Pa. Ranjith is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who primarily works in Tamil cinema.[1] He made his directorial debut with the 2012 romantic comedy Attakathi, before earning positive reviews for his second film, the political action-drama Madras (2014). He wrote and directed the action-drama films Kabali (2016) and Kaala (2018), both starring Rajinikanth.
Pa. Ranjith was born at Karalapakkam, Avadi, Chennai.[2] He has two brothers, Prabhu and Saravana.[3][4] He graduated from Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, and has described how his travels to and from his college often helped create inspiration for film ideas.[5]
During college, he joined the film chamber and began watching world cinema, regularly attending annual film festivals. He gained inspiration from films including The Battle of Algiers (1966), and City of God (2002), stating they changed his thinking of cinema and revealed that they had a deep impact on him.[5]
Ranjith joined the film industry as an assistant director and first worked on Shiva Shanmugam's Thagapansamy (2006), which he has since revealed as an "unmemorable stint", before moving on to apprentice under filmmaker Venkat Prabhu. He initially helped prepare a storyboard for a Malaysian album that Venkat Prabhu had been working on in 2006, before gaining trust and being allowed to work closely with him during the making of Chennai 600028 (2007).[5]
Film career
Ranjith was introduced to a newcomer producer C. V. Kumar in 2011 by a mutual friend, Mani, who convinced Kumar to give Ranjith an opportunity to make a film. Consequently, Attakathi was completed in fifty days on a shoe-string budget of ₹1.75 crores.[5] Following promising pre-release reviews, the venture became bigger when production house Studio Green chose to buy the distribution rights. The film opened to positive review in August 2012, with Rediff.com noting the film "looks at youth and romance in a most refreshing way" and added that Ranjith should take "the credit, completely, of taking an ordinary storyline and infusing it with warmth and hilarity."[6] Sify's critic, similarly, wrote "we recommend that you make time for this charming little treat of a film, as it has an inherent sweetness and honesty that will stay with you".[7]
Studio Green signed up Pa. Ranjith to direct a film for them and in December 2012, he confirmed that he would shortly begin work on a project titled Sarpatta Paramparai, with Karthi in the lead role, though the production was subsequently delayed and did not take off as planned.[8] In July 2013, it was announced that the pair would collaborate on a new script and that Sarpatta Parambarai and their ongoing venture, Madras, were two different scripts. Although the producers liked both scripts, Ranjith decided to shoot Madras first as Karthi had accidentally read the script of Madras and liked its concept and characters.[9] Ranjith also informed that some changes were made to the script to accommodate Karthi in the lead role.[10] Also featuring Catherine Tresa and Kalaiyarasan in prominent roles, Madras told the story of a dispute over a political message written on wall in North Chennai and how the region's political rivalry affects the inhabitants. Upon release, it received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the actors, as well as the technical aspects of the film.[11] Udhav Naig, writing for The Hindu said, "Rarely does one get to see a Tamil film that reflects the social reality so closely and sketching a detailed account of life that the middle and the upper middle class know little about. Full marks to Pa. Ranjith for that".[12] Writing for The New Indian Express, Malini Mannath said, "With an engaging screenplay, deft narration, well fleshed out characters and actors well cast, Madras captures the feel, flavour and ambiance of North Madras with perfect precision".[13]Sify said, "Madras works big time as writer and director Ranjith has given priority to his script, which hooks the audiences straightaway. It is a triumph of honest writing and heartfelt dialogues. It is a gutsy and outstanding film".[14]
He began pre-production work for a venture starring Suriya in October 2014, after the actor approached him being impressed with Madras.[5] The project was put on hold, after Soundarya Rajinikanth approached him for a story and he began working on Kabali (2016), featuring Rajinikanth in the titular role.[15] It released in theatres on 22 July 2016 and received mixed reviews from critics. However, it took a huge opening and was Tamil cinema's highest grosser at the time.
His next film, Kaala (2018), a socio-political thriller also starring Rajinikanth in the titular role, was released worldwide on 7 June 2018. It was the first Indian film ever to be released in Saudi Arabia, following the country lifting its ban on public theatres in December 2017.[16] Like Kabali, it too received mixed reviews from the critics. The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and stated that Ranjith owes to his excellent technical crew for "helping him visualise and deliver this 51% Rajini-49% Ranjith movie".[17]
Pa. Ranjith marked his foray into production under his production house, Neelam Productions, with the release of two documentaries titled Dr. Shoe Maker and Beware of Castes: Mirchpur.[18] Under Neelam Productions, he also produced Mari Selvaraj's Pariyerum Perumal that starred Kathir and Anandhi, with music by Santhosh Narayanan. Pariyerum Perumal went on to become a huge success with critical acclaim. Neelam Productions' next project has been titled as Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu. The film stars Attakathi Dinesh and is directed by Athiyan Athirai.[19]
In 2019, Ranjith's worked on a Hindi-language biopic on freedom fighter Birsa Munda. The film, which was to be the Tamil filmmaker's first non-Tamil project, was scheduled to be produced by Namah Pictures, which had co-produced Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Beyond the Clouds in 2018. The cast of Ranjith's film has not been announced.[20]
Ranjith shelved the Birsa Munda film, and wrote the script of Sarpatta Parambarai with Suriya in mind, but due to his prior commitments, he later approached Arya to play the lead role. The film was eventually supposed to begin production in during February and March 2020, after the hard training sessions of the actors being involved in the film, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown, the production delayed further and eventually began in September 2020 which was completed within December 2020, with filming taking place for nearly four months in and around North Chennai.[citation needed] The film's technical crew comprises music director Santhosh Narayanan, cinematographer Murali G. and editor Selva R. K.[21]
Sarpatta Parambarai is a Tamil-language periodsportsaction film directed by Pa. Ranjith, who also co-produced the film under his banner Neelam Productions, along with Shanmugam Dhakshanaraj of K9 Studios.[22] The film stars Arya, Dushara Vijayan, Pasupathy, Anupama Kumar and Sanchana Natarajan. Set in the 1970s North Chennai, the film revolves around a clash between two clans namely Idiyappa Parambarai and Sarpatta Parambara, which also display the boxing culture in the locality and also the politics behind it.[23]Sarpatta Parambarai was initially scheduled for theatrical release which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, It was then released to Amazon Prime Video on 22 July 2021, coinciding with the Prime Day celebrations.[24]
Ranjith unveiled the first look poster for his next project Vettuvam at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Produced by his own production house Neelam Studios along with Golden Ratio films, the project is reportedly being developed as both a feature film and a TV series.[26] The project is said to be about a rural gangster's rise to power and how his rivals harness the power of the state in an attempt to bring him down. Vettuvam is expected to start production in 2023.[27]
Other work
Ranjith extended his social work in another form, which is 'Neelam Panpaatu Maiyam' (Neelam Cultural Center). As part of this initiative, in honour of the 100 years of Dalit struggle, life-sized sculptures were established and the efforts of the Dalit activists were documented.[28] Neelam Panpaatu Maiyam also conducted four editions of the three day arts festival - 'Vaanam Art Festival' in Chennai from 2018 to 2023.[29] The festival was unticketed and many artists across Tamil Nadu participated in it. Also many artifacts were presented.[30][31] Ranjith explained that this festival would act as a platform to discuss more complex social issues through art.[32]
Neelam cultural center launched 'Koogai Thiraipada Iyakkam' (Koogai Film Movement).[33] This movement was started to bridge the gap between literature and cinema. As part of this movement, the first initiative was to set up a library named 'Koogai'.[34] It rolled out their new campaign '#VoteOutHate' and started producing short films on the same for a release in their official YouTube channel. The first film was Lovers in the afternoon directed by Rajesh Rajamani and the second film was 'Share Auto' directed by Jenny Dolly.[35]
Ranjith's organisation, Neelam Cultural Centre, collaborated with the label Madras Records to form a 19-piece band called The Casteless Collective that includes four rappers, seven instrumentalists and eight gaana musicians, a popular folk music style in Tamil Nadu. The name of the band was inspired by a phrase – "jaathi bedha matra Tamilargal" – used by Tamil anti-caste activist and writer C Iyothee Thassa Pandithar (1845-1914),[36] who was the first to moot the phrase "Jaathi Bedha Matra Tamizhargal" in the early 20th century by publishing the same in his Tamil Journal Tamizhan (1907-1914).[37]
John Vijay is an Indian actor who works in Tamil, Malayalam,Telugu, Hindi and Kannada films. He is well known for his performances in Oram Po (2007), Thillalangadi (2010), Mouna Guru (2011), Kalakalappu (2012) and Sarpatta Parambarai (2021).
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.
Madras is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language political action drama film written and directed by Pa. Ranjith. The film stars Karthi, Catherine Tresa and Kalaiyarasan while Charles Vinoth, Riythvika, V. I. S. Jayapalan, Poster Nandakumar and Mime Gopi play supporting roles. Set in the backdrop of North Madras, Kaali (Karthi) and his friend Anbu (Kalaiyarasan), get embroiled in a brutal political rivalry, between two factions of a political party after laying claim to a wall.
Kalaiyarasan Harikrishnan is an Indian actor, who works in the Tamil film industry along with few Malayalam films. He has collaborated with directors Mysskin and Pa. Ranjith, with whom he worked in Madras (2014) for which he received acclaim for his performance.
Kabali is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Pa. Ranjith and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu under V Creations. The film stars Rajinikanth, alongside Winston Chao, Radhika Apte, Sai Dhanshika, Kishore, Dinesh Ravi, Kalaiyarasan, John Vijay, Rosyam Nor, Nassar and Mime Gopi. In the film, Kabali, an aged gangster released from prison, sets out to exact revenge on his rivals while searching for his wife Kumudhavalli and daughter Yogitha who were presumed dead.
Murali G. is an Indian cinematographer who works mainly in Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema. An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, he won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography in 2011.
Charles Vinoth is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films as a supporting actor.
Kaala (also marketed as Kaala Karikalan; transl. Black) is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed and co-written by Pa. Ranjith and produced by Wunderbar Films. The film stars Rajinikanth in the titular role, alongside Nana Patekar, Eswari Rao, Huma Qureshi, Samuthirakani, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, K. Manikandan, Dileepan, Nitish Veera, Sampath Raj and Ravi Kale. The film follows Karikalan "Kaala", the leader of Dharavi, who tries save his land and people from getting seized and evicted by Haridev "Hari Dhadha", a ruthless minister.
Kabali Vishwanth is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. After appearing in small supporting roles and working as an assistant choreographer, he made his breakthrough as an actor with a supporting role in Pa. Ranjith's Kabali (2016).
Kabali is the soundtrack album, composed by Santhosh Narayanan for the 2016 Indian Tamil-language action crime film of the same name written and directed by Pa. Ranjith and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, starring Rajinikanth, Radhika Apte and Winston Chao. The soundtrack album featuring five songs with lyrics written by Kabilan, Vivek, Umadevi and Arunraja Kamaraj was released on 12 June 2016, at Chennai and was also released in Telugu, Hindi and Malay languages. Santhosh Narayanan won the Best Music Director Award at the 2017 Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards. Initially, he was nominated for the Best Music Director – Tamil award at the 2017 Filmfare Awards South, along with Arunraja Kamaraj, for Best Lyricist – Tamil, Best Male Playback Singer – Tamil for the song "Neruppu Da". However, Shweta Mohan won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil for "Maya Nadhi".
Kaala is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name, starring Rajinikanth in the title role, produced by Dhanush and directed by Pa. Ranjith. The album composed by Santhosh Narayanan, in his second collaboration with Rajinikanth and Ranjith after Kabali (2016), features nine songs written by Kabilan, Umadevi, Arunraja Kamaraj, Arivu, Dopeadelicz, Logan and Roshan Jamrock.
Hari Krishnan Anbudurai is an Indian actor who works in Tamil-language films. He is known for his role in Madras (2014).
Sarpatta Parambarai is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language sports action film directed by Pa. Ranjith, who also co-produced the film under his banner Neelam Productions, along with Shanmugam Dhakshanaraj of K9 Studios. The film stars Arya, John Kokken, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Dushara Vijayan, Pasupathy, Anupama Kumar and Sanchana Natarajan. Set in the 1970s, the film revolves around a clash between two clans namely Idiyappa Parambarai and Sarpatta Parambarai in North Chennai, which also showcases the boxing culture in the locality and the politics involved in it.
"Neeye Oli" is the 2021 Tamil song composed by Santhosh Narayanan and Shan Vincent de Paul, who also recorded the track along with Navz-47; with lyrics for the track being written by Arivu and Shan Vincent de Paul. It is the second release from the upcoming studio album Made in Jaffna curated by Shan which was under production for four years. It released on 30 June 2021 by the music label/management Maajja, an independent platform launched by A. R. Rahman. The song is used as the theme track for Pa. Ranjith-directorial Sarpatta Parambarai.
Lingesh, also credited as Lijeesh is an Indian actor who has worked in the Tamil film industry.
Dushara Vijayan is an Indian actress who is known for her works in Tamil cinema. She made her debut in the Tamil film Bodhai Yeri Budhi Maari (2019), and gained recognition for her performances in Sarpatta Parambarai (2021), Natchathiram Nagargiradhu (2022), Raayan (2024) and Vettaiyan (2024).
The Vaanam Art Festival is an annual cultural event organized by filmmaker Pa Ranjith's Neelam Cultural Centre. The festival aims to celebrate Dalit culture, promote social awareness, and provide a platform for artistic expression. It takes place in April, coinciding with Dalit History Month and the birth month of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Thamizh Prabha is an Indian screenwriter and novelist. He is best known for his novels Pettai, Kosalai and the films Sarpatta Parambarai, Thangalaan and Blue Star.
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