BharathirajaChinnasaamy Periyamaya Thevar (; 17 July 1941 – 10 June 2026), better known by his stage name Bharathiraja, was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with 16 Vayathinile, he was known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films and popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Imayam (transl. The Pinnacle of Directors).
Kadhal KottaiKadhal Kottai (transl.The Fort of Love) is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Agathiyan, and produced by Sivasakthi Movie Makers. The film stars Ajith Kumar and Devayani in the lead roles, with Heera, Thalaivasal Vijay, and Karan in supporting roles. It revolves around two people who develop a romance anonymously.
Filmfare Award for Best Director – TamilThe Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil 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. SuperlativesK. Balachander has won the award a record seven times and won twice in a row on two separate occasions (1974–1975 and 1980–1981). Mani Ratnam has received the award 6 times, which is the second most wins.National Film Award for Best DirectionThe National Film Award for Best Direction is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), an organisation set up by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Since 1967, the award is given by a national panel appointed annually by the NFDC to a director for their work within Indian cinema. It is presented by the president of India at a ceremony held in New Delhi.National Film Award for Best ScreenplayThe National Film Award for Best Screenplay is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus). The award is announced for films produced in a year across the country, in all Indian languages. As of 2024, the award comprises a Rajat Kamal, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹2,00,000.Manoj BharathirajaManoj Kumar Bharathiraja (11 September 1976 – 25 March 2025) was an Indian actor, film director, producer and playback singer who worked in Tamil cinema. He was the son of director Bharathiraja and made his acting debut with his father's Taj Mahal in 1999. Manoj's notable films included Samudhiram (2001), Kadal Pookkal (2001), Alli Arjuna (2002), Varushamellam Vasantham (2002), Eera Nilam (2003), Annakodi (2013), Baby (2015), Maanaadu (2021) and Viruman (2022).VaanmathiVaanmathi is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Agathiyan. It stars Ajith Kumar and Swathi in the lead roles. This film portrays hatred that slowly transforms into love between two young people who are from very different financial backgrounds. The film was released on 12 January 1996 and went on to become a commercial success.Anbalaya FilmsAnabalaya Films is an Indian film production and distribution company headed by K. Prabhakaran.
OviyaHelen Nelson (born 29 April 1991), better known by her stage name Oviya, is an Indian actress who works in the Tamil and Malayalam films and has also appeared in a few Kannada and Telugu films. She made her breakthrough as an actress in Sarkunam's rural romantic comedy Kalavani (2010), before appearing in other films including Pandiraj's Marina (2012), Moodar Koodam (2013) and Madha Yaanai Koottam (2013).
Tamil cinemaSegment of Indian cinemaTamil 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 Chennai neighbourhood with a high concentration of film studios, and Hollywood. The first Tamil silent film, Keechaka Vadham, was directed by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918.Sivasakthi Movie MakersSivasakthi Movie Makers is an Indian film production and distribution company headed by Sivasakthi Pandian. The film had been a leading production studio in the Tamil film industry in the 1990s, but has struggled following the switch to digital film-making. The studio has made eleven films, all of which have music composed by Deva.
Vijayalakshmi AhathianVijayalakshmi Ahathian is an Indian actress and reality show winner who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. As the daughter of film director Agathiyan, Vijayalakshmi made her acting debut as a timid girl in Venkat Prabhu's Chennai 600028 (2007), before portraying another timid character in Mysskin's drama film, Anjathe (2009). After appearing in a few further lead roles, she moved on to become a film producer and an actress in television serials.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.