Early life Thankar Bachan was born in Pathirakottai, a village near Panruti, Cuddalore distr ...
's romantic drama film ''
Solla Marandha Kadhai ''Solla Marandha Kadhai'' () is a 2002 Tamil-language film. This film is based on writer Nanjil Nadan's novel ''Thalaikeezh vigithangal''. Plot Sivadhanu( Cheran) is the eldest son of poor family and educated but unemployed person.He has the re ...
'' (2002). The film garnered mixed review but performed well at the box office.


2003–2006: ''Autograph'' and national recognition

Cheran first began work on ''Autograph'' in October 2000 with
Prabhu Deva Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada language films. In a career spanning 32 years, he has performed and designed a ...
and then Vikram cast, though the actors later opted out as a result of schedule clashes. In early 2002, Cheran announced that he was going to instead make a film titled ''Pokkisham'' and Kanika would star alongside him. However he failed to find a financier and moved back to making ''Autograph''. As producers were unwilling to finance the film, Cheran opted to produce and star in the film himself and the film consequently took over a year to make. ''Autograph'' told the story of a man named Senthil, presented in four stages of his life – at school, college, work and during his marriage, and Cheran called the film "semi-autobiographical". The film starred him alongside Sneha,
Gopika Girly Anto, credited by her screen name Gopika (born 1 February 1984) is an Indian actress, who has predominantly starred in Malayalam films.Starting her career as a model, she ventured into acting with the Malayalam film, ''Pranayamanithooval'' ...
,
Mallika Mallika is a Hindu/Sanskrit Indian feminine given name, which means "jasmine".''Baby Names''"Given Name Mallika" Retrieved on 27 January 2016. Notable people with the name include: *Mallika (actress), Indian actress * Mallika Chabba (born 1985), ...
and
Kaniha Divya Venkatasubramaniam, better known by her stage name Kaniha or Kanika, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema along with a few Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies. Kaniha made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film '' Fiv ...
, and had a popular soundtrack composed by
Bharathwaj Ramani Bharathwaj known professionally as Bharadwaj is an Indian music director, composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer, predominantly known for his work in Tamil cinema. He is trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music and is a ...
. Four different cinematographers worked on the film;
Ravi Varman S. Ravi Varman (born 9 May 1972) is an Indian cinematographer, filmmaker, producer and writer. He has predominantly worked in films of Indian languages such as Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. Known for his realistic and poetic framing sense, Rav ...
had shot the school episode in Senthil's early life with a 35 mm lens,
Vijay Milton S. D. Vijay Milton is an Indian cinematographer and director working in Tamil films. He directed the romantic comedy film ''Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu'' (2006) starring Bharath and Mallika Kapoor. He received critical acclaim for his ...
shot the Kerala scenes, Dwaraknath shot the Chennai episode with a steady cam and Shanky Mahendran shot the "'live' part" of the film when the camera uses the
point of view Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the prono ...
of Senthil's character. Made at a budget of ₹2 crore rupees, the film garnered over ₹10 crores at the box office and became one of the most profitable Tamil films of the year. The film benefited from positive word-of-mouth and Cheran subsequently increased the number of prints from sixty five to eighty five for the second week, a rarity in Tamil cinema. The film won positive reviews from film critics, with
Sify Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
.com writing that "Cheran has used all his artists to perfection to make this love story with polish and panache". Dennis Harvey of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote it was a "well-mounted production has too much familiar melodrama, and few real highlights (notably one delightful homage to ’70s Tamil musicals), but remains an easy watch". For the film, Cheran won a National Award for Best Popular Film, along with two
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
and two
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
, for Best Film and Best Director. The film became renowned as a "cult classic" and spawned several other inspirations and remakes in the Indian film industry. Cheran then restarted work on ''Pokkisham'' in 2004 but postponed the film after falling out with the new lead actress
Meera Jasmine Jasmine Mary Joseph, known professionally as Meera Jasmine, is an Indian actress who appears primarily in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. Meera Jasmine won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2004 for her role in ...
. He then the drama film ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' (2005) focused on family relationships and Tamil culture, and cast himself in the lead role, alongside
Rajkiran J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar, known by his stage name Rajkiran, is an Indian actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 30 Tamil films. Early life Rajkiran was born as J. Mohideen Abdul Khadar on 16 March 1959 at Keelakarai into a Mu ...
,
Saranya Sanjna (Sanskrit: संज्ञा, IAST: ''Saṃjñā''), also known as Saranyu ( sa, सरन्यू, IAST: ''Saraṇyū''), is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of Surya, the Sun god. She is mentioned in the ''Rigveda'', and also a ...
and
Padmapriya Padmapriya (born Padmalochani; died 16 November 1997) was an Indian actress who worked in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. Her first movie was in Telugu, ''Adapillala Tandri'' (1974). In Kannada, she debuted with ''Bangarada Gudi'' ...
. During production, the film went over budget and took nearly 145 days of shoot in Karaikudi, Madurai and Chennai. The film was made at a budget of ₹2 crore rupees, and went on to make profits for the producers. The film also won positive reviews, with a critic from Sify.com noting that "Cheran has kept the flag of uncompromised cinema flying and is one of the handful of directors, whose calling card remain his artistry over the medium", adding that the film is "brilliant and appeals as much to the mind as the heart". Upon release, the film won several awards including the another National Award for best film on family welfare.


2007–2013: Focus on acting assignments

He restarted work on ''Pokkisham'' for the third time in December 2005, after completing ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' (2005), and approached Sandhya to play the lead role. The film did not take off so he moved on to make ''
Maya Kannadi ''Maya Kannadi'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran and produced by Subbu Panchu. Cheran also plays the lead role with Navya Nair. Ilayaraaja scores the music and Sarath Kumar, Arya and Malavika make cameo appea ...
'' (2007) starring himself and
Navya Nair Navya Nair is an Indian actress who has appeared predominantly in Malayalam films, along with others in Kannada and Tamil. She is the recipient of several awards. Personal life Nair married Santhosh Menon in 2010, and the couple have a son. ...
. ''Mayakannadi'' was based on the concept of middle class dreams turning sour due to lack of commitment and created attention prior to release owing to Cheran's recent success. However, the film fared poorly at the box office and lost money for distributors. It received mixed reviews and a critic noted "after seeing the film, we hope that the director applies this message in his life by sticking to his core strength of direction rather than dabble in roles that just do not suit him". Another reviewer from Rediff.com stated it was a "brave, real film" and that "Cheran has done a superb job directing as well as acting". After the film's release, Cheran suggested that he regretted not thinking about letting someone else play the lead role instead of himself. Cheran subsequently chose to prioritise acting commitments in order to raise finances for his subsequent film. He starred in T. V. Chandran's award-winning ''
Aadum Koothu ''Aadum Koothu'' is a 2006 Tamil drama romance film directed by T. V. Chandran and starring Navya Nair, Cheran, Prakash Raj, Aari Arujunan, Seeman, and Manorama. The film premiered at the 37th International Film Festival of India in 2006 an ...
'' (2008),
Karu Pazhaniappan Karuppaih Palaniappan, credited on-screen as Karu Palaniappan, is an Indian film director, actor, and television host who works in the Tamil film industry. He has also hosted the show Thamizha Thamizha on Zee Tamil. Biography Palaniappan hails ...
's ''
Pirivom Santhippom ''Pirivom Santhippom'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language family drama film written and directed by Karu Pazhaniappan starring Cheran and Sneha alongside an ensemble cast. The film is about the life of a young couple in a joint family with ...
'' (2008) and '' Raman Thediya Seethai'' (2009). In his films, he often portrayed meek and mellow roles as a family-orientated man. The films all performed well commercially, and won good reviews for Cheran as an actor. For the fourth time, Cheran finally moved on to make ''Pokkisham'' (2009) and cast
Padmapriya Padmapriya (born Padmalochani; died 16 November 1997) was an Indian actress who worked in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. Her first movie was in Telugu, ''Adapillala Tandri'' (1974). In Kannada, she debuted with ''Bangarada Gudi'' ...
alongside himself in the lead role during 2008. Set in the 1970s, the story revolved around two lovers – a Muslim Tamil literature student and a Hindu marine engineer working in Calcutta. ''Pokkisham'' opened to mixed reviews from critics, with many reviewers calling the screenplay too slow. The film subsequently fared poorly at the box office. Following the commercial failure of ''Pokkisham'', Cheran actively chose to prioritise acting commitments. He appeared in
Mysskin Shanmugha Raja, known professionally as Mysskin, is an Tamil film director, screenwriter, actor, singer, and producer. He made his directorial debut in 2006 with '' Chithiram Pesuthadi''. His subsequent films '' Anjathe'' (2008), ''Nandalala'' ...
's thriller ''
Yuddham Sei ''Yuddham Sei'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Mysskin. It stars Cheran and debutant Dipa Shah alongside an ensemble cast including Y. G. Mahendra, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Jayaprakash, a ...
'' as a detective agent, and in Rajan Madhav's mystery drama '' Muran'' during 2011. In 2013, he featured in
Vasanth Vasanth is an Indian director well known in Tamil language films for directing films such as ''Keladi Kanmani'' (1990), '' Aasai'' (1995), '' Nerrukku Ner'' (1997), ''Rhythm'' (2000) and '' Satham Podathey'' (2007). Career Vasanth began his ...
's ''
Moondru Per Moondru Kaadhal ''Moondru Per Moondru Kadal'' (; ) is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romance film co-edited, co-written and directed by Vasanth. It stars Arjun, Cheran, Vimal, Surveen Chawla, Muktha Bhanu and Lasini. The film features music composed by Yuvan S ...
'' and in the anthology film ''
Chennaiyil Oru Naal ''Chennaiyil Oru Naal'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language thriller film written by brothers Bobby and Sanjay and directed by Shaheed Kader. The film has an ensemble cast including R. Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Cheran, Devan, Prasanna, Ra ...
''. In general, all four films won positive reviews from critics and performed well commercially.


2014—2021: Career fluctuations

Following successive failures as a director, Cheran had trouble attracting producers for his next directorial projects. He also revealed his intentions of making bigger budget films to cater to modern audiences and expressed that village-based films would be difficult, as the setting had changed considerably since the start of his career. He subsequently launched a film titled ''
JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Cheran, which was simultaneously made and later released in Telugu as ''Rajadhi Raja'' (). It stars Sharwanand and Nithya Menen while ...
'' in 2013 starring
Sharwanand Sharwanand Myneni (born 6 March 1984) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu films alongside a few Tamil films. He made his acting debut in the year 2004 with the film ''Aidho Tareekhu.'' For ''Engeyum Eppodhum'' (2011), he received S ...
and
Nithya Menen Nithya Menen (born 8 April 1988) is an Indian actress and singer who has acted in more than 50 feature films and in six different languages: Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, English, and Telugu.In her acting career, Nithya has won three Film ...
. However, the film languished in development hell and later had a straight-to-DVD release via Cheran's C2H platform. The period marked a difficult stage for the director, with the lack of directing and acting offers, complemented by family trouble, financial problems owing to C2H, and negative press for controversial statements. After an extended break, Cheran made a return to direction with the family drama '' Thirumanam'' (2019) starring himself alongside Sukanya, Umapathi Ramaiah and Kavya Shetty. The film focused on marriage between young people, and Cheran suggested that the film would urge the youth to consider some of the societal factors before entering into wedlock. The film opened to negative reviews, and fared poorly at the box office. A critic noted "the basic problem with ''Thirumanam'' is the preachy tone of the film" and that "Cheran uses lengthy dialogues and songs to convey his thoughts, which often tests our patience", concluding that the film "is certainly not for audiences who like modern dramas".


Other ventures


Cinema2Home

In 2014, Cheran founded a new cinema distribution platform known as "C2H" (Cinema2Home) in an attempt to curb out copyright infringement in the Tamil film industry. He also launched his own music company 'Dream Sounds' in 2013, which released the soundtrack album of ''
JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Cheran, which was simultaneously made and later released in Telugu as ''Rajadhi Raja'' (). It stars Sharwanand and Nithya Menen while ...
'' (2015) and '' Thirumanam'' (2019). C2H was expected to deliver official original DVDs on the day of a film's theatrical release to homes, for which C2H signed an agreement with DVD maker
Moser Baer Moser Baer was an Indian multinational manufacturer of optical discs, storage devices, CDs, DVDs, based in New Delhi. The company was present in over 100 countries, serviced through 15 marketing offices and representatives, and had tie-ups ...
. Around 150 distributors and 3000 dealers were said to be involved in the process of bringing the DVDs to households across Tamil Nadu. He had chosen to launch the platform after his film ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' failed to attract distributors for a theatrical release and intended on it becoming the first film of the platform. He later convinced producers who were struggling to find distributors to also put their films forward for a C2H release. Other films which joined included Thangasamy's ''
Ettuthikkum Madhayaanai ''Ettuthikkum Madhayaanai'' is a 2015 Tamil language film directed and produced by K S Thangasamy. The film stars Sathya and Sreemukhi, while Laguparan and Sam Anderson play other pivotal roles. The film released on 27 February 2015. Cast * ...
'', Rohini's ''Appavin Meesai'', Parthi Bhaskar's '' Arjunan Kadhali'', Sashidharan's ''
Vaaraayo Vennilaave Dinesh Ravi, better known as Attakathi Dinesh, is an Indian actor who has acted in leading roles in Tamil cinema. He made his breakthrough playing the lead role in ''Attakathi'' (2012), portraying Dinakaran. Career Dinesh completed his high ...
'', Mahesh Periyasamy's ''Hockey'' and Balan's ''Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga''. Films such as Kandeepan's ''
Aavi Kumar ''Aavi Kumar'' is a 2015 Tamil horror comedy film directed by Kandeepan. The film stars Udhaya and Kanika Tiwari in the lead roles while Nassar, Jagan and Manobala among others form an ensemble cast. This movie is an unofficial remake of Mohan ...
'' were briefly attached to C2H before opting out. In March 2015, Cheran released his own film ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' through the platform and opted against giving the film a theatrical release. The C2H initiative was later dropped as the platform did not garner support, and the remainder of the films except ''Ettuthikkum Madhayaanai'' remain unreleased. An arrest warrant was issued by a court against Cheran and his daughter Nivedha, after he did not respond to a bounced cheque following the failure of the venture in March 2016.


Writing

Cheran shared his life experiences and was published as a serial article in the Tamil Weekly Magazine
Ananda Vikatan ''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India. History and profile ''Ananda Vikatan'' was started by Late Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar in February 1926 as a monthly publication. The issue for December 1927 wa ...
. Later, it was published as a book titled ''Touring Talkies'', . He later turned publisher with the Tamil novel ''Porum Valiyum'' (War & Pain), a novel on an emotional account of a war-torn
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
by author Savitri Advithanandhan. As a first step, he launched the publishing house "Cheran Noolagam".


Bigg Boss

In 2019, Cheran entered the '' third season'' of the popular reality show ''
Bigg Boss Tamil ''Bigg Boss'' also known as ''BB'' is an Indian Tamil-language version of the reality TV program ''Bigg Boss''. The program follows the '' Big Brother'' format developed by Endemol in the Netherlands. Over five years, Bigg Boss has rolled ou ...
''. He got evicted after 90 days. He also received the "Most Disciplined" housemate award from Kamal Hasan.


Controversies

Cheran has often had a difficult relationship with producers and has made controversial statements, which have elicited discussion. In 1998, he called out
Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
for ill-treating him during his assistant director days on the sets of '' Mahanadhi'' (1994). In 2008, during the audio release of ''Raman Thediya Seethai'', he made a derogatory statement against press for writing rumours about him. In 2013, he held a press conference asking parents to strictly oppose love marriages, despite having written many love stories in films. The conversation arose when he appealed to the media for assistance after his daughter had briefly run away from home with her boyfriend. In late 2015, prior to the
Nadigar Sangam The Nadigar Sangam ( en, Actors' association), officially known as the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), is a union for film, television, and stage actors in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, based in Chennai. Formed in 1952, the grou ...
elections, Cheran publicly criticised the leadership potential and acting ability of actors Vishal and
Karthi Karthik Sivakumar (born 25 May 1977), better known by his stage name Karthi, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. He has won three Filmfare Awards South, an Edison Award, a SIIMA Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award. ...
. Cheran criticised actor
Sharwanand Sharwanand Myneni (born 6 March 1984) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu films alongside a few Tamil films. He made his acting debut in the year 2004 with the film ''Aidho Tareekhu.'' For ''Engeyum Eppodhum'' (2011), he received S ...
in July 2016 for not cooperating with the promotion of ''Rajathi Raja'', the Telugu version of ''
JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai ''JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Cheran, which was simultaneously made and later released in Telugu as ''Rajadhi Raja'' (). It stars Sharwanand and Nithya Menen while ...
'' (2016). In return, Sharwanand stated that Cheran was in the wrong, was sour because of the failure of the Tamil film and had failed to pay him his salary. In 2016, Cheran blamed Sri Lankan Tamils for being the cause of video piracy in the Tamil film industry and expressed his regret for his support of their political independence movement. His remarks were met with outrage from the Tamil diaspora. In March 2017, Cheran launched another scathing attack against Vishal and produced a seven-page letter accusing the actor of being "selfish, power hungry and insensitive". In his letter, Cheran also criticised Vishal for not lending him support during the failed C2H venture. Vishal later suggested that he respected but felt pity for Cheran for his false allegations.


Personal life

Cheran is married to Selvarani and has two daughters, Nivedha Priyadarshini and Damini.


Filmography

;Films ;Television


Awards and honours


National Film Awards

*
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues The National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues is one of the category in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organization set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Ind ...
for ''
Vetri Kodi Kattu ''Vetri Kodi Kattu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars starring Murali, Parthiban, Meena, and Malavika, while Vadivelu, Manorama, Anandaraj, Vijayakumar, and Charle play supporting ...
'' * 2004
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment The National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, India, and was constituted in the year 1975. This is one of the ''Golden ...
for ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' *
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare The National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several ...
for ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' *
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil The Indian Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several aw ...
for ''
Aadum Koothu ''Aadum Koothu'' is a 2006 Tamil drama romance film directed by T. V. Chandran and starring Navya Nair, Cheran, Prakash Raj, Aari Arujunan, Seeman, and Manorama. The film premiered at the 37th International Film Festival of India in 2006 an ...
''


Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

* 1997 –
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil ( Kollywood) films. List of winners ;Key See also * Cinema of India References General * Speci ...
for ''
Porkaalam ''Porkaalam'' ( ta, பொற்காலம் ) is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film has Murali, Meena, Sanghavi, Rajeshwari and Vadivelu in key roles. It was later remade in Telugu, Kannada an ...
'' * 2000 –
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Dialogue Writer The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Dialogue Writer is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The list Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they w ...
for ''
Vetri Kodi Kattu ''Vetri Kodi Kattu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars starring Murali, Parthiban, Meena, and Malavika, while Vadivelu, Manorama, Anandaraj, Vijayakumar, and Charle play supporting ...
'' * 2004 –
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film is given by the Government of Tamil Nadu as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil (Kollywood) films. It includes prizes for three top places. Key List of winners Reference ...
for ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' * 2004 –
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil ( Kollywood) films. List of winners ;Key See also * Cinema of India References General * Speci ...
for ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' * 2005 –
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film is given by the Government of Tamil Nadu as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil (Kollywood) films. It includes prizes for three top places. Key List of winners Reference ...
for ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' * 2009 –
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil (Kollywood) films. List of winners ;Key References {{Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Actor ...
for ''
Pokkisham ''Pokkisham'' () is a 2009 Tamil language film directed by Cheran. The feature failed at the box office compared to Cheran's previous work, ''Autograph''. Movie dubbed by Meena and Prasanna. Plot In 1970, a marine engineer Lenin from Calcu ...
''


Filmfare Awards

* 1997 –
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil The Filmfare Best Director Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The awards were extended to "Best Director" in 1972. Film world, p 43 Superlatives *K. Balachander ...
for ''
Bharathi Kannamma ''Bharathi Kannama'' is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran, starring R. Parthiban and Meena. The film marks Cheran's debut as a director and screenwriter. It was well-received upon its commercial release. Prabhu Solomon ...
'' * 1998 –
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil The Filmfare Best Director Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The awards were extended to "Best Director" in 1972. Film world, p 43 Superlatives *K. Balachander ...
for ''
Desiya Geetham ''Desiya Geetham'' ( National Anthem) is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Cheran. The film co-produced by R. Chandru, Abuthahir, Sathish Kumar, G. V. Suresh Kumar. The film created controversy during release and received pos ...
'' * 2001 –
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil The Filmfare Best Director Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The awards were extended to "Best Director" in 1972. Film world, p 43 Superlatives *K. Balachander ...
for ''
Pandavar Bhoomi ''Paandavar Bhoomi'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language family drama film, written and directed by Cheran. The film has Arun Vijay (credited as Arun Kumar) Shamitha and Rajkiran playing the lead roles. While Vinu Chakravarthy and Mukesh Tiw ...
'' * 2004 –
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil The Filmfare Best Director Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The awards were extended to "Best Director" in 1972. Film world, p 43 Superlatives *K. Balachander ...
for ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' * 2004 –
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil The Filmfare Best Film Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil (Kollywood) films. Winners Nominations 1970s *1972 - '' Pattikada Pattanama'' *1973 - '' Bharatha Vilas'' *1974 - ''Dikkat ...
for ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
''


Other awards

* 2004 – Dinakaran-Medimix Awards for Best Film – ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' * 2004 – Dinakaran-Medimix Awards for Best Director – ''
Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'' * 2005 – Tamil Nadu progressive writers association awards for Best Writer Director – ''
Thavamai Thavamirundhu ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Rajkiran, himself and Padmapriya with Saranya, Senthil Kumar, and Meenal portraying supporting roles. The music was compose ...
'' * 2011 – Jaya TV Award for Best Actor – ''
Yuddham Sei ''Yuddham Sei'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Mysskin. It stars Cheran and debutant Dipa Shah alongside an ensemble cast including Y. G. Mahendra, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Jayaprakash, a ...
'' * 2011 - Norway international Tamil film festival awards - ''Kalaichigaram Award''


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheran Male actors from Madurai Tamil male actors Tamil-language film directors Tamil screenwriters Living people Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners Filmfare Awards South winners Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award Tamil film directors 20th-century Indian film directors 21st-century Indian film directors 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Film producers from Tamil Nadu Producers who won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment National Film Award Directors who won the Best Film on Family Welfare National Film Award Directors who won the Best Film on Other Social Issues National Film Award Tamil actors Bigg Boss (Tamil TV series) contestants 1965 births