| Kathir | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kathir Tirunelveli, Tamil nadu |
| Occupation | film director |
| Years active | 1991 - present |
Kathir is one of the leading movie directors in Indian Cinema. He was one of the front runners to have embedded visual effects imagery into the movies even at the time they were just at their beginning.
Kathir has introduced a lot of young and new talents into the movies. The known among them are actors Abbas (Kadhal Desam), Kunal (Kadhalar Dhinam), Richard (Kadhal Virus), Sridevi (Kadhal Virus), dance choreographers Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram (Idhayam) , Cinematographer Arjun Jena (Kadhal Virus) who went on to win the state award for that film.
His movies reflected the minds of the youth and love was often his main theme. His first film Idhayam was about a young man smitten by love but hides his feelings because of his shyness, while the next film Uzhavan portrayed a life of a struggling farmer. Kadhal Desam and Kadhalar Dhinam were both about the vibrancies of youth. All his films were blockbusters and were released in major Indian languages. His combination with A.R. Rahman produced some of the most classical hits of Indian music industry. A famous example is "Mustafa, Mustafa" number from Kadhal Desam which swept the youth of their feet. They have also given many more memorable numbers like "Penenna Penenna Rosapoo" (Uzhavan), "Kadhal ennum Therveluthi" (Kadhalar Dhinam), "Sonnalum Keatpathillai" (Kadhal Virus) and many more.
Kathir is the only film personal in India after the famous Sathiyajit Re to have won the coveted National Citizen's Award for his contribution to the field of movie direction which was presented to him by Justice P.N. Bhagwati.r Dhinam]].
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Kadhal Virus - 2001-02Written and Produced and Directed by KathirThe movie was produced by Kathir;s own production house SOUND & LIGHT STUDIOS. A heart wrenching film portrays a filmmaker’s sacred and eternal love. The film’s intense and passionate music was composed by A.R.Rahman. The astounding real computer graphics used in the song “Sonnalum keatpathilai Kanni manathu” got Kathir raving reviews. Through this film, which starred Vivek (comedian) and Abbas, Kathir introduced the lead actors, Sridevi and Richard and also a new cinematographer Arjun. The film received the State award for best photography.
Kathir was born in Kalkarai, a small village in the district of Thirunelveli, state of Tamil Nadu, India.
Kathir grew up in a middle class family as the only son along with his three sisters. His father Subbiah was a farmer and mother Isakiammal assisted him in his farming. Kathir had his elementary schooling in Kalkarai Chiristian elementary school. He finished his 5th standard there and joined Nehru middle school, Vadakangulam. After completing his 8th standard there he attended the Concordia high school, Vadakangulam for just one year to study 9th standard. Then he went to St. Teresa’s, Vadakangulam. He completed his school studies here.
During his school days he was interested in arts and spent his leisure time painting. The walls in his house became the canvas and charcoals got the jobs as brushes. His father seeing this craze was inspired to send him to a drawing school. It was decided then to send to a fine arts college.
Kathir got into to the renowned College of Fine arts and Crafts, Chennai. He did a five year course in Fine arts and graduated with a Diploma in Fine Arts. He continued to study there by opting for a two year Post Graduate degree and got one too.
During his college days to meet his educational expenses he started to designing banners, visiting cards. But his designing work often conflicted with his study hours. He had to endure added hardships in managing them both. By his third year, he became very good in painting. So he chose commercial arts as the core subject and textile design as the ancillary subject. But his personal interest was in Portrait painting.
Kathir while in college once did a portrait of movie actor and director Bhagyaraj. A friend of Bhayaraj saw it and took him to the director. Bhagyaraj was so impressed by it and immediately gave him a chance as a publicity and title designer in movie “Antha Eazhu Natkal”. The film was produced by Sathya Jyothi Films. His first break in the movies came through the chance as a title designer. Kathir was ecstatic about working in that movie alongside with cine legends like M.S. Viswanathan, Kannadasan and was thrilled to see them at a young age.
He continued while still studying in college, to work as the publicity and title designer in Bhagyaraj’s “Darling Darling Darling”, “Vanga Machan Vanga”, Balu Mahendra’s “Moonram Pirai”, Mani Ratnam’s debut film in tamil “Pagal Nilavu”, Durai’s “Pasi” and Sathya Jyothi Film’s “Kilakku Vasal” directed by R.V. Uthaya Kumar.
During the final years in college he started write poems and began to exploit his talent for writing. Only at this stage he developed his favor for becoming a movie director. Passing out of his college he was already established as a famous Publicity and Title designer who has worked in bigger films.
Upon finishing his college he had the dilemma whether to continue his career as a designer or to pursue another career as a movie director. He had his inspiration to become a movie director from Alfred Hitchcock and James Cameroon as they were painters themselves first. So he decided in pursuing direction.
Even knowing some of the big directors in the movie business, because of this switchover from one career to another Kathir found it very tough to get a chance as an Assistant Director as they know him as a designer but doubted his as an assistant director. He wandered over four years and waited with many directors for a chance to be an Assistant in direction.
After a long wait he got a part time A.D job in Pandiarajan’s “Kanni Raasi” through the film’s writer G.M. Kumar and the cinematographer Velu Prabhakar. Being cinematographer Velu Prabhakar’s room mate he learned a lot about movie biz. He then worked in a small budget film “Vilangu Meen” directed by Jeyadevi.
Writer G.M. Kumar then directed a movie “Aruvadai Naal” he used Kathir as his assistant. He became to write his first screenplay based on his college day experiences.
He tried to narrate the story to Sathya Jyothi Films, the same company who gave him his first chance in the movies as a publicity designer. But chances kind of evaded him for a while. After regular attempts for more than a year the producer R. Thyagarajan finally agreed to meet him. The producer was so impressed by the story he agreed to produce it.
Even after getting a producer the film remained a non starter because none of the major heroes was willing to be cast in this film as it had no commercial aspects like fights or duets that accord their hero image. It finally went Murali, an upcoming hero then and he liked it and accepted it. It can also be said from this experience he developed a knack to introduce newer artists and technicians.
The film was inaugurated on 22nd November, 1990 by Mani Ratnam, Illayaraja, Bharathi Raja and Bala Chander. On September 5th, 1991 the film was released and became the biggest blockbuster and turned into a milestone for love themes. Kathir got an unforgettable place in the minds of youth and other audiences alike.
He then directed movies like Uzhavan, Kadhal Desam, Kadhalar Dhinam. He showed advanced and futuristic lifestyles of youth beforehand in his movies Kadhal Desam and Kadhalar Dinam.
In 2001, he founded his own production studio Sound Light Studio through which he produced Kadhal Virus. He also distributed the film all over Tamil Nadu.
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Idhayam | Tamil | writer and director |
| 1993 | Uzhavan | Tamil | writer and director |
| 1996 | Kadhal Desam | Tamil | writer and director |
| 1999 | Kadhalar Dhinam | Tamil | writer and director |
| 2002 | Kadhal Virus | Tamil | writer and director |
| 2012 | Kodai Vidumurai | Tamil | In- Production |