Ponvannan

Ponvannan
Born	Shanmugam (1963-09-23) 23 September 1963 Erode, Tamil Nadu
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Actor, Director, Painter
Spouse(s)	Saranya Ponvannan ( m. 1995)
Children	2

Ponvannan (born Shanmugam; 23 September 1963) is an Indian actor and director who has worked in Tamil cinema and television. After beginning his career as an artist (painter), Ponvannan apprenticed as a director and writer under Bharathiraja. He subsequently made his directorial debut with Annai Vayal (1992), before making the critically acclaimed venture, Nadhi Karaiyinile (2003). He has since appeared as a supporting actor in films, winning acclaim for his role in films including Paruthiveeran (2007), Ayan (2009) and Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014). In October 2015, he was elected as the Vice President of the Nadigar Sangam alongside Karunas.

Career

Ponvannan began his career as an artist in his home town of Erode and became acquainted with writer Valampuri John, which led to him working for producer Kovaithambi's Motherland Pictures. Through his exposure, gained at the production house, he began to apprentice under director Bharathiraja and helped the director write dialogues for his films. Ponvannan gradually was introduced as an actor by Bharathiraja and appeared in supporting roles in the director's Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu (1991), Karuthamma (1994) and Pasumpon (1995). During the period, he also made the low-budget film Annai Vayal, which went unnoticed. Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in further supporting roles, often typecast as the villain in films.

His second directorial venture, Jameela (2003), featuring Suvalakshmi, Rajan P. Dev and Ramji, told the story of an ego clash between two men which ruins the life of an obedient woman. Ponvannan had been impressed with writer Sara Abubakar's novel and bought the script rights, before submitting his screenplay to National Film Development Corporation of India to finance the film. The agency agreed and Jameela was shot for seventeen days in Pondicherry at a cost of 35 lakh rupees. The film won positive reviews in screenings and was well received by critics, prompting it to be selected to be shown in the non-competitive category at the 2002 Shanghai International Film Festival.

After being censored in 2001, the film had only a theatrical release across India in November 2003 under the title Nadhi Karaiyinile, after the distributor Viswas Sundar did not want the film to be classified as a "Muslim film".

The film did not perform well at the box office, but won three State film awards including the recognition as Best Film portraying Women in Good Light. The Hindu described Ponvannan's direction as an "absorbing presentation", adding "his sensitivity comes to the fore throughout the film". His next venture, the comedy drama Gomathi Nayagam (2004), had its title taken from the name of his popular character from the television serial Annamalai. The film had a low-key release and did not perform well commercially.

Ponvannan made a comeback as an actor through Ameer's Paruthiveeran (2007), portraying the father of Priyamani's character, and the success of the film garnered further acting opportunities for him. He won acclaim for his performances as the upright police officer in Mysskin's Anjathe (2009) and as the shrewd customs official in Ayan (2009). Ponvannan played a stage actor in Vasanthabalan's period film Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014), winning acclaim for his performance in an ensemble cast.

Personal life

Ponvannan married National Award-winning actress Saranya, daughter of Malayalam director A. B. Raj, in 1995.

Filmography

As actor

Year	Movie	Role	Notes
1991	Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu		Also dialogue writer
1992	Annai Vayal		Also director & script writer
	Government Mappillai
1993	Amma Ponnu	Police Inspector
	Kadal Pura
1994	Karuththamma	Thavasi
1995	Pasumpon	Sellasamy
	Gandhi Pirantha Mann
	Chithirai Thiruvizha
	Maaman Magal	Muthurasu
1996	Vaigarai Pookkal	Soori
	Katta Panchayathu
	Namma Ooru Raasa	Kailash
	Senathipathi
1997	Rettai Jadai Vayasu
	Ettupatti Rasa	Ponrasu
	Periya Thambi	Rathnam
	Periya Idathu Mappillai	Chellappa
	Saathi Sanam
1998	Velai
1999	Poomagal Oorvalam	Kavitha's father
	Annan	Manikkam
2000	Kannukkul Nilavu	Soundar
	Veeranadai
	Aandavan		Dubbed version of Aatank Hi Aatank (1995)
2001	Kanna Unnai Thedukiren
2003	Nilavil Kalangamillai
	IPC 215	Muthu
2005	Gomathi Nayagam	Gomathi Nayagam	Also director
2007	Paruthiveeran	Kazhuva Thevan
	Nam Naadu	Ilamaaran
	Flash	Mutashan	Malayalam film
2008	Anjathe	Keerti Vaasan
	Valluvan Vasuki	Thalaivar
	Muniyandi Vilangial Moonramandu	Muthumani
	Silambattam	Veeraiyan
2009	Ayan	Parthiban
	Mayandi Kudumbathar	Thavasi Mayandi
	Muthirai	Aadhikesavan
	Peranmai	Ganapathi Ram
	Aarumaname	Rajadurai
	Yogi
2010	Porkkalam	Pasupathy
	Maathi Yosi
	Pulliman		Malayalam film
2011	Seedan
	Singam Puli
	Ponnar Shankar	Chinnamalai Gounder
	Sankarankovil	Mahalingam
	Vaagai Sooda Vaa	JP	Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain
	Raa Raa
2012	Vilayada Vaa	Deva
2013	Kadal	Chetty Barnabodas
	Thalaivaa	Ranga
2014	Sooran
	Sathuranga Vettai	ACP
	Kaaviya Thalaivan	S. V. Bairava Sundaram
	Lingaa	Deva
2015	Yatchan	Durai
	Bhooloham	Rathinam
2016	Kadalai	Boopathy
2017	Bogan	Rajkumar
	Ayyanar Veethi	Ayyanar
	Yaanum Theeyavan	Jayaprakash
	Neruppu Da	Guru's father
2018	Kadaikutty Singam	Thillainayagam
	Adanga Maru	Subash's father
2019	Sathru	Kathiresan's father
	Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum	Gautham's father
	NGK	Pichai Muthu "Pichai"
2021	Sulthan	Rukmani's father

As director

Year	Movie	Cast	Notes
1992	Annai Vayal	Raj Rahul, Vinodhini
2003	Nadhi Karaiyinile	Suvalakshmi, Ramji	Best Film Portraying Woman in Good Light
2005	Gomathi Nayagam	Ponvannan, Lakshana

Television

Year	Series	Role	Channel
1997–1998	Vidathu Karuppu	Bramhan	Sun TV
1998	Mahila		Gemini TV
2000	Micro Thodargal-Kaathirukka Oruthi		Raj TV
2001	Edhuvum Nadakkum	Sadasivam	Raj TV
2002–2003	Agal Vilakkugal	Bramhan	Sun TV
2002–2005	Annamalai	Gomathi Nayagam
2002-2003	Penn
2003–2004	Kolangal	Rajaram
2020	Chithi 2	Shanmugapriyan

External links

• Ponvannan on IMDb