Ramasamy Ganesan, better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the Kaadhal Mannan for his romantic roles in films. Ganesan was one of the "three biggest names of Tamil cinema", the other two being M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in dramatic films and M. G. Ramachandran was popular as an action hero, Gemini Ganesan was known for his romantic films. A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1971, he had also won several other awards including the Kalaimamani, the MGR Gold Medal, and the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award. He was one of the few college graduates to enter the film industry then.
Manayangath Subramanian Viswanathan, also known as M.S.V., was an Indian music director, singer and actor who predominantly worked in Tamil film industry. Popularly known by the sobriquet Mellisai Mannar, he composed songs for more than 800 Indian films and various albums across languages primarily in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He has also acted and sung in a few Tamil films. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa conferred the Thirai Isai Chakravarthy title on him in August 2012 and presented him with 60 gold coins and a new car.
P. Bhanumathi Ramakrishna was an Indian actress, singer, film producer, director, music composer, and novelist. She is regarded as the first female super star of Telugu cinema. She is also considered the first female director of Telugu cinema with her debut directorial Chandirani (1953). Bhanumathi appeared in over 100 films predominantly in Telugu and Tamil languages. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001 for her contribution to the Indian cinema. She was honored among "women in cinema" at the 30th International Film Festival of India.
Karuthamma is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film produced and directed by Bharathiraja from a story by M. Rathnakumar. The film stars Raja, Rajashree and Maheswari, with Saranya, Periyar Dasan, Ponvannan, Vadivukkarasi, Vaani, Vadivelu, and Janagaraj in supporting roles. It is set in a village where female infanticide is prevalent and considered acceptable, but the title character is against the practice. The music was scored by A. R. Rahman with cinematography by B. Kannan and editing by K. Pazhanivel.
Bharathi Kannamma is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Cheran, starring R. Parthiban and Meena. The film marks Cheran's debut as a director and screenwriter. It was released on 15 January 1997 and emerged a success. Prabhu Solomon remade the film in Kannada as Usire (2001).
Love Birds is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Prabhu Deva and Nagma with Raja, Vadivelu and Sarath Babu playing other pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman was highly successful. The film was released on 15 January 1996 and had an average performance commercially. The film is a remake of the 1986 Kannada film Ratha Sapthami for which P. Vasu was the co-screenplay writer.
Yajaman is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by R. V. Udayakumar. It stars Rajinikanth and Meena. The film was produced by M. Saravanan, M. S. Guhan and M. Subrahmaniam of AVM Productions. It was released on 18 February 1993. The film was commercially successful and had a 175-day theatrical run.
Guru Sishyan is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed by S. P. Muthuraman. A remake of the Hindi film Insaf Ki Pukar (1987), it stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu, Seetha and Gautami with Pandiyan, Cho Ramaswamy, Ravichandran, Radha Ravi, Senthamarai, Vinu Chakravarthy and Manorama in supporting roles. The film is about two ex-convicts who set out to prove the innocence of their wrongfully imprisoned fellow convict.
Chandralekha is a 1948 Indian historical adventure film produced and directed by S. S. Vasan of Gemini Studios. Starring T. R. Rajakumari, M. K. Radha and Ranjan, the film follows two brothers who fight over ruling their father's kingdom and marrying a village dancer, Chandralekha.
Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum is a 1956 Indian Tamil-language fantasy swashbuckler film directed and produced by T. R. Sundaram of Modern Theatres. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and P. Bhanumathi, with K. Sarangapani, P. S. Veerappa, K. A. Thangavelu, M. N. Rajam, Sushila, Vidhyavathi, and M. G. Chakrapani in supporting roles. It revolves around Alibaba, a woodcutter who becomes wealthy after finding a secret treasure cave, but must keep his source of wealth a secret to lead a peaceful life.
Pattikada Pattanama is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film produced and directed by P. Madhavan and written by Bala Murugan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa. The film deals with Kalpana, an urban woman who marries a villager Mookaiyan. After marriage, differences of opinion arise between the couple as Mookaiyan raises objections about city culture, leading to their separation. The rest of the film is whether Kalpana reforms and the couple reunite or not.
Kizhakku Cheemayile is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Bharathiraja. It stars Vijayakumar, Radhika and Napoleon, while Vignesh, Pandiyan, and Vadivelu play supporting roles. The film involves a touching sentimental story between a brother and a sister. The music was scored by A. R. Rahman, marking his first of several collaborations with Bharathiraja.
Nattamai is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It starred Sarathkumar, Meena and Khushbu. The film was released on 2 November 1994, during Diwali, and completed a 175-day run at the box office. It is considered to be one of the most popular Tamil films of the 1990s and in general. It became a trendsetter for many films in later years. The Goundamani-Senthil comic duo was one of the most popular aspects of the film.
Tamizh Selvan is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language political drama film directed by Bharathiraja from a story by M. Rathnakumar. The films stars Vijayakanth and Roja. It was released on 2 August 1996, and failed at the box office.
Thanga Padhumai is a 1959 Indian Tamil language film starring Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini. The film was co-written and directed by A. S. A. Sami, produced by M. Somasundaram under Jupiter Pictures, and had music by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. Thanga Pathumai proved to be a hit in its re-release, and won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for the year 1959.
Senathipathi (transl. Chief) is a 1996 Indian Tamil language drama film directed by M. Rathnakumar, and also the script writer for films like Kizhakku Cheemayile (1993) and Karuthamma (1994). The film stars Sathyaraj in dual roles, along with Soundarya and Sukanya. It was released on 10 November 1996.
Raman Ethanai Ramanadi is a 1970 Indian Tamil-language drama film produced and directed by P. Madhavan and written by Bala Murugan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, K. R. Vijaya and Muthuraman. It revolves around a village bumpkin who rises to become a movie star, but his life changes following a traumatising incident.
Rishi Moolam is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language film, directed by S. P. Muthuraman and written by Mahendran. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and K. R. Vijaya. It is based on Mahendran's play of the same name. The film was released on 26 January 1980.
Maheswari is a 1955 Indian Tamil language film produced by Modern Theatres and directed by T. R. Raghunath. The film stars Gemini Ganesan and Savithri. It was released on 13 November 1955.
Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli, known professionally as K. R. Chellam, was an Indian actress who appeared in Tamil language films.
