Kalanjiyam: Difference between revisions

'''Mu. Kalanjiyam''' is an Indian film director who has made Tamil films. A winner of the [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer]], Kalanjiyam has also featured in the lead role in his films.

Kalanjiyam's first film, ''[[Poomani (film)|Poomani]]'' (1996), featuring [[Murali (Tamil actor)|Murali]] and [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]], won commercial and critical acclaim, and the director won the [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer]] for 1996. His next venture, the rural drama ''[[Kizhakkum Merkkum]]'', starring [[Napoleon (actor)|Napoleon]] with Devayani, also won positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Reviews/articles/kizhmerk.htm |title=Kizhakkum Merkum: Movie Review |publisher=Webcache.googleusercontent.com |date=2013-09-05 |accessdate=2013-09-15 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034613/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Reviews/articles/kizhmerk.htm |archivedate=24 September 2015 }}</ref> A proposed film titled ''Sangeetha Thirunaal, '' produced by music composer [[Ilaiyaraaja]], was planned, but did not materialize.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/gossip/second/story1.htm#story |title=Archived copy |website=www.dinakaran.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041023185237/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/gossip/second/story1.htm#story |archive-date=23 October 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He returned with another film, ''[[Poonthottam]]'' (1998), with the cast of his first film, but the film went unnoticed as a result of the bigger budget films released around the same time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Reviews/articles/PoonthOttam_01532.html |title=PoonthOttam: Movie Review |publisher=Webcache.googleusercontent.com |date=2013-09-05 |accessdate=2013-09-15 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313030525/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Reviews/articles/PoonthOttam_01532.html |archivedate=13 March 2013 }}</ref>  He then made ''[[Nilave Mugam Kaattu]]'' (1999), starring [[Karthik (actor)|Karthik]] and Devayani, which became his fourth consecutive film with the actress, though the film was panned by critics who cited that the director "disappoints with this well-worn tale of friends sacrificing love for friendship."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenisai.com/tamil/movies-cinema/nilave-mugam-kaattu-tamil-movies.htm |accessdate=8 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909110827/http://www.thenisai.com/tamil/movies-cinema/nilave-mugam-kaattu-tamil-movies.htm |archivedate=9 September 2012 }}</ref> Kalanjiyam later started other eventually shelved films titled ''Vikadan,'' with Murali again, and ''Kesavan,'' with [[Sarathkumar]] and [[Rambha (actress)|Rambha]], before going on to make the [[Prabhu (actor)|Prabhu]]-starrer ''[[Mitta Miraasu]]'' in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.geocities.ws/gokima/may2001.html|title = Gokul's Tamil Cinema News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/9-07-98/murali.htm |title=Archived copy |website=www.dinakaran.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050205133643/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/9-07-98/murali.htm |archive-date=5 February 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2002, the director resurfaced with a project titled ''Sathamintri Muthamidu,'' which was set to be the launch for actor Mayur, [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]]'s younger brother, and actress [[Anjali (actress born 1986)|Anjali]], though the film later failed to materialize.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/entertainment/filmplus/ntlaunch.asp |title=Archived copy |website=www.chennaionline.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030805141512/http://www.chennaionline.com/entertainment/filmplus/ntlaunch.asp |archive-date=5 August 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/58928.html |title=Anjali signs handful - Tamil Movie News |publisher=Indiaglitz.com |date=2010-07-27 |accessdate=2013-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/aug-06-04/25-08-06-nakul.html |title=Tamil movies : Will luck favor 'Boys' fame Nakul this time? |publisher=Webcache.googleusercontent.com |date=2013-09-02 |accessdate=2013-09-15 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918135527/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/aug-06-04/25-08-06-nakul.html |archivedate=18 September 2015 }}</ref> He also began two other films with Anjali, ''Valiba Desam'' and ''En Kanavu Thaanadi'', though those also failed to materialize. In 2010, following actress Anjali's rise to fame, she made a goodwill gesture by agreeing to be a part of a few of Kalanjiyam's future films, noting she considered him her mentor. The director returned with his next film, ''[[Karungali]]'' in 2011, which saw himself play the lead role of a drug peddler alongside an ensemble cast including [[Anjali (actress born 1986)|Anjali]], [[Sunitha Varma]] and Asmitha. The film opened to unanimously poor reviews, with a critic noting that the film was a "crude affair", citing that the "subject in question is too heavy and has been handled in an insensitive way, making the film come across as a cheap sex thriller."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/karungali-review-tamil-14975424.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222010039/http://www.sify.com/movies/karungali-review-tamil-14975424.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-12-22 |title=Movie Review : Karungali |publisher=Sify.com |accessdate=2013-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/12585.html |title=Karungali Tamil Movie Review - cinema preview stills gallery trailer video clips showtimes |publisher=Indiaglitz.com |date=2011-07-29 |accessdate=2013-09-15}}</ref> The film was later dubbed and released in Telugu as ''Sathi Leelavathi'', with the director crediting himself under the name Prabhakaran.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-02/news-interviews/32508165_1_prabhakaran-tollywood-telugu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131183550/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-02/news-interviews/32508165_1_prabhakaran-tollywood-telugu |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-31 |title=Name change for Kalanjiyam|date=2012-07-02 |work=[[The Times of India]] |accessdate=2013-09-15}}</ref>

In 2013, it was reported that he was working on another project, titled ''Oor Suttri Puranam,'' with Anjali again, with the actress suffering a freak accident on the set of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-10/freak-accident-on-the-sets-anjali-suffers-electric-shock-anjali-kalanjiyam-09-03-13.html |title=Freak accident on the sets, Anjali suffers electric shock, Anjali, Kalanjiyam |publisher=Behindwoods.com |date=2013-03-09 |accessdate=2013-09-15}}</ref> In a turn of events, Anjali filed charges against the filmmaker, noting he had been advising her step-mother on various issues and she feared that she was being harassed by him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chennaivision.com/news/2013/30396.php |title=Anjali alleges harassment |publisher=Chennaivision.com |accessdate=2013-09-15}}</ref> The film has since been stalled, and Kalanjiyam subsequently sought an industry-wide ban against the actress for failing to complete the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kollytalk.com/cinenews/kalanjiyam-will-drag-anjali-court-156526.html|title=Kalanjiyam: I will drag Anjali to court - KOLLY TALK|work=KOLLY TALK|accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref> In 2014, he worked as an actor in Kathiravan's ''Kodai Mazhai'' and landed in trouble for slapping actress [[Sri Priyanka]] during the making of the film, prompting her to faint on location. He was injured in an accident in August 2014, when a car he was traveling in toppled in [[Andhra Pradesh]], killing another passenger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://silverscreen.in/news/director-kalanjiyam-meets-with-an-accident/|title=Director Kalanjiyam Meets With an Accident - Silverscreen.in|work=Silverscreen.in|accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref>