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{{Short description|Indian film director}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image = R. Nataraja Mudaliar.jpg
| imagesize =
| name = R. Nataraja Mudaliar
| birth_date = 1885
| birth_place = [[Vellore]], [[Madras Presidency]], India
| death_date = {{death year and age|1972|1885}}
| occupation = Film Director, film Producer, writer, cinematographer
| website =
}}
'''Rangaswamy Nataraja Mudaliar''' (1885–1972{{debatable|date=March 2018}}), was an Indian film director. Popularly known as the father of [[Tamil cinema]],<ref name=dc>{{cite news|title=Classics must be preserved, says B. Mahendra|url=http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130529/entertainment-kollywood/article/classics-must-be-preserved-says-b-mahendra|access-date=5 June 2013|newspaper=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|date=29 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028022043/http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130529/entertainment-kollywood/article/classics-must-be-preserved-says-b-mahendra|archive-date=28 October 2015}}</ref> he was a pioneer in the production of silent films. Starting his career as an automobile spare parts merchant, he started the "Indian Film Company Limited" in [[Madras]].<ref name="Velayutham2008">{{cite book|author=Selvaraj Velayutham|title=Tamil Cinema: The Cultural Politics of India's other Film Industry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kuPaE3v22zAC|year=2008|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-203-93037-3|pages=2–3}}</ref> In 1917, Mudaliar made ''[[Keechaka Vadham]]'', South India's first silent film. Upon critical success of the film, he went on to produce films like ''Draupadhi Vastrapaharanam'' (1918), ''Lava Kusa'' (1919), ''Rukmini Satyabhama'' and ''Mayil Ravana''. After the death of his son in a fire accident in 1923, Mudaliar retired from films.

==Early life==
Mudaliar was born in [[Vellore]], [[Madras Presidency]], India in a wealthy family.<ref name=hindu1>{{cite news|last=Guy|first=Randor|title=Remembering a pioneer|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/05/09/stories/2002050900170300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030701044553/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/05/09/stories/2002050900170300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 July 2003|access-date=5 June 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=9 May 2002}}</ref> His father was a successful trader. After completing his schooling, Mudaliar came to Madras (now Chennai) to set up his business as the city was the capital of the province.<ref name=hindu1/> Following that, he started a bicycle business named "Watson & Company" partnering with his cousin, S. M. Dharmalingam Mudaliar.<ref name=hindu1/> The company sold cycles at {{INR}} 25.<ref name=hindu1/> The business became successful as the partners acquired a foreign firm, "Romar Dan & Company" in 1911, that dealt with the import of American cars and automobile spare parts. Prior to that "Addison & Company" was the only company in Madras to sell American cars.<ref name=hindu1/> Mudaliar sold the same cars as {{INR}} 1,000 and became the first Indian to sell American cars.<ref name=hindu1/> Mudaliar had an early interest in photography this later evolved into "moving pictures".<ref name=hindu1/>

==Film career==
Mudaliar developed an interest for moving pictures after watching the films of [[Dadasaheb Phalke]]. At the time cinematographers from Britain were filming a documentary on [[Lord Curzon]], then the Governor-General and Viceroy of India.<ref name=hindu1/> Mudaliar was introduced to Stewart Smith, one of the cinematographers, and learned about the basics of photography in film-making through him.<ref name=hindu1/> This eventually led to Mudaliar establishing his production house "India Film Company" in 1917.<ref name=hindu1/><ref name="Srivastava2008">{{cite book|author=Edited By Jerry Pinto & Rahul Srivastava|title=Talk of the Town|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Az1XFhjzmUwC|year=2008|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-333013-4|pages=42–43}}</ref> He brought together some of his business friends allowing them to invest on the production house and established South India's first studio on Miller's Road, [[Purasawalkam]], Madras.<ref name="Srivastava2008"/>

In 1917, Mudaliar started working on a film titled ''[[Keechaka Vadham]]'' and looked after the script, cinematography, editing, and direction apart from the production work. The film was over 6,000 feet long had the distinction of being the first silent film produced in [[South India]].<ref name="Cameron2011">{{cite book|author=Samuel Cameron|title=Handbook on the Economics of Leisure|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gWuMYKzvnOEC|year=2011|publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing|isbn=978-0-85793-056-9|page=302}}</ref><ref name=hindu2>{{cite news|title=The stamp of honour|url=http://www.hindu.com/2000/07/10/stories/09100224.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111030210/http://hindu.com/2000/07/10/stories/09100224.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 November 2012|access-date=5 June 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=10 July 2000}}</ref> Upon release it was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.<ref name=hindu2/> The title cards of the film were in [[English language|English]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] languages, written by Guruswamy Mudaliar, a famous doctor in Madras and Thiruvengada Mudaliar, a college principal.<ref name=hindu2/> The titles in Hindi were written by [[Devdas Gandhi]], son of [[Mahatma Gandhi]].<ref name=hindu2/> Keechaka Vadham was released in Elphinstone Theatre in January 1918. The success of the film prompted Mudaliar to make a series of historic films. Later a difference of opinion arose among him and the investors.<ref name=hindu2/> The demise of his son in a fire accident that happened in his studio, led to Mudaliar retiring from film-making and close the studio.<ref name=hindu2/> As a film-maker Mudaliar inspired Raghupathi Prakasa,<ref name="Velayutham2008"/> son of [[Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu]] and [[J. C. Daniel]], who was later revered as the father of [[Malayalam cinema]].<ref name=dc/> He died on 2 May 1971

==Filmography==
* ''[[Keechaka Vadham]]''
* ''[[Draupadi Vastrapaharanam (1918 film)|Draupadi Vastrapaharanam]]''
* ''[[Mahi Ravana]]''
* ''[[Lava Kusa (1919 film)|Lava Kusa]]''
* ''[[Kalinga Mardanam]]''
* ''[[Rukmini Satyabhama]]''
* ''[[Markandeya (film)|Markandeya]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nataraja Mudaliar, R.}}
[[Category:1885 births]]
[[Category:Tamil film directors]]
[[Category:1972 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Vellore]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian film directors]]
[[Category:Indian silent film producers]]
[[Category:Indian silent film directors]]
[[Category:Filmmaking pioneers]]

R. Nataraja Mudaliar - Revision history

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