90-466: Ramanathan Sarathkumar (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, politician and former bodybuilder who works predominantly in Tamil cinema in addition to Telugu , Malayalam , Kannada and Hindi films. He has acted in more than 145 films and won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards South . Originally a bodybuilder and later journalist, in 1986, Sarathkumar started his acting career in
180-937: A town or village to screen the films. The first of its kind was established in Madras , called "Edison's Grand Cinemamegaphone". This was due to the fact that electric carbons were used for motion picture projectors. Most of the films screened then were shorts made in the United States and Britain . In 1909, an Englishman, T. H. Huffton, founded Peninsular Film Services in Madras and produced some short films for local audiences. But soon, hour-long films, which narrated dramatic stories, then known as " drama films ", were imported. From 1912 onwards, feature films made in Bombay (now Mumbai ) were also screened in Madras. The era of short films had ended. The arrival of drama films firmly established cinema as
270-434: A 1990 Indian Tamil -language masala film written, produced and directed by Kalaipuli S. Thanu who also composed the music. The film stars Vijayakanth and Amala . It was released on 14 April 1990. Manikkam and Devi are cousins and they are in love since their childhood. Durai has a sister Valli and she marries Raja. Devi has a brother, a sister-in-law Gowri and a niece Baby. Manikkam's former boss smuggles idols from
360-593: A Malayalam film, Vaitheeswaran , 1977 and a film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. He then played a cameo appearance as himself in Cheran 's Maya Kannadi . Sarathkumar's last 2007 release was Nam Naadu , a remake of the Malayalam hit Lion , marking his third collaboration with director Suresh. This was his first film after he launched his own political party in Tamil Nadu. The film, released to largely negative reviews, failed at
450-720: A blockbuster. R. Sarathkumar won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the third time and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for the second time. He made a cameo appearance in Vikraman's Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen . He then starred in the Telugu film Preminchanu Nene and in Simmarasi , directed by Erode Soundar, K. S. Ravikumar's former dialogue writer. Simmarasi was released to unfavourable reviews, but Sarathkumar
540-410: A commercial success in both Tamil and Telugu, he won for his performance a Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor . In early 2012, he accepted Soundarya 's offer for an important role in the film Kochadaiiyaan , starring Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone . He played lead role in the Malayalam film Achante Aanmakkal as an IPS officer. He then starred in his first Kannada film Saarathi , which
630-582: A decent market. Tamil films have enjoyed consistent popularity among populations in South East Asia . Since Chandralekha , Muthu was the second Tamil film to be dubbed into Japanese (as Mutu: Odoru Maharaja ) and grossed a record $ 1.6 million in 1998. In 2010, Enthiran grossed a record $ 4 million in North America. Many Tamil-language films have premiered or have been selected as special presentations at various film festivals across
720-518: A few months. Once it was demonstrated as a commercial proposition, a Western entrepreneur, Warwick Major, built the first cinema theatre , the Electric Theatre, which still stands. It was a favourite haunt of the British community in Madras. The theatre was shut down after a few years. This building is now part of a post office complex on Anna Salai ( Mount Road ). The Lyric Theatre was also built in
810-494: A flop at the box office. In October 2009, Sarathkumar made his debut in Malayalam through Pazhassi Raja , in which he co-starred with Mammootty and he played the role of Edachena Kunkan . The historical period film was directed by Hariharan . For the film, Sarathkumar won the Vanitha Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor. After the release of Pazhassi Raja , Sarathkumar was flooded with offers in Malayalam. Jaggubhai
900-420: A grand exhibition was organised in Madras . Its major attraction was the screening of short films accompanied by sound. A British company imported a Crone megaphone , made up of a film projector to which a gramophone with a disc containing prerecorded sound was linked, and both were run in unison, producing picture and sound simultaneously. However, there was no synched dialogue . Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu ,
990-753: A guest appearance in Pennin Manathai Thottu . Despite facing controversy, Maayi proved to be successful at the box office with a reviewer citing that "In the title role of a totally underplayed character, Sarathkumar surely makes a mark". In the start of 2001, he acted in the action film Rishi and went on to appear as himself in Ullam Kollai Poguthae , both directed by Sundar C. He co-starred with Vikram in Vinnukum Mannukum , directed by Rajakumaran and produced by R. B. Choudary. The film, released after many troubles and eventually failed at
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#17328757416371080-454: A guest role for Pavithran's film Indhu . Namma Annachi and Rajapandi were released to unfavourable reviews. K. Vijiyan of New Straits Times stated for Namma Annachi : "to do all three roles is just to generate more publicity for Sarath and the movie". His next venture was K. S. Ravikumar's Nattamai , alongside Meena and Khushbu , in which he played a dual role. The film became a blockbuster and achieved cult status. His performance
1170-622: A permanent cinema house in Madras—Gaiety, in 1914, the first cinema house in Madras to be built by an Indian. He soon added two more, Crown Theatre in Mint and Globe (later called Roxy) in Purasawalkam . Swamikannu Vincent, who had built one of the first cinema halls of South India in Coimbatore , introduced the concept of "Tent Cinema" in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land close to
1260-555: A popular entertainment form. More cinema houses came up in the city. Fascinated by this new entertainment form, an automobile dealer in the Thousand Lights area of Madras, R. Nataraja Mudaliyar , decided to venture into film production. After a few days' training in Pune with the cinematographer Stewart Smith, the official cinematographer of Lord Curzon 's 1903 Durbar, he started a film production concern in 1916. The man who truly laid
1350-529: A possible Chief Minister candidate". He merged his All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi with the Bharatiya Janata Party on 12 March 2024, at Chennai . After finishing his studies, Sarathkumar started out as a newspaper boy, managing newspaper circulation before moving on to become a reporter. After establishing Dinakaran in Bangalore , he was called to Chennai to expand their business there. Sarathkumar
1440-724: A secondary hub for Hindi cinema , other South Indian film industries, as well as for Sri Lankan cinema . Over the last quarter of the 20th century, Tamil films established a global presence, enjoying strong box office collections among Tamil-speaking audiences in Sri Lanka , Malaysia , and Singapore . Tamil films are also distributed throughout the Middle East , Oceania , Europe , North America , parts of Africa , and Japan . The industry also inspired independent filmmaking among Tamil diaspora populations in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and
1530-403: A son named Rahul, who was born in 2004. He has also a stepdaughter, Rayanne Hardy, who was born to his wife Radhika with her ex-husband, Richard Hardy, in 1992. She married cricketer Abhimanyu Mithun , on 28 August 2016. Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language , the main spoken language in
1620-460: A standard deviation of ±10 lakh tickets during 2011–16. The Chennai film industry produced the first nationally distributed film across India in 1948 with Chandralekha . They have one of the widest overseas distribution, with large audience turnout from the Tamil diaspora . They are distributed to various parts of Asia, Africa, Western Europe, North America and Oceania. Many successful Tamil films have been remade by other film industries. It
1710-572: A studio, the first in south India, was set up in Madras at 10 Millers Road, Kilpauk. He called it the India Film Company. Rangavadivelu, an actor from Suguna Vilasa Sabha, a theatre company then, was hired to train the actors. Thirty-five days later, the first feature film made in south India, The Extermination of Keechakan / Keechakavatham , based on an episode from the Mahabharata , was released produced and directed by R. Nataraja, who established
1800-559: A stylish police officer and the actor is the main reason to watch the film until the end". For the Hindu press, "this is a role that he can perform in his sleep. The film opened to mostly negative reviews. In 2018, he starred in a series of Telugu action movies like Naa Peru Surya , Bharat Ane Nenu , Saakshyam and Devadas . In 2019, he acted in the Kannada movie Seetharama Kalyana . In 2020, Vaanam Kottattum from Dhana and Mani Ratnam
1890-682: A successful photographer , took over the equipment after the exhibition and set up a tent cinema near the Madras High Court . With this equipment, he screened the short films Pearl Fish and Raja's Casket in the Victoria Public Hall. When this proved successful, he screened the films in a tent set up in Esplanade. These tent events were the true precursors of the cinema shows. Naidu travelled with this unit to Burma (now Myanmar ) and Sri Lanka , and when he had gathered enough money, he put up
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#17328757416371980-592: A videotape, which Sarathkumar gave her for personal viewing at her residence. However, this caused a furore in the film industry as the producer R. B. Choudary threatened action against Sarathkumar for misusing a tape given to him for personal viewing. An embarrassed Sarathkumar explained that he was taken by surprise and that he never expected Jayalalithaa to give it to the channel for the telecast. He sought an explanation from both Jayalalitha and JJ TV, but without success. The ruling party reacted predictably, using every forum to attack Sarathkumar. He, in turn, realising that
2070-734: Is a neat family entertainer with some good emotional moments and memorable performance. He starred in pivotal supporting character Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar from Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) of filmmaker Mani Ratnam . He played a father character in family entertainer Varisu (2023). The second part of the historic epic drama Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023) was released to massive opening. He also did key roles in movies like Custody (2023) and Rangabali (2023) to expand his fan base in Telugu. Tamil crime thrillers Por Thozhil (2023) and Paramporul (2023) were both commercial successes. He also seen in
2160-637: Is back to his village, he sees Devi married. Devi goes to the doctor's house and the doctor's mother is found dead. Manikkam tells what happened in Raja's village. Raja killed Arumugam, who beat his wife Valli, and Manikkam to save his brother-in-law went to jail for six months. Lonely without his lover, Manikkam becomes mad. Devi's husband has a car accident and dies before their wedding night. Devi's father-in-law advises her to go to her village to forget this misadventure. Devi's father-in-law treats Manikkam but he fails. With Devi's help, Manikkam becomes again as before and
2250-754: Is estimated by the Manorama Yearbook 2000 (a popular almanac) that over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. Tamil films have also been dubbed into other languages, thus reaching a much wider audience. There has been a growing presence of English in dialogue and songs in Chennai films. It is not uncommon to see movies that feature dialogue studded with English words and phrases, or even whole sentences. Some movies are also simultaneously made in two or three languages (either using subtitles or several soundtracks). Chennai's film composers have popularised their highly unique, syncretic style of film music across
2340-484: Is now the founder and editor of Media Voice weekly magazine in Tamil. One of the key value propositions that Media Voice brings to the table is Sarath's personal interview each month with a news-maker discussing current issues. "Although I am a politician and actor now, the journalist in me is still alive. I love multitasking", said Sarath. The Hindu states: From such humble beginnings, he has learnt to live an inspired life, and
2430-595: Is quite proficient in Russian . Sarathkumar made his acting debut in 1986, in the Telugu film Samajamlo Sthree at the behest of a producer friend. Sarathkumar was originally cast to play the lead role in Chinna Poove Mella Pesu (1987) directed by Robert–Rajasekar but the producers insisted on having one familiar face and he was replaced by actor Prabhu . In 1988, while running his travel agency in Chennai, Sarathkumar got an opportunity to act as well as produce in
2520-724: Is the strong leader that society needs. R. Sarathkumar has been married twice. His first marriage was with Chaya Devi in 1984 and the couple had two daughters, Varalaxmi (born 1985) and Pooja (born 1987). Varalaxmi is an actress in the South Indian film industry . While still married to Chaya, Sarathkumar had a highly publicised affair with actress Nagma during the mid-1990s. Sarathkumar and Chaya got divorced in 2000. Sarathkumar married actress Radhika in 2001. They were friends when they worked together in Kargil, they also paired in two films: Namma Annachi and Suryavamsam . The couple has
2610-738: The Central Board of Film Certification alone were eligible for tax exemption and those with an "A" certificate could not fit into this category. There are three major roles in the Tamil film value chain viz producer, distributor and exhibitor. The distributor purchases theatrical distribution rights from the producer for exhibiting the film in a defined territory. The distributor performs enhanced functions such as: There are three popular approaches to transfer of distribution rights via distribution contracts: There are four popular approaches to transfer of exhibition rights via exhibition contracts: Film studios in Chennai are bound by legislation, such as
2700-412: The Madras audience. The legendary Otraivadai drama theatre had been built in 1872 itself in Mint. Many drama halls had come up in the city where short silent films were screened in the afternoon and plays were enacted in the night. The scene changed in 1934 when Madras got its first sound studio. By this time, all the cinema houses in Madras had been wired for sound. Narayanan, who had been active during
2790-512: The NCC , becoming an Air Wing Cadet. He was one of the cadets who marched in the Republic Day Parade of 1970. After completing his pre-university levels at Loyola College , he was subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from The New College . He later became a bodybuilder and earned the "Mr. Madras University" title in 1974. He then moved to Bangalore to work for
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2880-403: The Tamil -language only. This is in accordance with Government Order 72 passed on 22 July 2006. The first film to be released after the new Order was Unakkum Enakkum . The original title had been Something Something Unakkum Ennakkum , a half-English and a half-Tamil title. In July 2011, strict norms on entertainment tax were passed which stated that films which were given a "U" certificate by
2970-663: The West . M. Edwards first screened a selection of silent films at the Victoria Public Hall in Madras in 1897 during the British Raj . The selected films all featured non-fictional subjects; they were mostly photographed records of day-to-day events. The film scholar Stephen Hughes points out that within a few years there were regular ticketed shows in a hall in Pophams Broadway, started by one Mrs. Klug, but this lasted only for
3060-483: The film projector and silent films from the Frenchman Du Pont and set up a business as film exhibitor . Soon, he tied up with Pathé , a well-known pioneering film-producing company, and imported projectors . This helped new cinema houses to sprout across the presidency . In later years, he produced talkies and also built a cinema in Coimbatore . To celebrate the event of King George V 's visit in 1909,
3150-547: The 1990s and early 2000s cutting across ethnic and linguistic barriers. Such films include Roja (1992), Indian (1996), Pokkiri (2007), Enthiran (2010). Tamil cinema has since produced some of the most commercially successful actors, directors and films of Indian cinema. By the end of the 1930s, the legislature of the State of Madras passed the Entertainment Tax Act of 1939. Madras (now Chennai), then became
3240-585: The Cinematography Film Rules of 1948, the Cinematography Act of 1952, and the Copyright Act of 1957. In Tamil Nadu , cinema ticket prices are regulated by the government . Single screen theatres may charge a maximum of ₹ 50, while theatres with more than three screens may charge a maximum of ₹ 120 per ticket. Pudhu Padagan Pudhu Padagan ( transl. New Singer ) is
3330-503: The India Film Company Limited. Despite a century of increasing box office takings, Tamil cinema remains informal. Nevertheless, there are few exceptions like Modern Theatres, Gemini Studios , AVM and Sri Thenandal Films that survived beyond 100 productions. In 2017, opposing the dual taxation of GST (28%) and entertainment tax (30%), Tamilnadu Theatre Owners Association announced indefinite closure of all cinemas in
3420-421: The Kannada film Santheyalli Nintha Kabira . Sarath kumar accumulates films in second roles like Nenorakam (2017), Raajakumara (2017), Jaya Janaki Nayaka (2017). He made his comeback in Tamil cinema as the main lead in the thriller film, Chennaiyil Oru Naal 2 (2017), a spirit sequel to the 2013 Chennaiyil Oru Naal . As reviewed by sify.com, "Sarathkumar is the only saving grace, he looks perfect as
3510-405: The Malayalam film Bandra (2023). In his early days as an actor, R. Sarathkumar was considered to be close to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo Jayalalithaa . However, Sarath's proximity to Jayalalithaa landed him in deep trouble when the film Nattamai (1994), which was still running in Tamil Nadu theatres, was aired by Jayalalithaa's television channel JJ TV, using
3600-601: The Mount Road area. This venue boasted a variety of events, including plays in English, Western classical music concerts, and ballroom dances . Silent films were also screened as an additional attraction. Swamikannu Vincent , a railway draftsman from Tiruchirapalli , became a travelling exhibitor in 1905. He showed short movies in a tent in Esplanade , near the present Parry's Corner, using carbide jet-burners for projection. He bought
3690-623: The Tamil film Kan Simittum Neram . The film was directed by Kannadasan and he co-starred with Karthik and Ambika . In 1989, R. Sarathkumar was spotted by Raju, the personal make-up man of actor Vijayakanth , who recommended him to the Pulan Visaranai ' s team. Finally, R. Sarathkumar acted as a villain in Pulan Visaranai and the film turned out to be a blockbuster. He won a Cinema Express Award for Best Villain for his role, which brought him more film offers. In 1990, he teamed up for
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3780-487: The Telugu film Chandee , playing the role of a police officer. In the beginning of 2014, he played the role of a CBI officer in Nimirndhu Nil and Janda Pai Kapiraju , which were shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu. He then appeared in "India's first photorealistic performance capture film" Kochadaiiyaan , co-starring Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone . The film is followed by Malayalam film, Asha Black and
3870-646: The Telugu film Gang Leader , the three were commercially successful. In July 1991, he acted in Archana IAS , co-starring Sithara and acted in the role of the father Vaidehi Kalyanam . At the end of 1991, he played a small role in the Telugu film Surya IPS , a negative role in Pavithran 's Vasanthakala Paravai and starred in a lead role in Senthinathan's Thangamana Thangachi . In 1992, he has acted in 10 films as protagonist and 2 films as antagonist including
3960-647: The Telugu film Stuartpuram Police Station , starring Chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti , Namma Ooru Mariamma , Vetri Padigal and Pudhu Manithan . He acted as a retired military officer in Chithirai Pookkal and played the second hero role in the blockbuster film Captain Prabhakaran . In May 1991, he appeared in lead roles in Senthilnathan's Kaaval Nilayam and K. S. Ravikumar 's rural drama film Cheran Pandiyan , and starred as Chiranjeevi's brother in
4050-542: The Telugu film Agreement , directed by Manivannan and P. C. Sreeram 's Meera . In the beginning of 1992, he acted in Senthilnathan's Ilavarasan , alongside Sukanya , Manivasagam 's Periya Gounder Ponnu and Sivantha Malar . In mid-1992, he worked in K. S. Ravikumar's Oor Mariyadhai , co-starring Sasikala and in Senthilnathan's Idhuthanda Sattam . He then starred in the action film Suriyan , directed by Pavithran and it became his first big break. The film won positive reviews and became highly successful at
4140-452: The Telugu film Samajamlo Sthree . He first acted in negative roles, and later played supporting roles before establishing himself as a lead actor in subsequent years, earning him the titles Super Hero and Supreme Star in Tamil cinema . In 2007, he launched a new political party All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) in Tamil Nadu , claiming to carry out the ideals of K. Kamaraj . He is
4230-564: The action film Nethaji , alongside Lisa Ray ; the film was a failure at the box office. In 1997, he acted in Aravindhan , co-starring R. Parthiepan , Nagma and Urvashi . The film failed at the box office. His next venture Suryavamsam , directed by Vikraman and produced by R. B. Choudary was a blockbuster. He played a dual role in the film. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Tamil and Cinema Express Award for Best Actor for
4320-482: The alliance could muster only 9 seats compared to the 39 seats it swept in 1996. Even though DMK lost badly in many constituencies, Sarathkumar was defeated by the AIADMK candidate Kadambur R. Janarthanan by a margin of only 6904 votes. In July 2001, the party made him a Rajya Sabha member , but he resigned before the 2006 Assembly elections to join the AIADMK along with his wife Radhika . In October 2006, his wife Radhika
4410-531: The bilingual Tamil/Telugu film Captain , directed by Kodi Ramakrishna . Aranmanai Kaavalan was released to positive reviews while Captain was released to largely negative reviews and failed at the box office. In mid-1994, he played three roles in Namma Annachi and in Manoj Kumar's masala film Raja Pandi , he played a cameo appearance, as himself in the comedy film Killadi Mappillai and he appeared in
4500-506: The box office. He then acted in S. A. Chandrasekhar 's Dosth . His next release was K. S. Ravikumar's family drama Samudhiram ; he acted alongside Murali and Manoj Bharathiraja . Despite negative reviews, the film was a commercial success. The next year, he appeared in Thenkasi Pattanam , alongside Napoleon and Samasthanam , alongside Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi , both were two hero-subjects. Sarathkumar's first 2003 release
4590-407: The box office. In 2008, his only release was the supernatural film Vaitheeswaran , which was released to negative reviews. In the start of 2009, he acted in the film 1977 , donning six different looks. The film, made with a whopping budget of 15 crores, was directed and produced by newcomer G. N. Dinesh Kumar. The film, which released to negative reviews, took an average opening and was declared
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#17328757416374680-578: The box office; he received a Cinema Express Award Best Actor Special Award for the role in which he shaved his head. Subsequently, Sarathkumar was catapulted to fame, his fan base was growing exponentially and he became selective in accepting new assignments. Soon, he was in competition with "Puratchi Kalaignar" Vijayakanth . In the end of 1992, he acted in the action film Thai Mozhi , co-starring Vijayakanth and Mohini , Ellaichami , Manoj Kumar's Samundi and Senthilnathan's Natchathira Nayagan , making their fifth and last collaboration. Thai Mozhi
4770-543: The constructed nature of their work so that the realistic narrative was wholly dominant, Indian filmmakers made no attempt to conceal the fact that what was shown on the screen was a creation, an illusion, a fiction. However, they demonstrated how this creation intersected with people's day-to-day lives in complex ways. By the end of the 1930s, the State of Madras legislature passed the Entertainment Tax Act 1939 . In 1916,
4860-478: The doctor tells Devi's choice. Manikkam's former boss tries to rape Devi, but Manikkam kills him and Devi also dies because of her injuries. The film was initially titled Theru Paadagan ( transl. Street Singer ) then retitled Pudhu Padagan . It is Thanu's only film as director, and was shot in Ooty. The music was composed by Thanu, who also wrote the lyrics. P. S. S. of Kalki wrote that despite
4950-572: The early cinema were the cultural influences of the country. The Tamil -language was the medium in which many plays and stories were written since the ages as early as the Cholas . They were highly stylised and nature of the spectacle was one which could attract the people. Along with this, music and dance were one of the main entertainment sources. There is a strong Indian tradition of narrating mythology, history, fairy tales and so on through song and dance. Whereas Hollywood filmmakers strove to conceal
5040-553: The first Tamil film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film , the feat was repeated by Kanchivaram in 2007. Tamil films enjoy significant patronage in neighbouring Indian states like Kerala , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Maharashtra , Gujarat and New Delhi . In Kerala and Karnataka the films are directly released in Tamil but in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh they are generally dubbed into Telugu where they have
5130-503: The first collaboration with Sarathkumar and director K. S. Ravikumar. He also acted in his first venture as a hero in Palaivana Paravaigal under Senthilnathan 's direction, who at that time gave consecutive hits. In 1991, he acted in twelve Tamil films and three Telugu films, mostly in supporting roles and four films in lead roles, but he continued to act in few films as a villain. In the start of 1991, he acted in negative roles in
5220-638: The former Member of Legislative Assembly of Tenkasi constituency . He served as the president of the Nadigar Sangam from 2006 to 2015 for three consecutive terms. Sarathkumar was born on 14 July 1954 to Ramanathan and Pushpaleela, a Tamil family in New Delhi . His father Ramanathan worked at the All India Radio before joining the Press Information Bureau of India, while his mother Pushpaleela
5310-480: The foundations of Tamil cinema was A. Narayanan. After a few years in film distribution, he set up a production company in Madras, the General Pictures Corporation, popularly known as GPC. Beginning with The Faithful Wife / Dharmapathini (1929), GPC made about 24 feature films. GPC functioned as a film school and its alumni included names such as Sundara Rao Nadkarni and Jiten Banerji. The studio of GPC
5400-562: The globe, such as Mani Ratnam 's Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Vasanthabalan 's Veyyil (2006) and Ameer Sultan 's Paruthiveeran (2007). Kanchivaram (2009) was selected to be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . Tamil films have been a part of films submitted by India for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language on eight occasions, next only to Hindi. Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1987)
5490-571: The making for the last five years, Maanasthan was released to average reviews. His next venture Aai , in which he co-starred with Namitha and Vadivelu , an action masala film, directed by A. Venkatesh , was a decent hit. He was also introduced as a playback singer in Aai . In 2005, he starred in Hari 's Ayya , alongside newcomer Nayanthara . The film was released on the Pongal weekend to positive reviews and
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#17328757416375580-447: The newly started Tamil newspaper Dinakaran , he started as a cycle boy distributing newspapers to shops and later graduated to become a reporter for the same newspaper. After successfully establishing the circulation, he moved on to Chennai. He shifted his energies towards running his own business, a travel agency in Chennai and meeting Kannadasan who elevated him to become a producer. He is fluent in all major South Indian languages and
5670-607: The party for not abiding by the party rules and indulging in anti-party activities. In the 2016 Assembly elections , Sarath Kumar lost in Tiruchendur Constituency to DMK Candidate Anitha R. Radhakrishnan . In November 2017, Sarathkumar said in an interview for The Hindu : "For the last 10 years, I have been closely associated with AIADMK. In fact, I have even been identified as the party's propaganda secretary. Though I don't regret this identification, my party couldn't grow. Now, I want to focus on my party and be seen as
5760-421: The public was behind him, announced his decision to join hands with Rajinikanth , who supported the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) – Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) alliance. In 1996, Sarath Kumar entered politics, joining the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). In 1998, the DMK's leader Karunanidhi asked Sarathkumar to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Tirunelveli . In the election , DMK lost very badly and
5850-518: The second time with Kannadasan for the film Mr. Karthik , which flopped at the box office. Thereafter, he appeared in antagonist roles in Tamil films such as Pudhu Padagan , Velai Kidaichuduchu , Raja Kaiya Vacha , Enkitta Mothathe , Jagathalaprathapan and in Telugu films such as Vishnu , Magaadu and Balachandrudu . He acted in few Tamil films in supporting roles such as Salem Vishnu , Sirayil Sila Raagangal , Mounam Sammadham and Puriyaadha Pudhir . Puriyaadha Pudhir marked
5940-411: The second time. In the end of 1997, he acted in the Sundar C comedy film Janakiraman which was a commercial hit. The next year, he played in Moovendhar , directed by Suraj , Sundar C's assistant director. The film, released to negative reviews, failed at the box office. After Nattamai , he re-teamed with K. S. Ravikumar in Natpukkaga , the film was well received critically and turned out to be
6030-478: The silent era, founded Srinivasa Cinetone in which his wife worked as the sound recordist. Srinivasa Kalyanam (1934), directed by Narayanan, was the first sound film (talkie) produced in Madras. The second sound studio to come up in Madras was Vel Pictures, started by M. D. Rajan on Eldams Road in the Dunmore bungalow, which belonged to the Raja of Pithapuram . Before long, more sound studios came up. Thirty-six talkies were made in Madras in 1935. The main impacts of
6120-425: The state despite being in power for four decades". Just before 2011 Assembly elections , Sarathkumar joined the AIADMK alliance and his party was allotted two seats. His party contested as part of the AIADMK alliance and won in two assembly constituencies – Tenkasi and Nanguneri . Sarathkumar won from Tenkasi and Ernavur A. Narayanan won from Nanguneri . In January 2016, Ernavur A. Narayanan has been expelled from
6210-418: The state from 3 July 2017. The strike has been called off and the cinemas will be playing the movies starting Friday 7 July 2017. Government has formed a committee to decide on the existence of state's 30% entertainment tax. It was reported that, per day business loss during the strike was around ₹ 20 crores. Annual admissions in Chennai multiplexes and single screens averaged 1.1 crore tickets with
6300-563: The state of Tamil Nadu . It is nicknamed Kollywood , a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam , a neighbourhood in Chennai , and Hollywood . The first Tamil silent film , Keechaka Vadham , was directed by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918. The first Tamil talking feature film , Kalidas , a multilingual directed by H. M. Reddy was released on 31 October 1931, less than seven months after India's first talking motion picture Alam Ara . Tamil cinema has been noted for its advanced narratives and diverse films, with several productions in
6390-456: The temples and sells them illegally; he also desires to wed Devi. One day, Manikkam finds the culprit and sends him to jail. Valli and her husband have trouble with Arumugam. Manikkam goes to Raja's village to solve their troubles. Baby vanishes several times and the doctor says that Baby has a serious disease. To save Baby, they must have a lot of money but the doctor's son asks Devi to marry him and they will operate Baby for free. When Manikkam
6480-419: The village drama Veluchami , P. Vasu 's Coolie , Nadodi Mannan and the crime film Ragasiya Police . Veluchami opened to favourable reviews with K. Vijiyan of New Straits Times claiming that "Sarathkumar shows more maturity with his acting". The four films were commercial failures. In 1996, he acted in A. Venkatesh 's first film Mahaprabhu . The film turned out to be a hit. He then starred in
6570-558: The world. Quite often, Tamil movies feature Madras Tamil , a colloquial version of Tamil spoken in Chennai . Keechaka Vadham (1918) was the first silent film made in South India . Kalidas (1931) was the first Tamil talkie film made in 1931. Kalava (1932) was the first full-length talkie made entirely in Tamil. Nandanar (1935) was the first film for American film director Ellis R. Dungan . Balayogini released in 1937
6660-476: Was Arasu , directed by Suresh, and the film was successful at the box office. However, his second film Paarai , a remake of the Malayalam film Mahayanam , directed by K. S. Ravikumar was an average grosser. His third film was Diwan , directed by Suryaprakash, who previously directed the successful Maayi . His performance was praised by critics. In the start of 2004, he acted in the action films Chatrapathy and Gambeeram ; both were average grosser. In
6750-417: Was a blockbuster, followed by the Telugu film Genius . The next year, he played the role of a police officer in the Kannada film Myna . His next venture was Chennaiyil Oru Naal , a remake of the Malayalam hit film Traffic and co-produced by his wife Radhika Sarathkumar, in which he played the role of a traffic police commissioner. The film became a critical and commercial success. He then appeared in
6840-594: Was a flop at the box office. In early 2010, he acted in his first Malayalam film The Metro as a solo hero, which bombed at the Kerala box office. He appeared in Christian Brothers , directed by Joshiy , starring alongside Mohanlal , Dileep , and Suresh Gopi . The film was a blockbuster. In mid-2011, Sarathkumar played the role of a transgender person in Raghava Lawrence 's Muni 2: Kanchana . The film became
6930-495: Was a hit at the box office and Kattabomman was labelled as a "disaster", but Malini Mannath of The New Indian Express stated that "Sarath seems to have improved on his expressions". His 1992 Telugu film Agreement was dubbed into Tamil as Idhayam Ullavan and fetched highly negative reviews upon release. Malini Mannath criticised his choice of scripts and films. In the start of 1994, he worked in Aranmanai Kaavalan and in
7020-521: Was a hit at the box office, and marked the A. Venkatesh and Sarathkumar combination's third hit in a row. In 2006, he directed and acted in his 100th film Thalaimagan , produced by his wife Radhika under the "Radaan Media works" banner. The film failed at the box office. The next year, he starred in Gautham Vasudev Menon 's Pachaikili Muthucharam , which released to positive reviews, but ended up as an average grosser. Sarathkumar signed up for
7110-813: Was a housewife. Sarathkumar is the youngest child in his family, he had two siblings; an elder brother, the late Sudarshan Ramanathan and an elder sister Mallika Kandaswamy. His mother Pushpaleela died on 26 October 2013. Sarathkumar started his schooling at the Raja Muthiah High School, after his family relocated from Delhi to Chennai . He then moved on to the Central School in the Indian Institute of Technology Madras , and finished at St. Patrick's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School . Being an avid sports enthusiast, he played football, cricket and hockey, representing his school and college teams. He also joined
7200-436: Was considered to be first children's film of South India. It is estimated by the Manorama Yearbook 2000 (a popular almanac) that over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. Tamil films have also been dubbed into other languages, thus reaching a much wider audience. There has been a growing presence of English in dialogue and songs in Chennai films. In 1991, Marupakkam directed by K.S. Sethu Madhavan , became
7290-646: Was dismissed from AIADMK for anti-party activities. He also quit AIADMK in November 2006, quoting that his role as president of the South Indian Artistes' Association needed "undivided attention". Sarathkumar launched his own political party the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi on 31 August 2007. Sarathkumar said: "We are disillusioned by the Dravidian parties , which had done little to develop
7380-429: Was highly praised by critics and also fetched him several notable awards, including Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor , Filmfare Award for Best Actor and Cinema Express Award for Best Actor . It was followed by Magudikkaran in which he appeared in a guest appearance. After the failure of Captain and the success of Nattamai , R. Sarathkumar decided to focus only on Tamil cinema. The next year, he worked in
7470-688: Was housed in the Chellapalli bungalow on Thiruvottiyur High Road in Madras. This company, which produced the most Tamil silent films, had branches in Colombo , Rangoon and Singapore . The Ways of Vishnu / Vishnu Leela , which R. Prakasa made in 1932, was the last silent film produced in Madras. The silent era of south Indian cinema has not been documented well. When the talkies appeared, film producers had to travel to Bombay or Calcutta to make films. Most films of this early period were celluloid versions of well-known stage plays. Company dramas were popular among
7560-545: Was included in Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies list. Average annual film output in Tamil film industry peaked in 1985. The Tamil film market accounts for approximately 0.1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the state of Tamil Nadu . For the purpose of entertainment taxes, returns have to be filed by the exhibitors weekly (usually each Tuesday). The Government of Tamil Nadu made provisions for an entertainment tax exemption for Tamil films having titles in words from
7650-493: Was praised for his role. In the start of 1999, he acted in R. Chandra's Chinna Durai , co-starring with Roja . It was followed by Oruvan , the remake of the Telugu film Auto Driver , in which Sarathkumar paired with Pooja Batra and teamed up for the second time with the director Suresh Krissna. In the end of 1999, he acted in K. S. Ravikumar's Paattali . In 2000, he starred in Super Good Films, Maayi and made
7740-459: Was released on 29 January 2010, the film, directed by K. S. Ravikumar, became the tenth collaboration between the director and the actor. The film, facing serious piracy problems before its release, bombed ultimately at the box office. He then made a guest appearance in Madhumitha 's comedy film Kola Kolaya Mundhirika . In the end of 2010, he acted in the Malayalam film Oridathoru Postman , which
7830-898: Was released to mixed reviews and Samundi , despite unfavourable reviews, managed to run for more than 100 days. In the start of 1993, he acted in Aadhityan , co-starring Sukanya and Pandiarajan and in Dasarathan , produced by Mani Ratnam and S. Sriram. Aadhityan was released to negative reviews, while the much-hyped Dasarathan failed at the box office. In mid-1993, he starred in Suresh Krissna 's Vedan , co-starring Khushbu , in Munarivippu alongside Heera Rajagopal and in his fourth collaboration with director K. S. Ravikumar; Band Master , again with Heera Rajagopal and Ranjitha . Band Master released to negative reviews, whereas Munarivippu
7920-411: Was simultaneously released in Tamil as Nee Naan Nizhal . In 2015, he appeared in a Cameo appearance in I directed by S. Shankar , and his next Sandamarutham in dual roles, directed by A. Venkatesh while Sarathkumar wrote the story and the screenplay was by written crime novelist Rajeshkumar. Then he starred in the Telugu film Janda Pai Kapiraju . He interprets the role of Sikandar Lodi in
8010-440: Was successful at the box office. Sarathkumar's performance fetched very positive reviews with a reviewer citing: "another splendid performance from Sarathkumar". He appeared in guest appearances in the Telugu film Bunny and his wife's production Githan . The success of A. Venkatesh's Aai resulted in the film's team collaborating to make a film in a similar genre, Chanakya , which also featured Namitha and Vadivelu. The film
8100-508: Was well received critically. In the end of 1993, he acted in the thriller film Moondravadhu Kann , he teamed up with the Suriyan team (consisting of director Pavithran, cinematographer Ashok Kumar , comedian Goundamani , villain Babu Antony and the editor duo B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan ) for the second time in I Love India and worked in the comedy film Kattabomman . Moondravadhu Kann
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