Yugi Sethu

Yuhi Sethu யூகி சேது is a Tamil actor,^[1] director and screenwriter. He has appeared in a few films in main and supporting roles and has contributed to films as a screenwriter. Yuhi Sethu had written and directed a less known movie named "Maathangal Aezhu" (meaning Seven Months) in Tamil with actors Nassar and Ramya Krishnan, and himself in the lead in 1991. The movie had a unique song, "Kaadhal enna kaadhal", which can be sung without the lips touching one another. Earlier made his feature film Debut by Producing, writing and Directing a local award winning Tamil movie named "Kavithai Paada Neramillai" (meaning 'There is no time to sing poems') with actors Amala, Nassar, Raghuvaran, Shanawaz, and himself in 1987. He wrote, directed and played the Title role in Doordarshan produced famous tele-film "Jana" in 1989.

Beginning

He is a native of Oothukaadu, a small town near Kumbakkonam. Sethu stands for Sethuraman and Yuhi is derived from Mathi Yuhi, a popular minister in the ranks of Tenali Raman and Birbal known for his wit and wisdom. He did B.Com and Post Graduated in Political Science. He was more inclined towards Fine Arts. He had in fact learned Mirdhangam at a young age, but soon quit because he didn't want to play second fiddle to anybody.

He is a Gold Medalist in Film Direction (P.G.Diploma at the oldest film school in India, FTIT). His student film, B&W, 35mm, 8 minutes, titled "The Rhetoric of the Continuity", had the distinction of the only Indian film amongst 25 other country entries at the International Film Festival of India, New Delhi in 1984. It has the uniqueness of having Satyajit Ray's music as background score.

Actor in Cameo Roles

1. PANCHATHANTHIRAM(2002): Directed by KS Ravikumar, Starring Kamal Hasan, Simran, and Yuhi Sethu as Vedham Iyer, Kamal's friend.
2. PAMMAL K. SAMBANDHAM(2002): Directed by Mouli, Starring Kamal Hasan, Simran, Sneha and Yuhi Sethu as himself.
3. ANBE SIVAM (2003): A Sunder C film, starring Kamal Hasan, Madhavan, Kiran and Yuhi Sethu as the erudite con man Uthaman, in the very well applauded Cameo role.
4. RAMANAA (2002): Directed by A. R. Murugadoss, Starring Vijayakanth,Simran

Unknown Films of Yuhi Sethu

1. WITHIN WITHOUT (1984):12-minute B&W experimental film starring Nasser,Pratap Pothen and Thangar Bachan. Lost before sound final mix at the Film & TV Institute of Tamil Nadu. Yuhi considers his best work until date, and a style least visited by Indian film-makers; as a student he was then deeply and partly influenced by non-narrative string of related images styles – mixed with humour and self-mockery ; loosely akin to works like Goddard's WEEKEND; Altman's MASH; Kinugasa's GATE OF HELL; Alain Resnais' LAST YEAR AT MARIANBAD; Buñuel, Fellini to lesser known Maya Deren, Margaret Duras, Alain Robbe Grillet and stream of consciousness products
2. UNTITLED DOCU-FILM (1984) A 9 min Docu-fiction in B&W was finished and available at the Film & TV Institute of Tamil Nadu,Chennai. Comments: "It reminds me of Alexander Kluge and other great experimental film makers' Style" – David Ray, Australia."The images haunts me even today" Pralayan, Progressive Writers Association.

Writing Uncredited, but internally acknowledged or Thanks Card Acknowledged

1. KHATRON KE KHILADI (1987) in Hindi, the original of Rajni starrer Guru Sishyan – Main Story uncredited
2. AASAI (1995) a Tamil hit of Ajit Kumar produced by Mani Rathnam in Vasanth Direction. Thanks card in Telugu dub version worked on original story and screenplay internally acknowledged.
3. NAAN KADAVUL Director Bala's National Award winning movie. Thanks card for the adivises on original story discussions.

Lesser Known Works of Yuhi Sethu as a Writer & Director

1. THE RHETORIC OF THE CONTINUITY An 8 min B&W short fiction film Written & Directed by SETHURAMAN (Yuhi Sethu) as a student film at the Film & TV Institute of Tamil Nadu, Chennai) with unique distinction of music scoring by Sathyajit Ray,Rajiv Menon's camera work, starring Thangar Bachan and Prathap Pothen. AWARDS: Only Indian Fictional Short amongst 45 countries at the International Film Festival of India, New Delhi, 1984.

He has visited the Cannes Film festival several times since 1994 and has imported European films to India. He distributed Shekar Kapur's "Bandit Queen" in Tamil Nadu state.He also trades in Film rights for Satellite TV, Home video, Internet and mobile.He has also acted in Italian Telefilm named Pidgin.^[2]

Other Distinctions

1. Yuhi Sethu has acted in the Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's, Scream of the Ants (2006) in Persian/English
2. Yuhi Sethu has acted in the lead in an Italian-English Telefilm, Pidgin (1995), which won an award at the Nanni Moretti Film Festival in Rome. Regia: Andrea Gropplero, Interpreti: Yuhi Sethu & Anna Scaglione; Fotografia: Gianenrico Bianchi, Montaggio: Daniela Bassani
3. Yuhi Sethu was the line producer for the French production of the docu-film Kalaiyur Directed by Sophie Martre

Television & Script Writing

He is also known for his late night talk show – Nayyandi Darbar which was similar to the Johny Carson, David Letterman, or Jay Leno Shows. It ran very successfully in Star group's Vijay TV for about over three years on all weeknights between 1999 and 2002. He wrote the Story for the Tamil box office hit K.S.Ravikumar's "Villain", starring Ajithkumar. Yuhi is currently working on his PhD in Film Aesthetics.
He is an academician, a critic, art historian, and is engaged in restoration and preservation of Tamil and other south Indian Vintage movies. He is now involved in ground work for spawning Independent movies in India.

Filmography

As actor

As screenwriter

As director/producer

References