Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Special Mention Certificate for “Pride of Tamil Cinema” (1931–2013) in the category of Best Writing on Cinema to the Author, Shri G. Dhananjayan, at the 62nd National Film Awards Function
G. Dhananjayan holds an MBA degree from Sydenham Institute of Management SIMSREE, University of Mumbai (1991 batch),[3] and earned his Ph.D. from Mumbai University for his thesis on the Indian Film Industry in March 2019.
GD was one of the two founding members of Moser Baer Entertainment in April 2006. Within 6 months, GD acquired the copyright/marketing rights for over 10,000 film titles in ten languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi to launch DVDs and VCDs under the banner of Moser Baer. This allowed competition with unauthorized copies of DVDs typically sold for very low prices.[6]
GD was associated with UTV Motion Pictures (now called Disney-India) from January 2011 till February 2016 and was instrumental in producing several films in the South.
GD spends considerable time interacting with students[7] of various Film Institutes across India. He also delivered speeches at IIT, NIT, and other management institutes on film business. GD is invited to various forums and programs to speak on the film business, management, and many other topics.
GD was the founding Director of BOFTA Film Institute,[8] a pioneer in Film Education in Tamil Nadu where the students learn from the Masters. The Institute, which commenced its operation in 2015 is rated as one of the best Film Institutes in Tamil Nadu for its quality of education. The Master Classes conducted by GD with several Filmmakers and Actors has set a benchmark and the videos remain popular in YouTube.
GD has also made documentaries on legendary filmmakers. His first documentary on Producer-Director-Writer Panchu Arunachalam titled 'A Creator with Midas Touch' which was selected and screened at Indian Panorama of International Film Festival in Goa (2016) received widespread appreciation. His second documentary on legendary director Krishnan–Panju was selected and screened at Mumbai International Film Festival (2017) and received critical acclaim.
GD joined hands with Lyricist and Screenplay Writer Madhan_Karky in 2023 and started a pioneering initiative of SCRIPTick, a ready-to-shoot script bank to help talented screenwriters.[9]
GD is regularly interviewed by many popular YouTube channels wherein he shares his views openly and objectively. His interviews are pretty popular among people interested in the film business.
At UTV Motion Pictures (now called Disney-India) GD had acquired and also produced films in Tamil and Malayalam. The first film, UTV marketed after his joining was Deiva Thirumagal which was a critically acclaimed movie. He was involved in producing, marketing, and distributing films. Under his supervision UTV co-produced in Tamil "Vettai" and Vazhakku Enn 18/9 with Director N. Lingusamy's Thirrupathi Brothers, Kalakalappu and "Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru" with Sundar C's Avni Cinemax, M.Saravanan—Vikram Prabhu' Ivan Veramathiri and Suriya's Anjaan with Director N. Lingusamy's Thirrupathi Brothers, and "Naan Sigappu Manithan" with Vishal Film Factory. GD had produced under UTV banner "Muran", "Mugamoodi" ,"Thaandavam","Settai","Sigaram Thodu", Director S.P.Jhananathan—Arya-Vijay Sethupathi's "Purampokku" and Director Vishnuvaradhan—Arya's "Yatchan" in Tamil. In Malayalam UTV had produced "Grandmaster" and "Husbands in Goa". In his last assignment with UTV, GD was involved in the marketing of Director Sudha Kongara and Madhavan's “Irudhi Suttru" in 2016.
GD is one of the Partners of the newly created company Infiniti Film Ventures in 2019 and the company has produced Kodiyil_Oruvan, Kolai_(film), and Ratham released till 2023.
GD is known for his full involvement while producing the film with his director and observes the way the movie is molded in shape without setbacks. Director Cheran once mentioned in an interview that producers should be like GD by visiting the shooting spots and being a part of the production process so that they will know what hurdles the film crew is facing while making a movie.
Movie Distribution
GD distributed the film “Zero" in 2016 under his production banner Blue Ocean Entertainment. In May 2017, he commenced his distribution company Creative Entertainers and Distributors and distributed the successful film “Ivan Thanthiran".[14][15] In 2018 GD distributed the film U Turn[16][17] starring Samantha Prabhu in Tamil Nadu, which became a success.
GD is passionate about writing and has contributed several articles to the Times of India, The Hindu Tamil, Dinathanthi Next, Deccan Chronicle, Indian Management, DNA, India Today, and other publications.
GD has written a book about Tamil cinema titled The Best of Tamil Cinema: 1931 to 2010,[23][24][25] in English, which was released by Legendary Actor Kamal Haasan on 2 March 2011 in the presence of eminent film makers.[26] Super Star Rajinikanth personally appreciated the book by giving a memento for the fantastic research and writing on Tamil cinema.[27] The book has reached out to many universities worldwide and has become a reference point on Tamil cinema for many interested foreigners to know about Tamil cinema.
GD's second book was "Pride of Tamil Cinema", released in 2014.[28] The book was released at Indian Panorama, Goa in 2014 and it went on to win the National Award (Special Mention) for Best Writing on Cinema for the year 2014. The book is highly appreciated by the film industry for the impeccable documentation of the films.
GD's monthly column in 'Galatta Cinema' for two years was widely read by eminent personalities in South Indian Cinema and was appreciated for his professional contribution to South Cinema. His article series in the Tamil newspaper 'The Hindu' was widely read and appreciated for the valuable contribution he is doing by enlightening the readers on the happenings in Tamil cinema and the changes required. His collection of Tamil articles was published by 'The Hindu' under the title ‘Vellithirayin Vetri Manthirangal’ which is today one of the best sellers from their publication.
GD's fourth book titled 'The Art and Business of Cinema(ABC)' was released in December 2017 comprising nearly 100 articles that explains the various art and business facets of cinema. The collection of articles in this book is a must-read for interested filmmakers to understand the challenges in the industry and what to keep in mind to deliver a film successfully.[29][30]
GD's series of articles in various newspapers won him his second National Award as the Best Critic of the Year 2016.[31][32]
GD was also the compiling author of two books by legendary actor, painter, orator and philanthropist Sivakumar titled ‘Paintings of Sivakumar’ and ‘Golden Moments of Sivakumar’.[33][34]
In 2021, served for a brief period as the Head of Tamil content and digital business in SonyLIV.[35] In 2023, Dhananjayan and Madhan Karky started SCIPTICK, a "script bank" to help aspiring screenwriters better research their scripts.[36]
Filmography
As the Producer or Co-Producer at Moser Baer Entertainment
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam. He is widely regarded to be one of the most successful and popular actors in the history of Indian cinema. Known for his uniquely styled mannerism and one liners in films, he has a huge fan base internationally and has a cult following. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan in 2000, Padma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highest civilian honours, and the highest award in the field of cinema Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the 67th National Film Awards ceremony (2019) for his contributions to Indian cinema. He has won many film awards including seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, a Nandi Award and one Filmfare Award.
Jyothika Saravanan, known mononyomusly as Jyothika, is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Appeared in over 50 Films, Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and the Kalaimamani Award. Jyothika is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema, and has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by the media.
Velli Thirai is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language satirical drama film directed by debutant Viji, the dialogue writer for Radha Mohan's films, and produced by Prakash Raj. It is a remake of the 2005 Malayalam film Udayananu Tharam. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Gopika, along with Prakash Raj in a prominent role.
Mozhi (transl. Language) is a 2007 Indian Tamil language musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Radha Mohan and produced by Prakash Raj. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jyothika, Prakash Raj, and Swarnamalya. The film's plot is about Karthik (Prithviraj), who works as a musician in films. He falls in love with a deaf and mute girl, Archana (Jyothika), but she considers him her friend and disapproves of his love. The rest of the story revolves around Archana accepting Karthik's love.
Soundarya Rajinikanth is an Indian graphic designer, film producer and film director who primarily works in the Tamil cinema. She is the founder and owner of Ocher Picture Productions. Soundarya began her career in films as a graphic designer. For those starring her father Rajinikanth, she designed the title sequences. She became a film producer with Goa (2010). She made her debut as a film director with the film Kochadaiyaan (2014).
Radha Mohan is an Indian film director and screenwriter of the South Indian film industry. He is known for his work in the films Mozhi (2007) with Jyothika, Abhiyum Naanum (2008) with Prakash Raj, Payanam (2011) with Nagarjuna and Kaatrin Mozhi (2018) with Jyothika.
The Vijay for Best Male Playback Singer is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films. The award was first given in 2007.
Vidyasagar is an Indian composer, musician and singer who works predominantly in the Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu film industries. After working with several composers as assistant and conductor, Vidyasagar made his debut as a film composer in the 1989 Tamil film Poo Manam and is nicknamed as "Melody King". Working for over 225 feature films, he is the recipient of one National Award, multiple State Awards and five Filmfare Awards. He is widely regarded as one of the finest and most acclaimed composers in the history of Indian cinema.
Vidharth is an Indian actor appearing in Tamil films. He started his career in 2001 doing uncredited roles. His first major role was in Mynaa (2010), which became a huge success. He has also done a film for AVM Productions titled Mudhal Idam (2011).
YNOT Studios is an Indian film production company in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, established by producer S. Sashikanth. As of 2023, the company has produced 21 feature films, which includes productions made in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi film industries of India. It has collaborated with filmmakers including Sudha Kongara, Balaji Mohan, Pushkar–Gayathri and Karthik Subbaraj.
Santhosh Narayanan is an Indian film composer and musician who has worked predominately worked in Tamil cinema, while also having some Telugu and Malayalam films to his credit.
M. Bhaskar was an Indian filmmaker who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. Bhaskar started his film career as an assistant to director C. V. Sridhar. After relieving from his mentor and guru C. V. Sridhar, he was working under Sundaram's Modern Theaters, Chinnappa Thevar along with S. P. Muthuraman, Panju Arunachalam, Thuyavan, Uthiripookkal Balakrishnan and others. He also worked as a second unit Director for 20th Century Fox, during their production in Goa, India.
Irudhi Suttru is a 2016 Indian sports drama film written and directed by Sudha Kongara. Filmed simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi, with the latter being titled as Saala Khadoos, the film stars R. Madhavan as boxing coach who is ignored by the boxing association, tries to accomplish his dream by training an amateur boxer, Madhi, played by Ritika Singh in her acting debut. Both the Tamil and Hindi versions are produced by S. Sashikanth for YNOT Studios and UTV Motion Pictures, while C. V. Kumar's Thirukumaran Entertainment and Dream Factory distributed the Tamil version and the Hindi version was jointly distributed by Madhavan himself under the Tricolour Films banner along with Rajkumar Hirani Films.
Entammede Jimikki Kammal, or simply Jimikki Kammal, is a 2017 song from the soundtrack of the Malayalam film Velipadinte Pusthakam (2017). The song is composed by Shaan Rahman and sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan and Ranjith Unni. Taken from various folk songs, "Jimikki Kammal" is written by Anil Panachooran. The song became popular and produced several dance covers uploaded by fans on YouTube.
Kaatrin Mozhi is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by Radha Mohan, and starring Jyothika in lead role. The film also features Vidharth and Lakshmi Manchu in supporting roles. It is a remake of the Hindi-language film Tumhari Sulu (2017). The film narrates the story of an ambitious housewife who becomes a radio jockey for a late-night relationship advice show. The film was released worldwide in November 2018. The film's title was taken from a song from Mozhi, which was also directed by Mohan and featuring Jyothika in the lead.
Kolaigaran (transl. Killer) is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Andrew Louis. The film stars Arjun Sarja, Vijay Antony and Ashima Narwal, while Nassar and Seetha play supporting roles. The music was scored by Simon K. King. Principal photography of the film commenced on 5 June 2018. The film follows an investigation in which a woman and her mother are suspected of murder after a disfigured corpse is found, while their neighbour claims to have committed it instead, much to the surprise of cops. The film was released theatrically on 7 June 2019. It opened to positive reviews and became a super hit at the box office.
Brindha Sivakumar is an Indian playback singer and voice artist who works in Tamil-language films. She is the daughter of actor Sivakumar and the younger sister of actors Suriya and Karthi.
Kavalthurai Ungal Nanban is a 2020 Indian Tamil language crime thriller film written and directed by RDM. Produced by Rajapondiyan, Bhaskaran B and Suresh Ravi under the banners of BR Talkies Corporation and White Moon Talkies. The film stars Suresh Ravi and Raveena Ravi, with RJ Munna, Supergood Subramani and Sharath Ravi in supporting roles. This film was presented by Vetrimaaran. The film was released on 27 November 2020.
Jyothika is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil films. She also acted in some Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada films. She debuted in Bollywood in the Hindi film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1997), directed by Priyadarshan. She starred in her first Tamil film Vaali (1999) and her first Telugu film Tagore (2003), opposite Chiranjeevi.She won one National Award, four Filmfare Awards, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two Cinema Express Awards, one South Indian International Movie Award, International Tamil Film Award and four Dinakaran Awards. She is also a recipient of the Kalaimamani Award. She is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema. She has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by The Times of India and The Hindu.
Poornima Ramaswamy is an Indian fashion costume designer and entrepreneur. She won a National Film Award for her first film Paradesi (2013), and has continued to work in Indian cinema and stage.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
