Kailasam Balachander was an Indian filmmaker and playwright who worked mainly in the Tamil cinema. He was well known for his distinct film-making style, and the Indian film industry knew him as a master of unconventional themes and hard-hitting contemporary subject matter. Balachander's films are well known for their portrayal of women as bold personalities and central characters. Popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Sigaram, his films are usually centred on unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He started his film career in 1964 as a screenwriter and graduated to a director with Neerkumizhi (1965).
Sriram Raghavan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is primarily considered an auteur of neo-noir action thrillers.
Gemini is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by Saran and produced by AVM Productions. The film stars Vikram in the title role of a small-time criminal and aspiring don who, after falling in love, decides to refrain from crime; Kiran Rathod plays his love interest. Murali stars as Singaperumal, a police officer who inspires and guides Gemini in his attempts to reform. The cast includes Kalabhavan Mani as the antagonist while Vinu Chakravarthy, Manorama and Thennavan portray significant roles. Based on gang wars in Chennai, the film delves into the lives of outlaws and the roles the police and society play in their rehabilitation and acceptance.
Vishnuvardhan is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in the Tamil cinema.
That Four Letter Word is an Indian independent English-language film written and directed by Sudhish Kamath. The film, which is about a group of friends at the crossroads of life, features a set of new actors including Aashil Nair, Cary Edwards, Evam Sunill, Usha Seetharam, Paloma Rao, Praveen Bharatwaj and Roshni Menon. The film premiered at the Chennai International Film Festival on 21 December 2006 and had a limited release in Chennai on 23 February 2007.
Shiva is an Indian Tamil actor, comedian, radio jockey, and dialogue writer. He has featured in several Tamil language films and is known as Agila Ulaga Superstar among his fans. Prior to his acting career, Shiva worked as a radio jockey with Radio Mirchi. Acting mainly in comedy films, he rose to fame following his performances in the Venkat Prabhu directorials Chennai 600028 and Saroja, before also featuring in Thamizh Padam. His tenure with Radio Mirchi earned him the nickname "Mirchi Shiva".
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic and writer. A chemical engineering graduate with no formal training in filmmaking or cinema writing, he has had a diverse career in advertising, IT consulting, and cinema writing. He has authored two books on Indian cinema, written for The New Indian Express, The Hindu, and Tehelka, and has been a screenwriter and teacher. As a film critic, Rangan won the Best Film Critic category at the 53rd National Film Awards in 2006. He was the editor of Film Companion South until 2022 and is a member of the Film Critics Circle of India. Rangan currently works as a critic and chief editor for Galatta Plus and runs a Spotify podcast Cinema With Baradwaj Rangan.
R. Kannan is an Indian filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the successful Tamil film Jayamkondaan starring Vinay Rai and Bhavana in 2008.
Aarti Bajaj is a well- known Indian film editor who has worked on multitudinous Bollywood movies. She has won several awards for her work. She has edited critically acclaimed movies similar as Jab We Met, etc. Aarti bajaj is known for her ability to bring out the emotional depth of the characters and the story through her editing.
Urmi Juvekar is an Indian screenwriter and documentary filmmaker best known for writing the screenplays of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), I Am (2010) and Shanghai (2012).
Good Night, Good Morning is an Indian independent romance film co-written, directed and produced by Sudhish Kamath. The film starring Seema Rahmani, Manu Narayan and Vasanth Santosham, illustrates the "old-world romance that still exists in the modern, technology driven world". Following screenings at several international film festivals, the film saw a theatrical release in India on 20 January 2012.
Sunder Ramu is an Indian film and stage actor, who has also worked as a photographer. He made his first film appearance in the 2011 drama film Mayakkam Enna. After winning critical acclaim for his performance he has also gone on to feature in Aishwarya Dhanush's 3 in a pivotal role.
Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir thriller film written, directed and produced by Mysskin. Sri of Vazhakku Enn 18/9 fame, Mysskin, and Shaji Chen play the lead roles in the film. The film score was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The film had no heroine and no songs. Filming began on 11 March 2013 and the crew shot the entire film in and around Chennai city. Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum released on 27 September 2013 and got universal acclaim. This film acquired cult status in Tamil cinema and inspired similar themes.
X: Past is Present is a 2015 Indian collaborative feature film directed by a team of eleven filmmakers including Abhinav Shiv Tiwari, Anu Menon, Nalan Kumarasamy, Hemant Gaba, Pratim D. Gupta, Q, Raja Sen, Rajshree Ojha, Sandeep Mohan, Sudhish Kamath and Suparn Verma. It features actor-director Rajat Kapoor and Anshuman Jha in the lead. X is not an anthology, but one whole story with the eleven directors making sections of it. The film has been produced by Manish Mundra and has been announced for a nationwide release in India on 20 November 2015.
Aditi Chengappa is an Indian actress, who appears in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Hollywood cinema.
The 11th Chennai International Film Festival took place in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India from 12 to 19 December 2013. The event was organised by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF) with support from the Government of Tamil Nadu. The festival was curated by actress-director Suhasini Maniratnam and inaugurated by Kamal Haasan and Aamir Khan. The Japanese drama Like Father, Like Son marked the beginning of the fest.
Film News Anandan was an Indian film historian and photographer based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was popularly known as the "walking encyclopedia" of Tamil cinema.
Rajesh M. Selva is an Indian film director and screenwriter, primarily working in Tamil cinema. Selva became a notable director with the Kamal Haasan starrer Thoongaa Vanam.
S. Sashikanth is an Indian film producer, architect, film director, and entrepreneur from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. After studying architecture at university, Sashikanth established the Chennai-based design firm Space Scape in 2002, which became involved in major projects such as the British Council and other residential and corporate building designs. Sashikanth later shifted to film production through the establishment of a production studio, YNOT Studios, and the 2010 release of his first film, Thamizh Padam.
A. R. Rahman: The Musical Storm is a biography of the Indian music composer A. R. Rahman by the journalist Kamini Mathai. The book was released on 18 June 2009 by Penguin Books' subsidiary Viking Press and became a commercial success. Consisting of thirteen chapters, it describes Rahman's birth in Madras in 1967, his 27-year-long musical career, and his marriage in 1995 to Saira Banu, with whom he has three children.
