Susi Ganesan
Encyclopedia
Susi Ganeshan is an Indian film director and screenwriter.
, Madurai District
in Tamil Nadu to Tamil people Subbiah and Sittappa. He changed his screenname to Susi Ganeshan, his first name being derived from the first two letters from his parents' first names. He graduated from Madras Institute of Technology
with a Bachelors degree in automobile engineering. During his college days, he was a journalist and had published many articles for the Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan
. He was also chairman of ATHENAEUM, the student body of the Madras Institute of Technology, during 1991-92. After working as an assistant to director Mani Ratnam
during the filming of Bombay
(1995), Iruvar
(1997) and Dil Se
(1998), Ganeshan debuted as a director with the 2002 film Virumbugiren
.
in 2000. Its story was based on love in a village backdrop with a social message to it. The film, starring Prashanth
and then newcomer Sneha, was selected and screened at the Kuala Lumpur World Film Festival
2003. The film received four awards at the 2001 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
, winning the Best Director
, Best Actress
and Best Supporting Actress prizes, while also being adjugded as the Best Film
of the year. Virumbugiren became long delayed and released in late 2002.
Ganeshan next directed Five Star
(2002), which happened to be his first release, due to the delay of his first project Virumbugiren. Five Star, produced by his mentor Mani Ratnam
under the banner Madras Talkies
, featured five newcomers in the title roles. The story focused on friendship, love with social awareness and a touch of human emotions. The film bagged him the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter
.
In 2006, he made his third film Thiruttu Payale
. The film, which featured Jeevan
, Sonia Agarwal
and Malavika
in principal roles, emerged a sleeper hit
and ranked among the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year. It was named the third Best Film of the year by the Tamil Nadu State Givernment
and gave major breaks to the leading actors, with the performances of Jeevan and Malavika in particular being considerably appreciated.
Three years later, Susi Ganeshan directed Kanthaswamy
. The film dealt with disparity of rich and poor in the Indian society, and it was reportedly the first South Indian film in that the protagonist, portrayed by Vikram
, conceived a superhero
character. The film had the biggest opening in the year 2009.
Susi Ganeshan's next film would be Shortcut Romeo
, a remake of his 2006 film Thiruttu Payale
.
Early life
He was born in VannivelampattiVannivelampatti
-About:Vannivelampatti , is a Gram panchayat in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-History:Vannivelampatti was known as vannivalampatti which means, a village situated at the right side of the strange Vanni Vinayaka facing west at the top of the Devankkurichi hill.-Groups based on...
, Madurai District
Madurai District
Madurai district is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. The city of Madurai serves as the district headquarters. It houses the world famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple and is situated on the banks of river Vaigai. Thiruparankundram is one of the major...
in Tamil Nadu to Tamil people Subbiah and Sittappa. He changed his screenname to Susi Ganeshan, his first name being derived from the first two letters from his parents' first names. He graduated from Madras Institute of Technology
Madras Institute of Technology
The Madras Institute of Technology is an engineering institute located in Chromepet, Chennai , India. It is one of the four autonomous constituent colleges of Anna University. It was started in 1949 by Mr. C. Rajam as the first self-financing engineering institute in the country, and later it...
with a Bachelors degree in automobile engineering. During his college days, he was a journalist and had published many articles for the Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan
Ananda Vikatan
Ananda Vikatan ஆனந்த விகடன் is the leading Tamil language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India. It is part of the Vikatan group which also publishes Junior Vikatan , Chutti Vikatan , Aval Vikatan , Naanayam Vikatan , Sakthi Vikatan , Motor Vikatan and Pasumai Vikatan Ananda Vikatan ஆனந்த...
. He was also chairman of ATHENAEUM, the student body of the Madras Institute of Technology, during 1991-92. After working as an assistant to director Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
during the filming of Bombay
Bombay (film)
Bombay is a critically acclaimed and national award-winning 1995 Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala, with music composed by A. R. Rahman...
(1995), Iruvar
Iruvar
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
(1997) and Dil Se
Dil Se
Dil Se is a 1998 Hindi film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, and Preity Zinta. Mani Ratnam also co-wrote the screenplay for the film...
(1998), Ganeshan debuted as a director with the 2002 film Virumbugiren
Virumbugiren
Virumbugiren is a 2002 released Tamil film. The movie stars Prashanth, Sneha, and Nassar. The film is directed by Susi Ganesan. The music is by Deva. The Film was released in 2002...
.
Career
He began his first project VirumbugirenVirumbugiren
Virumbugiren is a 2002 released Tamil film. The movie stars Prashanth, Sneha, and Nassar. The film is directed by Susi Ganesan. The music is by Deva. The Film was released in 2002...
in 2000. Its story was based on love in a village backdrop with a social message to it. The film, starring Prashanth
Prashanth
Prashanth is an Indian film actor who appeared in several Tamil films, as well as a few Telugu films, Hindi and Malayalam films.The son of noted actor-director Thyagarajan, Prashanth began his career at 17 by appearing in Vaigasi Poranthachu and went on to feature in other acclaimed films...
and then newcomer Sneha, was selected and screened at the Kuala Lumpur World Film Festival
Kuala Lumpur International Film Festival
held a three-day one-off film festival from February 16-18, 2003 entitled Kuala Lumpur World Film Festival 2003 with the theme “Peace, Harmony, Non-Violence and Non-Discrimination”. It was organized in conjunction with the Non-Aligned Movement Conference which was hosted by Malaysia during the...
2003. The film received four awards at the 2001 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards are the most notable film awards given for Tamil films in India. They are given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The awards are decided by a committee headed by...
, winning the Best Director
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-Winners:...
, Best Actress
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress
The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won....
and Best Supporting Actress prizes, while also being adjugded as the Best Film
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film is given by the Government of Tamil Nadu as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films. The awards for films are categorised into three prizes....
of the year. Virumbugiren became long delayed and released in late 2002.
Ganeshan next directed Five Star
Five Star (film)
Five Star is a South Indian Tamil film released in 2002. This wasPrasanna's First movie. The songs were hit. The movie was one of the hits of 2002.-Plot:...
(2002), which happened to be his first release, due to the delay of his first project Virumbugiren. Five Star, produced by his mentor Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
under the banner Madras Talkies
Madras Talkies
Madras Talkies is a Film and Television Production and Distribution Company in India started in 1995 with Mani Ratnam and Suhasini Maniratnam as partners. Madras Talkies is actively involved in production of films and television serials, which are distributed all over the world...
, featured five newcomers in the title roles. The story focused on friendship, love with social awareness and a touch of human emotions. The film bagged him the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter
The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won....
.
In 2006, he made his third film Thiruttu Payale
Thiruttu Payale
Thiruttu Payale is a Tamil film directed by Susi Ganesan. As like other Susi Ganesan films it is a real life experience based entertainer/thriller. The movie stars Kaakha Kaakha fame Jeevan, Sonia Agarwal, Abbas, Malavika, Vivek, Manoj K Jayan and Charlie...
. The film, which featured Jeevan
Jeevan
Jeevan is a Tamil film actor.-Biography:He graduated from the St. Bede's School in Chennai. One of his classmates was actor Surya Sivakumar.-Career:...
, Sonia Agarwal
Sonia Agarwal
Sonia Agarwal is an Indian film actress and model. Having predominantly acted in Tamil films, she is probably best known for her performances as Divya...
and Malavika
Malavika
Malavika is the stage name of Shweta Konnur , in Bangalore, an Indian actress. She started out as a model for Fair and Lovely and became an actress in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films....
in principal roles, emerged a sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
and ranked among the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year. It was named the third Best Film of the year by the Tamil Nadu State Givernment
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film is given by the Government of Tamil Nadu as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films. The awards for films are categorised into three prizes....
and gave major breaks to the leading actors, with the performances of Jeevan and Malavika in particular being considerably appreciated.
Three years later, Susi Ganeshan directed Kanthaswamy
Kanthaswamy
Kanthaswamy is a 2009 Tamil language feature film directed by Susi Ganesan, who with Kanthaswamy completed his fourth film. Vikram acts in the lead role, whilst Shriya Saran, Prabhu Ganesan, Krishna, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Mansoor Ali Khan, Vadivelu and Y. G. Mahendran also play roles in...
. The film dealt with disparity of rich and poor in the Indian society, and it was reportedly the first South Indian film in that the protagonist, portrayed by Vikram
Vikram (actor)
Vikram is an Indian film actor who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. During his years in the Indian film industry, he has won five Filmfare Awards as well as one National Film Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Award amongst other recognitions and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate...
, conceived a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character. The film had the biggest opening in the year 2009.
Susi Ganeshan's next film would be Shortcut Romeo
Shortcut Romeo
Shortcut Romeo is an upcoming Indian romantic thriller film to be directed and produced by Susi Ganeshan. It is the Hindi remake of the director's own Tamil film Thiruttu Payale , starring Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ameesha Patel, and Richa Gangopadhyay in principal roles...
, a remake of his 2006 film Thiruttu Payale
Thiruttu Payale
Thiruttu Payale is a Tamil film directed by Susi Ganesan. As like other Susi Ganesan films it is a real life experience based entertainer/thriller. The movie stars Kaakha Kaakha fame Jeevan, Sonia Agarwal, Abbas, Malavika, Vivek, Manoj K Jayan and Charlie...
.
Director
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Five Star Five Star (film) Five Star is a South Indian Tamil film released in 2002. This wasPrasanna's First movie. The songs were hit. The movie was one of the hits of 2002.-Plot:... |
Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.... |
| 2002 | Virumbugiren Virumbugiren Virumbugiren is a 2002 released Tamil film. The movie stars Prashanth, Sneha, and Nassar. The film is directed by Susi Ganesan. The music is by Deva. The Film was released in 2002... |
Tamil | Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-Winners:... |
| 2006 | Thiruttu Payale Thiruttu Payale Thiruttu Payale is a Tamil film directed by Susi Ganesan. As like other Susi Ganesan films it is a real life experience based entertainer/thriller. The movie stars Kaakha Kaakha fame Jeevan, Sonia Agarwal, Abbas, Malavika, Vivek, Manoj K Jayan and Charlie... |
Tamil | Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film The Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film is given by the Government of Tamil Nadu as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films. The awards for films are categorised into three prizes.... |
| 2009 | Kanthaswamy Kanthaswamy Kanthaswamy is a 2009 Tamil language feature film directed by Susi Ganesan, who with Kanthaswamy completed his fourth film. Vikram acts in the lead role, whilst Shriya Saran, Prabhu Ganesan, Krishna, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Mansoor Ali Khan, Vadivelu and Y. G. Mahendran also play roles in... |
Tamil | Also played a guest role Nominated, Vijay Award for Favourite Director Vijay Award for Favourite Director The Vijay Award for Favorite Director is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 K. S. Ravikumar-Varalaru*2007 Prabhu Deva - Pokkiri... |
| 2012 | Shortcut Romeo Shortcut Romeo Shortcut Romeo is an upcoming Indian romantic thriller film to be directed and produced by Susi Ganeshan. It is the Hindi remake of the director's own Tamil film Thiruttu Payale , starring Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ameesha Patel, and Richa Gangopadhyay in principal roles... |
Hindi | Filming |