Gangai Amaran (born Amar Singh) is an Indian composer, playback singer, lyricist, actor, film director and a screenwriter in

Tamil films Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Chenn ...

Personal life

Gangai Amaran was born in

Pannaipuram Pannaipuram is a panchayat town in Theni district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is in Uthamapalayam Talak, Theni District. Demographics India census, Pannaipuram had a population of 9323. Males constitute 49.6% of the population and f ...

Theni district Theni District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in India. Surrounded by hills, the district is located to the west of Madurai district. The town of Theni is the district headquarters. The district is divided into two natural div ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

in December 1947, as the youngest son of Ramaswamy and Chinnathayi. He is the younger brother of noted music director

Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...

and father of director and actor

Venkat Prabhu Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren (born 7 November 1975), better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu, is an Indian film director, actor and playback singer in Tamil cinema. In addition, he also worked in Telugu cinema, Telugu Cinema. After completing ...

and actor, composer and singer

Premji Amaren Prem Kumar Gangai Amaren (born 26 February 1979), better known as Premgi or Premji () is an Indian singer, composer, songwriter, actor and comedian. The son of composer and director Gangai Amaran, he often composes rap songs in Tamil cinema an ...

. He had two more elder brothers, R. D. Bhaskar and

Pavalar Varadharajan Ramasamy Daniel Varadharajan, popularly known as "Pavalar" Varadharajan, was a singer, lyricist, composer, musician, and playwright from Tamil Nadu, India. He headed a musical troupe named ''Pavalar Brothers'' in the 1960s. The group consisted ...

, both who died long back. Composers

Karthik Raja Karthik Raja (born 29 June 1973) is an Indian composer and playback singer based in Chennai. He made his debut as a film composer in the Tamil film ''Pandiyan'' (1992) and went on to score music for many critically and commercially acclaimed f ...

Yuvan Shankar Raja Yuvan Shankar Raja (born 31 August 1979), is an Indian composer and playback singer. He mainly scores music for Tamil films along with few Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use o ...

, singer

Bhavatharini Bhavatharini Raja (23 July 1976 – 25 January 2024) was an Indian playback singer and composer. She was the only daughter of noted composer Ilaiyaraaja and sister of Yuvan Shankar Raja and Karthik Raja. Starting her career in the 1990s, she mo ...

and costume designer

Vasuki Bhaskar Vasuki Bhaskar is an Indian fashion and costume designer, working in the Tamil film industry. She is the daughter of film producer R.D. Bhaskar and Pavalar Creations is their own production house. Career Vasuki was born as the only daughter to ...

are his relations. His wife Manimegalai (Kala) died on 9 May 2021. Regarding his name, Gangai was taken from a magazine of the same name which he read during his childhood, while Amaran is derived from a pseudonym Amar Singh, which he wanted to adopt for himself when he aimed to be a lyricist. He has had his personal differences with his elder brother Ilayaraja where he mentioned about many controversial issues with him in his career.

Career

Films

Amaran revealed that his debut film as a composer for ''Malargalile Oru Malligai'' starring Malaysia Vasudevan remained unreleased despite the soundtrack being released. Hence, ''Oru Vidukathai Oru Thodarkathai'' became his first film as composer to be released. Along with his brother Ilaiyaraja, Gangai Amaran started his career as a composer and composed for many successful films such as '' Mouna Geethangal'' and ''

Vazhvey Maayam ''Vaazhvey Maayam'' () is a 1982 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by R. Krishnamoorthy, starring Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmm ...

'' (1983). Apart from composing, Amaran made his directorial debut with '' Kozhi Koovuthu'' (1982) and went on to direct many films including the highly successful ''

Karagattakaran ''Karakattakkaran'' () is a 1989 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy dance film written and directed by Gangai Amaran. The film stars Ramarajan and debutant Kanaka, while Santhana Bharathi, Chandrasekhar, Goundamani, Senthil, Shanmugasund ...

'' (1989). ''Themmangu Paattukaran'' was his last film as a director while ''Poonjolai'' which would have been the acting debut of his son Venkat Prabhu remains unreleased. Now he is working with Clusters media college.https://www.facebook.com/clustersmediazone/videos/292896508213436/

Politics

Gangai Amaran also took a plunge in politics by joining BJP and also contested in RK Nagar constituency in April 2017 later withdrawn it. Apart from that, he also served as a member of Central Board of Film Certification.

Filmography

Director

Discography

Music Director

Singer

Lyricist (partial discography)

Dubbing artist

* K. Bhagyaraj -

Puthiya Vaarpugal ''Puthiya Vaarpugal'' () is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film co-written, produced and directed by Bharathiraja. The film stars K. Bhagyaraj and Rati Agnihotri, with G. Srinivasan, Goundamani, K. K. Soundar and Usharani in s ...

(1979),

Bhama Rukmani ''Bhama Rukmani'' () is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by R. Bhaskaran and written by K. Bhagyaraj. The film stars Bhagyaraj, Radhika and Praveena. It was released on 12 June 1980. Plot Nandagopal "Nandu", has be ...

(1980)

Onscreen appearances

*'' Payanangal Mudivathillai'' (1982) (in the song "Thogai Ilamayil") *''

'' (1989) *''Ooru Vittu Ooru Vandhu'' (1990) *'' Idhayam'' (1991) *'' Chinnavar'' (1992) *'' Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen'' (1998) *'' Jodi'' (1999) *''

Kandukondain Kandukondain ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'' (also released internationally as ''I Have Found It'') is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical film directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon. Based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel ''Sense and Sensibility'', i ...

'' (2000) *'' Ullam Kollai Poguthey'' (2001) *''

Thunichal ''Thunichal'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Majith. Starring Arun Vijay, Ramana, newcomer Shiva Manjal, and Swathika, the film was released on 1 January 2010, after many delays. Cast Production Th ...

'' (2010) *'' Chennai 600028 II: Second Innings'' (2016) *'' Arya Surya'' (2013) *'' Yaanai'' (2022)

References

External links

*
Gangai Amaran as Music DirectorGangai Amaran as LyricistGangai Amaran as Singer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amaran, Gangai Indian Tamil people Tamil musicians Tamil film score composers Kannada film score composers Living people Indian male songwriters 21st-century Indian songwriters Tamil film poets 1947 births Musicians from Tamil Nadu People from Theni district Film directors from Tamil Nadu Tamil film directors Indian lyricists 20th-century Indian people Indian male film score composers Tamil-language lyricists Ilaiyaraaja