Vikraman

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Vikraman
Vikraman at Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga Audio Launch and Felicitation to K Bhagyaraj.jpg
Vikraman at Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga's audio launch in 2016
Born (1964-03-30) 30 March 1964 (age 59)[1]
NationalityIndian
OccupationFilm director
Years active1990-2014
Spouse(s)Jayapriya[2]
ChildrenKanishka, Pooja

Vikraman is an Indian film director primarily working in Tamil cinema. He was also one of the most successful filmmakers of the 1990s. Vikraman has been elected as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Film Directors Association (TANTIS) replacing Bharathiraja after he defeated fellow director Visu in the election.[3][4][5]

Career[edit]

1990-1994[edit]

He worked as an assistant to actor and director R. Parthiban in Puthiya Pathai (1989), which was the latter's debut film as a director and an actor. Vikraman made his directorial debut with the film Pudhu Vasantham (1990) produced by R. B. Choudary, for which director K. S. Ravikumar apprenticed under him as an assistant director.[6] The film was about four unemployed friends and musical experts who find themselves unexpectedly saddled with a young woman. Upon release, the film received critical acclaim and it re-wrote Tamil cinema history, sparking a whole range of "friendship" films.[7] Its hero Murali went on to become a romantic actor in subsequent films.[8] His second film Perum Pulli (1991) received negative reviews with N. Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express stating, "Directed by Vikraman who made Pudhu Vasantham and made name for himself [..] Perum Pulli has a hash of a story" and it bombed at the box-office.[9][10] His next two films Naan Pesa Ninaipathellam (1993) and Gokulam (1993) received mixed reception.[11][12] In 1994, his venture Pudhiya Mannargal starring Vikram and with music composed by A. R. Rahman flopped at the box-office despite a revolutionary theme of students and politics. A critic wrote, "Nothing much in this movie but a controversial idea".[13][14]

1996-2002[edit]

Vikraman was recalled once again by R. B. Choudary to make a film with Vijay titled Poove Unakkaga in 1996. It was the first breakthrough in the young actor's career.[15] His next film Suryavamsam (1997) with Sarath Kumar and Devayani was a major success.[16] Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen made in 1998 gave a fresh lease of life to Karthik and Roja who were once dominating the film industry. While Ajith Kumar impresses in a rather lengthy cameo.[17] In 2000, he made a film Vanathai Pola with an ensemble cast, another blockbuster which gave back the superstardom to Vijayakanth. It also won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment in 2001 and also many state awards.[18] He then began pre-production work in 2000 for a film starring Surya and Laila and the said project Unnai Ninaithu (2002) did well.[19][20]

2003-2014[edit]

His next film Priyamaana Thozhi (2003) produced by the AVM Productions was a hit again.[21] Its simultaneously shot Telugu version, Vasantham in (helmed by himself) was one of the top grossers of 2003. But he had to face another dud in 2004 in Cheppave Chirugali, a Telugu remake of his hit Tamil film starring Suriya and Sneha, Unnai Ninaithu.[22] Taking a two-year break, he had started work again for a Tamil film called Chennai Kadhal (2006) with Bharath in the lead. However, the film was unsuccessful at the box office.[23] He made a comeback with Mariyadhai in 2009, another Tamil film starring Vijayakanth, Meena, Meera Jasmine and Ambika playing the lead roles.[24] His latest film Ninaithathu Yaaro featuring newcomers released in January 2014.[25]

Filmography[edit]

  • All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
Year Title Notes
1990 Pudhu Vasantham Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil
1991 Perum Pulli
1993 Naan Pesa Ninaipathellam
Gokulam Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (3rd place)
1994 Pudhiya Mannargal
1996 Poove Unakkaga
1997 Suryavamsam Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
Cinema Express Award for Best Film – Tamil
1998 Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen Cinema Express Award for Best Film – Tamil
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (3rd place)
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer
2000 Vaanathaippola National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
2002 Unnai Ninaithu Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (3rd place)
2003 Priyamaana Thozhi [26]
Vasantham Telugu film[27]
2004 Cheppave Chirugali Telugu film[28]
2006 Chennai Kadhal [29]
2009 Mariyadhai [30]
2014 Ninaithathu Yaaro

References[edit]

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20121023231846/http://tamilfilmdirectorsassociation.com/profile.php?sno=1558
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20000711101952/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/interviews/22-03-00/vikrama2.htm
  3. Vikraman elected new president of TANTIS | Business Standard
  4. Vikraman wins Director's Union election! – The Times of India
  5. Vikraman replaces Bharathiraja, tamil nadu thiraipada iyakkunar sangam, TANTIS
  6. "Happy Birthday K.S.Ravikumar". indiaglitz.com. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  7. Pavithra Srinivasan (8 September 2010). "Mourning the loss of a mild-mannered hero". Rediff.com. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  8. S. R. Ashok Kumar, Ramya Kannan (8 September 2010). "Tamil actor Murali dies of heart attack". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  9. N. Krishnaswamy (8 February 1991). "Perum Pulli". The Indian Express. p. 7. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  10. "Journeying from life to cinema". The Hindu. 16 March 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2019.[dead link]
  11. Malini Mannath (18 June 1993). "Family Album". The Indian Express. p. 6. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  12. Malini Mannath (30 July 1993). "Orphans in love". The Indian Express. p. 6. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  13. "Enemies in the State". The Hindu. 6 May 2002. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  14. K. Vijiyan (24 December 1994). "Nothing much besides a controversial idea". New Straits Times. p. 26. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  15. https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/slideshow/top-20-best-films-of-vijay/3-poove-unakkaga-1996.html
  16. https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/columns/2019/oct/22/sense-of-a-scene-suryavamsam-vikraman-sarath-kumar-devayani-nostalgia-15070.html
  17. http://ajithkumar.free.fr/filmographie/unnidathil_ennai.htm
  18. The Hindu : Metro Plus Tiruchirapalli / Cinema : Love is in the air
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20041103155524/http://www.chennaionline.com/reeltalk/oct132.asp
  20. http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-10/when-suriya-replaced-vijay-mysteriously--suriya-vijay-26-02-13.html
  21. https://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/jul/15thozhi.htm
  22. https://www.indiaglitz.com/cheppave-chirugali-preview-telugu-movie-7208
  23. https://www.rediff.com/movies/2006/dec/11chennai.htm
  24. https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-reviews/reviews-2/mariyadhai.html
  25. https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-14/vikramans-next-film-ninaithathu-yaaro-releases-on-january-31.html
  26. Movie Review : Priyamana Thozhi
  27. Telugu cinema review – Vasantham – Venkatesh, Arti Agarwal, Kalyani – Vikraman – SA Raj Kumar – Sanam Naga Ashok Kumar, NV Prasad
  28. Telugu cinema Review – Cheppave Chirugali – Venu, Ashima Bhalla, Abhirami
  29. Movie Review : Chennai Kadhal
  30. Movie Review : Mariyadhai
  31. Audio Beat: Ninaithathu Yaaro – One for the youth – The Hindu
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