Evergreen Movie International

Last updated

Evergreen Movie International
Company type Film production
Film distribution
Industry Entertainment
Founded2000
Headquarters,
India
Key people
V. A. Durai
Products Motion pictures
(Tamil)

Evergreen Movie International is an Indian film production and distribution company headed by V. A. Durai. The studio collaborated with actor Sathyaraj and director Sakthi Chidambaram on multiple ventures in the early 2000s, before running into financial trouble through the making of Bala's Pithamagan (2003). [1] [2]

Contents

History

Durai made his first film Ennamma Kannu (2000) directed by Sakthi Chidambaram, and starring Sathyaraj and Devayani. He later collaborated with Sathyaraj again in Looty (2001) and Vivaramana Aalu (2002), and with Sakthi Chidambaram in Lovely (2001). Durai and Evergreen Movie International worked as executive producers for the making of Suresh Krishna's Baba (2002) starring Rajinikanth.

The studio ran into financial trouble during the making of Bala's Pithamagan (2003) starring Vikram and Suriya. Bala went over the agreed budget, and as a result, Durai held back on settling the payments for the lead actors. The film won critical acclaim upon release, also winning Durai the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Film. [3] Bala later agreed to pay Durai following the release of his maiden production venture. [4] Bala announced and started projects as a producer including Maayavi (2005), Paramasivan (2006) and Naan Kadavul (2009), before selling the rights to other producers. As a result, Durai pursued a litigation case against Bala. [5] [6] As a result of the complications following Pithamagan's release, Durai produced Gajendra under a different production studio named Tamilanai Cine Creation. The film ran into release issues as a result of Vijayakanth's political involvement, with cadres from Pattali Makkal Katchi threatening to indulge in violence at theatres owing to Vijayakanth's comments against their party leader. [7] [8] In 2005, Durai planned a film with director P. C. Anbazhagan and actor Murali, but the film did not begin production. [9] He later also attempted to cast Ajith Kumar and Jiiva in films by Tarun Gopi and Ameer respectively, but neither project materialised. [10] [11]

In mid-2008, Durai announced a return to films with a project titled Naai Kutty (2010) by newcomer S. S. Joe. [12] Prasanna and Nicole signed to play the lead roles while comedian Santhanam was approached to play a significant role and Sundar C. Babu was chosen to compose the music. [13] [14] In late-September 2008, a complaint had been lodged by director Ram Shiva alleging that the story had been taken from the Kannada film Nanda Loves Nanditha . He alleged that Durai tried to buy the rights for remaking the film in Tamil but his efforts were in vain and had decided to plagiarise the script as a result. [15] [16] Durai later restarted the project with a new script and Sathaji was chosen to direct the film after Joe opted out. Newcomer Selvin signed on after Prasanna opted out of the role and Soori replaced Santhanam. [17] [18] [19] He made a second attempted comeback through the comedy drama Kagitha Kappal (2016) starring Appukutty but the film went unnoticed. [20]

V. A. Durai died in October 2023 following long-term illnesses. [21]

Filmography

TitleYearDirectorCastSynopsisRef.
Ennamma Kannu 2000 Sakthi Chidambaram Sathyaraj, Devayani, Ranjith Kaasi, a womaniser woos a girl Gayathri she rejects him and is in love with his friend Vishwa. When Vishwa deserts her on the day of the wedding, Kaasi offers refuge to her. [22]
Looty 2001 Parameshwar Sathyaraj, Roja, Mumtaj Rasappa and Geetha who are childless adopt a baby however Geetha suspects the baby as Rasappa's biological son [23]
Lovely 2001 Sakthi Chidambaram Karthik, Malavika, Monal Chandru and Niveditha who are in love comes up with a plan to impress her father who hates love [24]
Vivaramana Aalu 2002 K. Selva Bharathy Sathyaraj, Devayani, Mumtaj [25]
Pithamagan 2003 Bala Vikram, Suriya, Laila, Sangeetha A naive but violent grave digger and loud mouthed thief befriend each other [26]
Gajendra 2004 Suresh Krissna Vijayakanth, Flora, Laya [27]
Naai Kutty 2009SathajiSelvin, Nicole, Soori [28]
Kagitha Kappal2016S. Sivaraman Appukutty, Dilija, M. S. Bhaskar [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sathyaraj</span> Indian actor, producer, director, media personality (born 1954)

Rangaraj Subbiah, professionally known as Sathyaraj, is an Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality who appears predominantly in Tamil films. He also appears in works in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivek (actor)</span> Indian actor and comedian (1961–2021)

Vivekanandan, known professionally as Vivek, was an Indian actor, comedian, television personality, playback singer and social activist who worked in the Tamil film industry. Introduced in films by director K. Balachander, he won three Filmfare Awards for Best Comedian in Tamil for his performances in the films, Run (2002), Saamy (2003) and Perazhagan (2004) and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, where five are Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Comedian for the films, Unnaruge Naan Irundhal (1999), Run (2002), Parthiban Kanavu (2003), Anniyan (2005) and Sivaji (2007) and Kalaivanar Award as Honorary Award. His comedy style consisted of one-liners and wordplay that featured social and political satire, which led to critics comparing him to N. S. Krishnan and earning him the nickname Chinna Kalaivanar.

<i>Pithamagan</i> 2003 film directed by Bala

Pithamagan is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language action crime drama film written and directed by Bala. The film stars Vikram, Suriya, Laila and Sangeetha. Based on Jayakanthan's short story Nandhavanathil Oru Aandi, it revolves around a man who grew away from civilisation with minimal human contact, and as a result is animalistic.

<i>Viyabari</i> 2007 Indian science fiction comedy film

Viyabari (transl. Businessman) is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language science fiction comedy film directed and produced by Sakthi Chidambaram. The film stars S. J. Suryah in a dual role as a businessman and his clone. It also stars Tamannaah Bhatia, Prakash Raj, Namitha, Malavika, Vadivelu, Santhanam, Seetha, and Nassar. The musical score was composed by Deva. Cinematography was by M. V. Panneerselvam. The editor was S. Suraj Kavee.

Vinayagar Sundar Vel, known professionally as Sundar C., is an Indian film director, actor and producer. He has directed over 34 films in Tamil and acted in 17 movies as the protagonist. He remains one of the successful and most wanted director in the Industry for the last 3 decades.

<i>Sandai</i> 2008 Indian film

Sandai (transl. Fight) is a 2008 Tamil-language action comedy film directed by Sakthi Chidambaram. The film stars Sundar C, Nadhiya, Namitha and Ramya Raj, while Vivek, Lalu Alex, and Mithun Tejasvi, among others, play supporting roles. The music was composed by Dhina with cinematography done by K. S. Selva Raj and editing by G. Sasikumar. The film was released on 21 March 2008.

<i>Maha Nadigan</i> 2004 film directed by Sakthi Chidambaram

Maha Nadigan is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language political satire film written and directed by Sakthi Chidambaram starring Sathyaraj, Manoj and P. Vasu.

<i>Englishkaran</i> 2005 Indian film

Englishkaran (transl. Englishman) is a 2005 Tamil-language comedy film. It stars Sathyaraj and Namitha, while Vadivelu, Madhumitha Siva Balaji, and Santhanam play supporting roles. "Englishkaran" with the tagline "Tamizh Vazhga" is a film from the hit combo from Sathyaraj and Shakthi Chidambaram whose earlier ventures Ennamma Kannu and Maha Nadigan were hits. Englishkaran also has humour, glamour, many puns and is based on a strong theme paced with whimsy humour. The film opened to positive reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganja Karuppu</span> Indian film actor

Ganja Karuppu is an Indian actor who has predominantly appeared in comedy roles in Tamil cinema. After making his debut in Bala's Pithamagan (2003), Ganja Karuppu experienced success in the late 2000s with his roles in Raam (2005), Sivakasi (2005), Paruthiveeran (2007), Subramaniyapuram (2008) and Naadodigal (2009).

<i>Ayyanar</i> (film) 2010 Indian film

Ayyanar is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Rajamithran and produced by P. L. Thenappan. The film stars Aadhi and Meera Nandan with Vishnupriyan, Rajashree, Santhanam and Anupama Kumar playing supporting roles. The film was released on 10 December 2010 to mixed reviews and was an Average at the box office.

Sakthi N Chidambaram, is an Indian film director, who directs Tamil films.

Sheryl Pinto is a former Indian actress who had primarily appeared in Tamil films. She made her debut in Vijayakanth's Arasangam (2008), before featuring in other films including Engal Aasan (2009) and Vaadaa (2010).

<i>Ennamma Kannu</i> 2000 Indian film

Ennamma Kannu is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language film, directed by Sakthi Chidambaram, starring Sathyaraj, Devayani, Ranjith and Vadivelu. The film's musical score was by Deva and was released in 2000. The name of the film was inspired by the song of the same name from Mr. Bharath, which also starred Sathyaraj. The film was remade in Telugu as Ramma Chilakamma in 2001.

Anbu (transl. Affection) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Dalapathiraj. The film starred Bala and Deepu in the leading roles. It was a below average from films critics and audience.

Sakthi Paramesh is a Tamil film director. He made his directorial debut with Suriya Paarvai and went on to make other films like Looty, Three Roses and Thavam.

<i>Jackson Durai</i> 2016 Indian film

Jackson Durai is a 2016 Tamil-language horror comedy film based on the theme in the classic goth story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the movie is written and directed by Dharani Dharan, starring Sathyaraj, Sibiraj, and Bindu Madhavi in the leading roles, while Karunakaran, Rajendran, and Yogi Babu play supporting roles. Featuring music composed by Siddharth Vipin and editing by Vivek Harshan, the film released on 1 July 2016. The film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Dora The film was dubbed in Hindi as Jackson The Paying Guest.

R. Aravindraj is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked on Tamil films. He rose to fame after making the thriller film Oomai Vizhigal (1986) featuring Vijayakanth and has continued to make films in a similar genre.

Ajay Raaj is an Indian actor and choreographer who appears in Tamil language films. While working as a dance choreographer, Ajay made his acting debut with Agathiyan's Selvam (2005), before appearing in Chennai 600028 (2007) and has since appeared regularly in films associated with director Venkat Prabhu and his team.

<i>Sandakozhi 2</i> 2018 action film directed by N. Lingusamy

Sandakozhi 2 is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy. A sequel to Sandakozhi, the film stars Vishal and Rajkiran reprising their roles from the first film, alongside Keerthy Suresh and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. It also happens to be Vishal's 25th film. The film began production during September 2017 and was released on 18 October 2018.

<i>Naai Kutty</i> 2009 Indian film

Naai Kutty (transl. Puppy) is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Sathaji and produced by V. A. Durai. The film stars newcomer Selvin and Nicole, with Soori, Sippy, and Jayakumaran playing supporting roles. The film's music was composed by Vijayabharathi with cinematography by C. H. Prasath and editing by K. Thanikachalam. The film was released on 31 December 2009.

References

  1. "V.A. Durai". BFI.[ dead link ]
  2. "Pitamagan". Sify .[ dead link ]
  3. "Pithamagan Awards: List of Awards won by Tamil movie Pithamagan". The Times of India.
  4. "Tamil movies : Pithamagan controversy still haunts Bala". www.behindwoods.com.
  5. "Madras High Court". indiankanoon.org. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  6. "Mayavi has the last laugh – Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. 10 March 2005.
  7. "Film industry strike back at PMK | undefined News – Times of India". The Times of India. 24 June 2004.
  8. "Gajendra's producers holds meeting Ramadoss – Telugu News". IndiaGlitz.com. 30 August 2004.
  9. "V A Durai's next with Murali – News". IndiaGlitz.com. 3 March 2005.
  10. "Tharun Gopi in demand – Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. 20 September 2007.
  11. "Jeeva reaching towards the top - Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. 16 September 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  12. "'Naai Kutty' – Saga of a slum dweller". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  13. "Prasanna to play a rustic youth". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  14. "Nai Kutti from tomorrow". cinesouth.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  15. "Debutant director Joe opts out of 'Naai Kutty'?". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  16. "Complaint against 'Naai Kutty'". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  17. "Naaikutty dropped, Prasanna dejected". Sify . 21 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  18. "Parotta Suri's kuthu dance!". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  19. "Simbu releases Naikutty audio". The New Indian Express.
  20. "Appukutti's Return Gift to Ajith – News". IndiaGlitz.com. 12 August 2016.
  21. "Film producer VA Durai passes away; film industry mourns the loss". The Times of India. 3 October 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  22. "Film Review: Ennamma Kannu". The Hindu. 23 June 2000 via www.thehindu.com.
  23. "Film Review: Looty". The Hindu. 19 January 2001 via www.thehindu.com.
  24. "Film Review: Lovely – The Hindu". web.archive.org. 13 August 2012. Archived from the original on 13 August 2012.
  25. "Vivaramana Aalu". Sify . Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.
  26. "Pithamagan". The Hindu. 31 October 2003 via www.thehindu.com.
  27. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. "Naai Kutty". Sify . Archived from the original on 10 September 2015.
  29. "Kagitha Kappal Movie: Showtimes, Review, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos | eTimes". The Times of India.