Bala (director)

Last updated

Bala
Director Bala at Salim Movie Audio Launch.jpg
Bala at Salim Movie Audio Launch.
Born
Bala Palanisamy [1]

(1966-07-11) 11 July 1966 (age 57)
Narayanathevanpatti, Uthamapalayam, Theni, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma materMadurai American College
Occupation(s)Director, screenwriter, film producer
Years active1998–present
Spouse
Muthumalar
​
​
(m. 2004;div. 2022)​

Bala is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala has been praised for "revolutionizing Tamil cinema" [2] [3] [4] through his realistic, dark and disturbing depiction of the working class on celluloid screen. [2] [5] Shaji N. Karun, who headed the jury of the 56th National Film Awards, said, "Bala is unique in many ways. The way he changed Tamil cinema's character was commendable ... There were many who tried for a change. Among the new generation of filmmakers, Bala leads the pack in bringing a change in Tamil cinema's outlook and approach." [6]

Contents

Film career

Bala was introduced by lyricist Arivumathi to director Balu Mahendra. [7] Initially, he began working as a production assistant under him. [8] Later Bala turned to work with him as assistant director in his movies. [9] [10] Bala made his directorial debut with Sethu in 1999, that gave a break to Vikram, the film's lead actor, who was also struggling in the Tamil film industry for almost a decade without a hit and recognition. More than 60 distributors saw the film and hesitated to screen it because of its tragic ending. The film was released on a low profile without any advertisement but after the first days the film started running to packed houses just through 'word of mouth'. [11] [12] The film was said to have initiated a 'new wave' [13] as it received critical acclaim and became a hit. Its success led to remakes in Kannada ( Huchcha ), Telugu ( Seshu ), and Hindi ( Tere Naam ) languages. He next made Nandha with Suriya in 2001, which gave a breakthrough for Suriya in the industry.

Dispute

Bala was chosen as the director of Varmaa , the Tamil remake of Arjun Reddy , for which the rights were bought by E4 Entertainment. Principal photography was wrapped up in September 2018. On 7 February 2019, E4 Entertainment issued a press statement stating that they would go for a complete re-shoot as they were not satisfied with the final cut provided by Bala. They added that the film would be relaunched with a completely new cast and crew while retaining lead actor Dhruv. [14] Bala disagreed with these comments, saying it was his own decision to quit the film "in order to safeguard creative freedom" because he was asked to make changes. [15] This became the first such incident in Tamil cinema that the producer of the film refused to release the film due to unsatisfactory final cut despite the completion of the film. [16]

Personal life

Bala was born and brough up in Madurai. His father worked in a bank in Madurai and his mother was a homemaker. Bala completed his graduation from American College with an aim to dive into the Tamil Film Industry. [17] Bala married Muthumalar in 2004 and has a daughter. Bala and Muthumalar divorced in 2022, after 18 years of marriage. [18]

Filmography

YearFilmCredited asAwards/Nominations
DirectorWriterProducer
1999 Sethu YesYesNo

Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
Cinema Express Award for Best Film – Tamil
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil

2001 Nandha YesYesNo

Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil
22nd Cinema Express Award for Best Director– Tamil

2003 Pithamagan YesYesNo

ITFA Best Director Award
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil

2005 Maayavi NoNoYes
2009 Naan Kadavul YesYesNo

National Film Award for Best Direction
Vijay Award for Best Director
Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil

2011 Avan Ivan YesYesNo
2013 Paradesi YesYesYes

South Indian Cinematographers Association (SICA) Awards – Best Director
Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil
Vijay Award for Best Director
B – 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards
Best Director – Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards
Best Director – Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards
Special Jury Award – 11th Chennai International Film Festival
Best Film – Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards
Best Film (Special Appreciation) – 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards Archived 19 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine
Best Film – Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards

2014 Pisaasu NoNoYes
2015 Chandi Veeran NoNoYes
2016 Tharai Thappattai YesYesNo
2018 Naachiyaar YesYesYes [19] [20] [21]
2020 Varmaa YesNoNo
2022 Visithiran NoNoYes
TBA Vanangaan †YesYesYes [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suriya</span> Indian actor

Saravanan Sivakumar, known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor and film producer. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He has received numerous awards including two National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and two South Indian International Movie Awards. Suriya has featured six times in the Celebrity 100 list of Forbes India, which takes into account the earnings of Indian celebrities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jyothika</span> Indian actress

Jyothika Saravanan is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, six 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.

<i>Naan Kadavul</i> 2009 Indian Tamil-language art film

Naan Kadavul is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Bala and produced by K. S. Sreenivasan. The film is based on the Tamil novel Yezhaam Ulagam by Jeyamohan, who also penned the dialogues for the film. The film stars Arya, Pooja Umashanker and Rajendran in the lead roles. The background score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

<i>Perazhagan</i> 2004 Indian film

Perazhagan is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language comedy-drama film directed by Sasi Shanker and produced by AVM Productions, starring Suriya and Jyothika, each in dual roles. The supporting cast includes Vivek, Manorama and Manobala. The film, which is a remake of the 2002 Malayalam film Kunjikoonan, released on 7 May 2004. For his performance, Suriya won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil and Jyothika won Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. V. Prakash Kumar</span> Indian composer and actor

G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian music composer, playback singer, actor, and film producer known for his work in Tamil and Telugu films. His first film was S Pictures' Veyil (2006) and he gained fame in Tamil films by the early 2010s. He made his debut in acting on 2015 through Darling. He has won one National Award and three Filmfare Awards in his film career.

The Vijay Award for Best Actor is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films. It was given from the second ceremony onwards. Dhanush and Vikram are the most award winners with 2 awards each.

The Vijay for Best Story, Screenplay Writer is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. Dhananjayan</span> Indian film producer

G. Dhananjayan (GD) is an Indian film producer, distributor, columnist, author of four books on Indian films, and founder-director BOFTA Film Institute. He has produced films in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi languages, including Sankat City (2009), Kanden Kadhalai (2009), Mugamoodi (2012), Anjaan (2014) and Irudhi Suttru (2016), Kaatrin_Mozhi (2018), Kabadadaari (2021), Kodiyil Oruvan (2021) and many other films. He has won two National Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajendran</span> Indian stunt double, actor (born 1957)

A. Rajendran, credited as Motta Rajendran or Naan Kadavul Rajendran, is an Indian stunt double and actor working mainly in Tamil cinema. He debuted in 2003 with the Tamil film Pithamagan and has worked as a stunt double for over 500 South Indian films since then. He played the role of a villain in Naan Kadavul (2009) and has continued to play villainous and later humorous supporting characters in a number of Tamil films. He is noted for his rough voice and alopecia universalis, which he claims was the result of coming into contact with industrial waste during a stunt sequence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singampuli</span> Indian actor and director (born 1968)

Singampuli is an Indian actor and director. After making Red (2002) and Maayavi (2005), he has made a career appearing in supporting roles in films.

Vinoth Kishan is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam language films. He made his debut as a child artiste in Bala's Nandha (2001), before playing villain in Naan Mahaan Alla (2010) and Vidiyum Munn (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2D Entertainment</span> Indian film studio

2D Entertainment is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Suriya. Other key people involved are Rajsekar Pandian, Suriya's wife Jyothika and Suriya's brother Karthi. The company was named by the starting letter of Suriya's children Diya and Dev. The company was established in 2013. 2D received Numerous awards and appreciation, which includes one National Film Award, one Filmfare Award South and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raiza Wilson</span> Indian actress and model

Raiza Wilson is an Indian actress and model who appears in Tamil films. She rose to fame following her appearance in the Tamil reality TV show Bigg Boss. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South for her role as Sindhuja in Pyaar Prema Kaadhal. After her success she continued to act in films such as Dhanusu Raasi Neyargale (2019), Varmaa (2020), FIR (2022), Poikkal Kuthirai (2022) and Coffee With Kadhal (2022).

<i>Adithya Varma</i> 2019 film directed by Gireesaaya

Adithya Varma is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Gireeshaaya in his directorial debut and produced by Mukesh Mehta under E4 Entertainment. The film stars Dhruv Vikram in his acting debut and Banita Sandhu in her Tamil debut, while Priya Anand appears in a supporting role. A remake of the Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017) directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, it follows Dhruv Vikram, playing the titular character Adithya Varma, a wealthy and high-functioning alcoholic surgeon who has anger management problems. He pushes himself to a self-destructive path after the marriage of his girlfriend Meera; following which, the film focuses on his downfall and subsequent resurgence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B Studios</span>

B Studios is an Indian film production and distribution company headed by Bala. In the recent past, B Studios has financed several of Bala's directorial ventures, and other films by filmmakers including Mysskin and Sarkunam.

<i>Varmaa</i> 2020 film directed by Bala

Varmaa is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Bala and produced by Mukesh Mehta of E4 Entertainment. A remake of the 2017 Telugu film Arjun Reddy, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film stars Dhruv Vikram and Megha Chowdhury, the latter in her Tamil debut. The film features music composed by Radhan, with M. Sukumar handling the cinematography and Sathish Suriya, taking in-charge of the editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megha Chowdhury</span> Indian actress

Megha Chowdhury is an Indian actress who has worked in Bengali, Telugu, and Tamil-language films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhruv Vikram</span> Indian actor, singer and lyricist

Dhruv Vikram is an Indian actor, singer and lyricist who works in Tamil films. The son of actor Vikram, he made his acting debut with the 2019 romantic drama Adithya Varma and starred with his father in Mahaan (2022). Since 2022, he has worked primarily as a singer, both on films and non-film songs.

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).

References

  1. ↑ "Varmaa controversy: Director Bala says he stepped down after he was asked to make changes to the Dhruv Vikram-starrer". Cinema Express . 9 February 2019. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Bala: Man of the moment". The Times of India . 25 January 2010. ISSN   0971-8257. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Naan Kadavul fever begins worldwide!. Sify.com (3 February 2009). Retrieved on 21 June 2011.
  4. ↑ Pyramid Saimira releasing Naan kadavul in USA. IndiaGlitz. Retrieved on 21 June 2011.
  5. ↑ Bala's change for Soundarya Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Behindwoods.com (24 March 2009). Retrieved on 21 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Vilakudy, Rajaneesh (28 January 2010). "I never expected a film like Naan Kadavul from Tamil". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  7. ↑ Saravanan, T. (9 October 2014). "Man of his word". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "To Sir, with love". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  9. ↑ Kolappan, B.; Subramanian, Karthik (13 February 2014). "Master craftsman who was also a great teacher". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "5 Filmmaking Tropes of Bala". Film Companion. 24 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  11. ↑ The Hindu : About maternal bond [usurped] . Hinduonnet.com (19 October 2001). Retrieved on 21 June 2011.
  12. ↑ 'You can't compare Bala to anyone else' Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Specials.rediff.com (10 March 2009). Retrieved on 21 June 2011.
  13. ↑ Exclusive: Bala on Naan Kadavul, God and faith Archived 6 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Specials.rediff.com (10 March 2009). Retrieved on 21 June 2011.
  14. ↑ "E4 Entertainment not happy with Bala's Varmaa; to re-shoot the Arjun Reddy remake with a new team". Cinema Express . 7 February 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "Varmaa controversy: Director Bala says he stepped down after he was asked to make changes to the Dhruv Vikram-starrer". Cinema Express . 9 February 2019. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  16. ↑ Sekar, Raja (7 February 2019). "Varmaa: Tamil remake of cult Telugu film Arjun Reddy dropped; producers and director Bala at loggerheads". Firstpost . Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  17. ↑ https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=azhiyadha+kolangal+book#ip=1
  18. ↑ "Director Bala and Muthumalar get divorced after 18 years of marriage". The Indian Express. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  19. ↑ "First look of Jyothika-Bala film". The Times of India . 28 February 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "Naachiyar first look: Suriya unveils Jyothika's never-seen-before avatar, see pics". Indian Express . 28 February 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  21. ↑ "Jyothika, G.V. Prakash to star in Bala's next". The Hindu . 28 February 2017. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  22. ↑ "First look of Arun Vijay - Bala's 'Vanangaan' out". The Hindu. 25 September 2023. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
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.