Seeman (director)

Seeman
Born Aranaiyur, Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation Film director, Actor, Politician, Writer
Known for Founder of Naam Tamilar Katchi
Spouse(s) K Kayalvizhi Seeman
Website naamtamilar.org,

Seeman is a Tamil film director, actor, political leader, orator and activist in Tamil Nadu.[1][2][3] He is the founder and chief coordinator of the political party, Naam Tamilar Katchi. He is an ardent campaigner for the self determination of the Sri Lankan Tamil people and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Some of the main agenda of his party is to liberate Tamil Eelam from Sri Lanka which constitutes the traditional homeland for Tamils, that only Tamils should rule Tamil Nadu and to spread the importance of Tamil language, only by which unity of Tamil People is possible.[4]

Early life and Background

Seeman was born in Sivagangai district in South Tamil Nadu to Mr. Senthamizhan and Mrs. Annammal Senthamizhan. He married K. Kayalvizhi, daughter of K. Kalimuthu (former speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly) in September 2013 in the presence of Pazha. Nedumaran and others. The ceremony was held according to Tamil traditions at the YMCA grounds, Nandanam, Chennai.[5][6]

Film career

Seeman took up film direction as a career after being inspired by the films of his mentor, Bharathi Raja and the work of Manivannan. Seeman started his career by directing Panchalankurichi, a village action film starring Prabhu and Madhubala.[7] He collaborated with actor Prabhu again in Iniyavalae, a romantic film also featuring Suvalakshmi, Gouthami and Keerthi Reddy. Two further films announced in the period, Anandham with Karthik and Karma Veerar with Sarathkumar, failed to materialise.[8] His third film was Veeranadai with Sathyaraj and Kushboo; after that he took a long break from films.

In 2006, he came back with a successful film Thambi with actor Madhavan. The film carried the message that violence does not pay, and is not the answer to the problems of today. Seeman turned actor with the film Pori where he played the role of a Malaysian Business man. The same year he directed the love story Vaazhthugal again with Madhavan and Bhavana, with every single word used in the movie being written in pure Tamil.[9] However the film was not successful at the box office and since then Seeman has only acted in films including critically acclaimed roles in Pallikoodam and Evano Oruvan. In 2009, Seeman was among the 10 directors who starred in Rasu Madhavaran's Mayandi Kudumbathar, a huge entertainer in the box office.[10]

In 2013, Seeman played a lead role in Director and his mentor Manivannan's Nagaraja Cholan MA, MLA(sequel to the critically acclaimed Amaidhi Padai), the latter's 50th and last film as a director.[11][12]

Politics and Activism

Seeman is known to be a campaigner for the rights of the Sri Lankan Tamil people and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam braving several counts of intimidation and detention.[13] He is also a devout follower and an acquaintance of the LTTE founder and leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who he affectionately refers to as "Annan" (Elder brother). He believes that Prabhakaran is the national leader of all Tamils, and the icon for Tamil liberation.[14] His support for the Tamil cause and hardline speeches were responded with numerous arrests and police crackdowns by the then ruling Congress-DMK alliance. He was detained twice without trial under the National Security Act by the ruling DMK-Congress regime, first for speaking in favor of the LTTE and again for protesting the killing of a Tamil fisherman by the Sri Lankan Navy.[15][16]

Seeman along with several other Tamil activists gathered on 18 May 2009, coinciding the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War at Madurai to form the Naam Tamilar Iyakkam, as a social outfit.[17] It subsequently turned into a political party named Naam Tamilar Katchi.[18]

2011 Anti-Congress campaigning

Upon his release from a 5 month detention at the Vellore prison, Seeman actively campaigned for the defeat of the Congress party in the State Assembly elections for their alleged role in the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.[19][20]

He was instrumental in bringing about a crushing and humiliating defeat of the DMK-Congress alliance in the state.[21][22] The DMK government had come down heavily on Seeman and arrested him under the NSA in order not to have him challenge their hold on power. Successfully withstanding significant time constraint, arrests and political threats, Seeman campaigned in 59 of the 63 places the Congress party were contesting, and the party were defeated in all of those constituencies except for one. Wherever he went he was watched by people in numbers ranging from 5000 to 25000 as compared to the rest of the political parties which only attract a few 100s in their meetings.[22][23][24]

Collection of seeman thoughts

2011–present

Since the 2011 Assembly elections, Seeman and his party has been actively involved in various causes such as the anti-nuclear Power plant protests in Kudankulam[25][26] or the attacks on Tamil fishermen perpetuated by the Sri Lankan Navy[27] that has claimed the lives of over 800[28] fishermen.

In March 2013, Seeman and his Attorney N. Chandrasekar attended the 22nd UNHRC sessions in Geneva.[29]

During the parliamentary elections in 2014, Seeman has stated that the Naam Tamilar Katchi would campaign for the defeat of the candidates fielded by the Congress, BJP and the DMDK where they are contesting.[21] The three parties lost all the constituencies they contested in Tamil Nadu with the exception of BJP who managed to win their only seat in Kanniyakumari.[30]

Seeman has also appeared as a host and anchor to Makkal Munnal[31] a weekly television talk show aired on Thanthi TV in which various social activists, political leaders and academicians are part of the panel. The show encompasses a wide variety of topics and is not limited to political issues.

In November 2014, Seeman and Naam Thamizhar Katchi observed the 60th birth anniversary of Velupillai Prabhakaran.[32]

In February 2015, the party conceived Veera Thamizhar Munnani, aimed at reviving and recovering age-old Tamil culture and traditions.[33]

Books

Filmography

Year Film Credited as Notes
Director Writer Actor Role
1994 Amaithipadai Red X Red X Green tick Person sitting besides Thyagu
1997 Panchalankurichi Green tick Green tick Red X –
1998 Iniyavale Green tick Green tick Red X –
1999 Veeranadai Green tick Green tick Red X –
2006 Thambi Green tick Green tick Red X – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Dialogue Writer
2007 Pori Red X Red X Green tick Mahadevan
2007 Pallikoodam Red X Red X Green tick Muthu
2007 Evano Oruvan Red X Red X Green tick Vetri Maran Nominated – Vijay Award for Best Story, Screenplay Writer
2008 Vaazhthugal Green tick Green tick Red X –
2009 Mayandi Kudumbathar Red X Red X Green tick Virumandi Mayandi
2010 Moscowin Kavery Red X Red X Green tick Himself Guest appearance
2010 Magizhchi Red X Red X Green tick
2011 Uchithanai Muharnthaal Red X Red X Green tick Charles Antony
2012 Kandupidi Kandupidi Red X Red X Green tick Pugazh Maran
2013 Nagaraja Cholan MA, MLA Red X Red X Green tick

References

  1. ↑ "Seeman Gets Relief Over LTTE Speech". The New Indian Express. 27 November 2014
  2. ↑ "Seeman appears in court". The Hindu. 13 February 2015
  3. ↑ "NaamTamilar". naamtamilar.org. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Seeman calls for vote bank to protect Tamils". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Seeman Kayalvizhi Marriage". Tamil Net Online. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Seeman ties the knot". OneIndia Tamil. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  7. ↑ Panchalanguruchi (1996). cinesouth.com
  8. ↑ http://www.geocities.ws/gokima/cinoct.html
  9. ↑ "Movie Review : Vazhthukkal". Sify.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ten directors star in one film". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "Nagaraja Cholan Ma, Mla Replaces Amaidhi Padai". Behindwoods.com. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "Manivannan`s 50th movie Nagaraja Cholan MA, MLA". Sify.com. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  13. ↑ "Seeman receives threat letter". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  14. ↑ "New political party in Tamil Nadu vows to fight for Tamil Eelam". Tamil Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "Seeman’s remand extended". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "National Security Act slapped on Seeman". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  17. ↑ "ஆய்வுகள்" (in Tamil). Tamilkathir. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  18. ↑ Gopal Ethiraj from Chennai (15 April 2010). "Seeman to convert his ‘Naam Tamilar' into political party". Asian Tribune. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  19. ↑ "Naam Tamilar Katchi to work for defeat of Cong in TN, IBN Live News". Ibnlive.in.com. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  20. ↑ "Seeman changes tune, targets Congress". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  21. 1 2 "NTK Neutral on Vaiko, to Back Jaya". Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Seeman effect on Congress Party". TruthDive. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  23. ↑ "Seeman tears into Congress". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "Charges a Bid to Ruin Seeman’s Image". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  25. ↑ "Kudankulam". Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  26. ↑ Madurai bureau (16 September 2012). "Fishermen fast goes on for fifth day". The Hindu (Chennai, India). Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  27. ↑ "Sathiyam News Agency – CPI would be made political orphans in TN". Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  28. ↑ "DMK, AIADMK target govt on Indian fishermen's arrest in Sri Lanka". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  29. ↑ "Seeman leaves to Geneva to seek justice for Eelam Tamils". Onlineuthayan.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  30. ↑ "Constituencywise Trends – Tamil Nadu". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  31. ↑ "Thanthi TV beefs up content line-up with two new shows". e4m. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  32. ↑ "Midnight Events Mark Prabhakaran's Anniversary". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  33. ↑ "Seeman floats youth wing". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 April 2015.

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