Vasanth
Encyclopedia
Vasanth is an Indian film director and screenwriter, working in the Tamil film industry
. Following a stint as journalist and after assisting K. Balachander
, he made his directorial debut with Keladi Kanmani
in 1990, which along with the trendsetting Aasai
(1995) and Rhythm
(2000), are considered his finest and most successful films. His films have been described as a "middle path" between parallel
and commercial cinema, revolving around social themes and relationships.
and short story writer, before he began working as an assistant director to K. Balachander
on 18 films including Sindhu Bhairavi
and Punnagai Mannan
. He made his first independent film in 1990, the critically acclaimed film Keladi Kanmani
, which starred noted playback singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
and enjoyed a 285-days-run at theatres. He next directed Nee Pathi Naan Pathi
, titled after a song from his previous film, which focussed on an unwed mother
's issue. The film features the song "Nivedha", becoming noted for its visualization and its lyrics consisting of a single word. His third directorial was the thriller Aasai
(1995), which became a trendsetter and high financial success that ran for more than 200 days. Produced by Mani Ratnam
, the film marked the first major commercial success and breakthrough for Ajith Kumar
, who went on to become a leading actor of Tamil cinema, as well as the feature film debut of lead actress Suvalakshmi
, while Vasanth received the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
.
In 1997, Vasanth's next project, Nerrukku Ner
released. Also produced by Maniratnam, the film introduced actor Sivakumar
's eldest son Suriya, who played a leading role alongside Vijay and Simran. Vasanth's subsequent project Poovellam Kettuppar
(1999), also starred Suriya, pairing for the first time with Jyothika
, who would later become his wife. The film is especially known as being composer Yuvan Shankar Raja
's first major musical success. The following year, two of his directorial released, Appu and Rhythm
. The former was appreciated for Prakash Raj
's performance as a eunuch
, whilst the latter is considered a classic, mainly for its theme and realism by critics and public. Rhythm told the tale of two individuals who lose their life partners in the same accident and overcome their sorrow to start a new relationship. The film's soundtrack, scored by A. R. Rahman
consists of five songs, each depicting one of the five elements
. Vasanth had picked Rhythm to be the film "closest to heart". Hey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke
(2002) was his following project, with its major attraction being the first ensemble soundtrack in Indian cinema, featuring five songs, composed by five debutant music directors. In 2007, he made the thriller film Satham Podathey
(2007), which was critically acclaimed and a blockbuster at the box office, while fetching him a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Storywriter
. Currently he is working on the scriptment for his next venture, titled Nadai Udai Bhavanai, while he has also announced the launch of another film, titled Moondru Paer, Moondru Kadhal.
During his sabbaticals from filmmaking, Vasanth has worked on several ad films, short films and documentaries as well. The short films, Thakkayin Methu Naanku Kangal, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film
at the 2005 ceremony
, and the critically acclaimed Visaranai Commission, based on Sakithya Academy prize-winning novel by Sa. Kandhasami, are the other notable works in his career. He has directed more than 40 advertising films for multinational brands and co-directed the Vijay TV extravaganza Netru, Indru, Naalai
along with his mentor Mani Ratnam
. Besides, Vasanth has been conducting workshops, too, teaching nuances of filmmaking.
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
. Following a stint as journalist and after assisting K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
, he made his directorial debut with Keladi Kanmani
Keladi Kanmani
Keladi Kanmani is a 1990 Tamil film directed by Vasanth, starring noted playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam and Radhika Sarathkumar.-Plot:...
in 1990, which along with the trendsetting Aasai
Aasai
Aasai is a 1995 Tamil film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam The film featured Ajith Kumar and Suvalakshmi, making her debut, in the leading roles with Prakash Raj in a pivotal role. The film has camera work by Jeeva and a popular soundtrack by Deva...
(1995) and Rhythm
Rhythm (film)
Rhythm is a 2000 Tamil film directed by Vasanth. The film stars Arjun, Meena and Manivannan in lead roles and Ramesh Aravind and Jyothika in supporting roles. The music is by A. R. Rahman, while cinematography was handled by P.S. Vinod and Arthur A. Wilson...
(2000), are considered his finest and most successful films. His films have been described as a "middle path" between parallel
Parallel Cinema
The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times...
and commercial cinema, revolving around social themes and relationships.
Career
Vasanth began his career as a journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and short story writer, before he began working as an assistant director to K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
on 18 films including Sindhu Bhairavi
Sindhu Bhairavi
Sindhu Bhairavi is a 1985 Indian Tamil language drama film directed and produced by K. Balachander starring Sivakumar, Suhasini, Sulakshana, Delhi Ganesh and Janagaraj. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The songs in the film were sung by K. J. Yesudas and K. S. Chithra...
and Punnagai Mannan
Punnagai Mannan
Punnagai Mannan is a 1986 Tamil language film starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role of the protagonist. The film was directed by K. Balachander.-Cast:Kamal Haasan Sethu/Chaplin ChellapaRevathi Malini...
. He made his first independent film in 1990, the critically acclaimed film Keladi Kanmani
Keladi Kanmani
Keladi Kanmani is a 1990 Tamil film directed by Vasanth, starring noted playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam and Radhika Sarathkumar.-Plot:...
, which starred noted playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas...
and enjoyed a 285-days-run at theatres. He next directed Nee Pathi Naan Pathi
Nee Pathi Naan Pathi
Nee Pathi Naan Pathi is a 1991 Tamil romantic drama film directed by Vasanth and produced by Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Rahman, Gouthami and Heera in the lead roles and marks the Tamil film debut for composer M. M...
, titled after a song from his previous film, which focussed on an unwed mother
Unwed Mother
Unwed Mother is a novel by Gloria D. Miklowitz. First published in 1977, it was reprinted in 1985. The story deals with a fourteen-year-old girl's pregnancy and her relationship with her baby's father.-Story:...
's issue. The film features the song "Nivedha", becoming noted for its visualization and its lyrics consisting of a single word. His third directorial was the thriller Aasai
Aasai
Aasai is a 1995 Tamil film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam The film featured Ajith Kumar and Suvalakshmi, making her debut, in the leading roles with Prakash Raj in a pivotal role. The film has camera work by Jeeva and a popular soundtrack by Deva...
(1995), which became a trendsetter and high financial success that ran for more than 200 days. Produced by 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...
, the film marked the first major commercial success and breakthrough for Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
, who went on to become a leading actor of Tamil cinema, as well as the feature film debut of lead actress Suvalakshmi
Suvalakshmi
Suvalakshmi is a Bengali actress who has acted in the female lead role in a number of Tamil films. She has also acted in a few Bengali and Malayalam films.- Filmography :- External links :...
, while Vasanth received the 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:...
.
In 1997, Vasanth's next project, Nerrukku Ner
Nerrukku Ner
Nerruku Ner is a 1997 Tamil film starring Vijay, Surya in his screen debut, Simran and Kausalya in the lead with Raghuvaran, Shanthi Krishna, Karan, Vivek, Manivannan, Prakash Raj and Dhamu forms an ensemble cast. The film was directed by Vasanth and was produced by director Mani Ratnam with his...
released. Also produced by Maniratnam, the film introduced actor Sivakumar
Sivakumar
Sivakumar is a Tamil cinema actor who has portrayed a wide range of character roles onscreen. Sivakumar was introduced in the Tamil movie Kaakum karangal which was produced by AVM Productions....
's eldest son Suriya, who played a leading role alongside Vijay and Simran. Vasanth's subsequent project Poovellam Kettuppar
Poovellam Kettuppar
Poovellam Kettuppar is a 1999 Tamil film written and directed by Vasanth, which stars Surya Sivakumar and Jyothika in leading roles. The film, starring Vijayakumar, Nassar, Vadivelu, Ambika, Manorama in pivotal roles, was released on 6 August 1999...
(1999), also starred Suriya, pairing for the first time with Jyothika
Jyothika Saravanan
Jyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three...
, who would later become his wife. The film is especially known as being composer Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil as well as several Telugu films. His musical career began in 1996, at age 16, as he composed the film score for Aravindhan...
's first major musical success. The following year, two of his directorial released, Appu and Rhythm
Rhythm (film)
Rhythm is a 2000 Tamil film directed by Vasanth. The film stars Arjun, Meena and Manivannan in lead roles and Ramesh Aravind and Jyothika in supporting roles. The music is by A. R. Rahman, while cinematography was handled by P.S. Vinod and Arthur A. Wilson...
. The former was appreciated for Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
's performance as a eunuch
Hijra (South Asia)
In the culture of South Asia, hijras or chakka in Kannada, khusra in Punjabi and kojja in Telugu are physiological males who have feminine gender identity, women's clothing and other feminine gender roles. Hijras have a long recorded history in the Indian subcontinent, from the antiquity, as...
, whilst the latter is considered a classic, mainly for its theme and realism by critics and public. Rhythm told the tale of two individuals who lose their life partners in the same accident and overcome their sorrow to start a new relationship. The film's soundtrack, scored by A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
consists of five songs, each depicting one of the five elements
Five elements
Five elements may refer to: In philosophy: *Five elements *Mahabhuta*Pancha Tattva *Five elements In science:*Boron, element 5*Group 5 element*Period 5 element-See also:...
. Vasanth had picked Rhythm to be the film "closest to heart". Hey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke
Hey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke
Yey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke is a South Indian Tamil film released in 2002. Though the film had all the contents to satisfy the young lovers it was not able to win the heart of the audiences.Plot=...
(2002) was his following project, with its major attraction being the first ensemble soundtrack in Indian cinema, featuring five songs, composed by five debutant music directors. In 2007, he made the thriller film Satham Podathey
Satham Podathey
Satham Podathey is a 2007 Tamil psychological thriller film written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Shankar and Senthilnathan. It stars Prithviraj, Padmapriya and Nithin Sathya in the lead roles whilst Nassar, Suhasini, Premji Amaren and Raaghav play cameo roles. The film, which is based...
(2007), which was critically acclaimed and a blockbuster at the box office, while fetching him a 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....
. Currently he is working on the scriptment for his next venture, titled Nadai Udai Bhavanai, while he has also announced the launch of another film, titled Moondru Paer, Moondru Kadhal.
During his sabbaticals from filmmaking, Vasanth has worked on several ad films, short films and documentaries as well. The short films, Thakkayin Methu Naanku Kangal, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film
National Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film
The National Film Award - Best Short Fiction Film winners:...
at the 2005 ceremony
53rd National Film Awards
The 53rd National Film Awards is presented to the best of Indian Cinema released during the year 2005.The final announcement of awards was much delayed due to various controversies associated with them. Actual announcement was done almost after the 14th months of its expected announcement, after...
, and the critically acclaimed Visaranai Commission, based on Sakithya Academy prize-winning novel by Sa. Kandhasami, are the other notable works in his career. He has directed more than 40 advertising films for multinational brands and co-directed the Vijay TV extravaganza Netru, Indru, Naalai
Netru, Indru, Naalai
Conceptualized first in 2000, the original show was supposed to be a one off event in order to help The Banyan raise funds for its building corpus fund...
along with 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...
. Besides, Vasanth has been conducting workshops, too, teaching nuances of filmmaking.
His words
In an interview, "Film-making needs a lot of time and concentration. If you want some quality in your work, you have to spend some time on it.My mentor is K. Balachander and I learnt a lot during my apprenticeship days with him. Apart from my Guru, I've liked films of Mahendran for their realism, of Balu Mahendra for their natural earthy dialogues and Maniratnam's films for their technical gloss and style. I feel the story is the soul of a film. We have to do all the decoration no doubt, but the story is the most important factor. People nowadays give importance to the dressing only. Earlier we used to buy vegetables from the neighbourhood vendor. Now we go to AC rooms and buy them. But still the vegetables have to be good. So also, the story is important. But because it is a visual medium, it has to have visual richness too. And that is where one has to keep in step with growing technology. My personal view is that one has to learn the techniques of cinema before venturing into it. The trend these days is to ride piggyback on the talents of other technicians to give the impression of being a good director. But you can't survive that way for long. Earlier, there were good storywriters and there were films makers who knew the technique of filmmaking. But now, the writers are directing and vice versa.One good emotion and one good treatment. Dish out emotions like love and revenge, which our audiences identify with. Convey them in a straightforward manner".Filmography
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Keladi Kanmani Keladi Kanmani Keladi Kanmani is a 1990 Tamil film directed by Vasanth, starring noted playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam and Radhika Sarathkumar.-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... |
|
| 1992 | Nee Pathi Naan Pathi Nee Pathi Naan Pathi Nee Pathi Naan Pathi is a 1991 Tamil romantic drama film directed by Vasanth and produced by Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Rahman, Gouthami and Heera in the lead roles and marks the Tamil film debut for composer M. M... |
Tamil | |
| 1995 | Aasai Aasai Aasai is a 1995 Tamil film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam The film featured Ajith Kumar and Suvalakshmi, making her debut, in the leading roles with Prakash Raj in a pivotal role. The film has camera work by Jeeva and a popular soundtrack by Deva... |
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:... |
| 1997 | Nerrukku Ner Nerrukku Ner Nerruku Ner is a 1997 Tamil film starring Vijay, Surya in his screen debut, Simran and Kausalya in the lead with Raghuvaran, Shanthi Krishna, Karan, Vivek, Manivannan, Prakash Raj and Dhamu forms an ensemble cast. The film was directed by Vasanth and was produced by director Mani Ratnam with his... |
Tamil | |
| 1999 | Poovellam Kettuppar Poovellam Kettuppar Poovellam Kettuppar is a 1999 Tamil film written and directed by Vasanth, which stars Surya Sivakumar and Jyothika in leading roles. The film, starring Vijayakumar, Nassar, Vadivelu, Ambika, Manorama in pivotal roles, was released on 6 August 1999... |
Tamil | |
| 2000 | Appu | Tamil | |
| 2000 | Rhythm Rhythm (film) Rhythm is a 2000 Tamil film directed by Vasanth. The film stars Arjun, Meena and Manivannan in lead roles and Ramesh Aravind and Jyothika in supporting roles. The music is by A. R. Rahman, while cinematography was handled by P.S. Vinod and Arthur A. Wilson... |
Tamil | |
| 2003 | Hey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke Hey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke Yey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke is a South Indian Tamil film released in 2002. Though the film had all the contents to satisfy the young lovers it was not able to win the heart of the audiences.Plot=... |
Tamil | |
| 2007 | Satham Podathey Satham Podathey Satham Podathey is a 2007 Tamil psychological thriller film written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Shankar and Senthilnathan. It stars Prithviraj, Padmapriya and Nithin Sathya in the lead roles whilst Nassar, Suhasini, Premji Amaren and Raaghav play cameo roles. The film, which is based... |
Tamil | 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.... |
| 2012 | Moondru Paer Moondru Kadhal | Tamil | Filming |