Agathiyan

Agathiyan is an Indian film director.^[1] He has won the National Film Award for Best Direction as well as the National Film Award for Best Screenplay in 1996 for the Tamil film Kaadhal Kottai. His daughter Vijayalakshmi Agathiyan made her acting debut in the Tamil film Chennai 600028 (2007). His elder daughter Karthika, host of Makkal TV, is married to Thiru, director of Theeratha Vilaiyattu Pillai and Samar.^[2] His younger daughter Niranjani Ahathian is a Costume designer worked in kabali.

Career

Ahahtian a director in his late forties entered films a decade back and struggled as an assistant to various directors. Hailing from an agriculturist family he spent a happy-go-lucky time in college, and when he decided to pack his bags and come to Chennai to try his luck in films as director, he lost his family's support. Struggling with no money he did odd jobs in film companies and became an assistant to anyone who offered him food and shelter.^[3]

Anbalaya Prabhakaran, who produces small budgeted films with new directors, gave Ahahtian his first break as a director with Madhumathi, a teenage love story with new faces. The film bombed and Ahatian was back to where he started but again fate had bigger things in store for him. Sivasakti films Pandian, a film distributor turned producer, produced Vanmathi with Ajith and Swathi. The film was a modest hit. Next came Kadhal Kottai from the same banner and Ahahtian became the toast of the industry. Offers poured in for films.^[4]

In late 2014, he began work on an untitled project produced by Bharathiraja featuring Santhosh Prathap, Oviya, Vijayalakshmi and Manoj Bharathiraja in the lead roles, but the film was later shelved.^[5]

Filmography

Year	Film	Language	Credited as				Role	Notes
			Director	Writer	Producer	Actor
1991	Mangalyam Thanthuna Nae	Tamil	Y	Y
1992	Pondatti Rajyam	Tamil	N	Y	N	N
1993	Madhumathi	Tamil	Y	Y
1996	Vaanmathi	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N
1996	Kaadhal Kottai	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N		National Film Award for Best Direction National Film Award for Best Screenplay Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director Remade in Kannada as Yaare Neenu Cheluve Remade in Hindi as Sirf Tum Dubbed in Telugu as Premalekha
1996	Gokulathil Seethai	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N		Remade in Hindi as Hum Ho Gaye Aapke Remade in Kannada as Krishna Leele
1997	Vidukathai	Tamil	Y	Y
1998	Santhosham	Tamil		Y	N	N
1999	Kaadhal Kavithai	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N
1999	Sirf Tum	Hindi	Y	Y	N	N
2001	Hum Ho Gaye Aapke	Hindi	Y	Y	N	N
1999	Poovellam Kettuppar	Tamil	N	N	N	Y	Himself
2001	Vinnukkum Mannukkum	Tamil	N	N	N	Y	Cameo
2002	Kadhal Samrajyam	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N		Unreleased film
2004	Ramakrishna	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N
2004	Ee Abbai Chala Manchodu	Telugu	Y	Y	N	N
2005	Selvam	Tamil	Y	Y	Y	N
2007	Agaram	Tamil	N	N	N	Y	Thiru's father
2008	Nenjathai Killadhe	Tamil	Y	Y	N	N
2011	Avargalum Ivargalum	Tamil	N	N	N	Y
2011	Maithanam	Tamil	N	N	N	Y

Awards

National Film Awards

• 1997 – Best Direction – Kadhal Kottai
• 1997 – Best Screenplay – Kadhal Kottai
• 1997 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Kadhal Kottai

Filmfare Awards South

• 1997 – Best Director – Kadhal Kottai

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

• 1996 – Best Director – Kadhal Kottai

References

External links

• Agathiyan on IMDb