Vikraman

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Vikraman
Born Puliyur, Tirunelveli District
Occupation Film director
Years active 1989–present
Spouse(s) Jayapriya[1]
Children Kanishka, Pooja

Vikraman is a Tamil film director. He was also one of the most successful filmmakers of the 1990s.[2][3] Vikraman has been elected as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Film Directors Association (TANTIS) replacing Bharathiraja after he defeated fellow director Visu by a thumping majority of 155 votes in the election[4][5][6]

Career

Early career

Vikraman made his debut with the movie Pudhu Vasantham, a story of four unemployed friends who are musical experts. This movie was released in 1989 was successful. Its hero Murali went on to become a famous romantic actor who donned the mike-wielding singer role in subsequent movies. The trio of Vikraman-S.A.Rajkumar(musician)-R.B.Choudari came commercially successful. But a flop in Pudhiya Mannargal forced him to go back. He worked as an assistant to actor cum director R. Parthiban in Pudhea Paadhai, which was the latter's debut film as a director and an actor. Director K. S. Ravikumar assisted him in making films in his early days.[7]

Success

Vikraman was recalled once again by R. B. Choudary to make a film with Vijay titled Poove Unakkaga in 1996. It was the first breakthrough in the young actor's career. His next movie Suryavamsam with Sarath Kumar and Devayani was a major success. Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen made in 1998 gave a fresh lease of life to Karthik and Roja who were once dominating the film industry. In 2000, he made a movie Vanathai Pola with an ensemble cast, another blockbuster which gave back the superstardom to Vijaykanth. It also won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment in 2001 and also many state awards.[8] He then began pre-production work in 2000 for a film starring Surya and Laila,and the said project Unnai Ninaithu did well.[9][10]

However, his next movie Priyamana Thozhi produced by the AVM Productions was a hit again. Its bilingual Vasantham in Telugu (directed by himself) was one of the top grossers of 2003. But he had to face another dud in 2004 in Cheppave Chirugali, a Telugu remake of his hit Tamil film starring Suriya and Sneha, Unnai Ninaithu. Taking a two-year break, he had started work again for a Tamil movie called Chennai Kadhal with Bharath in the lead. However, the movie was unsuccessful at the box office. He made a comeback with Mariyadhai in 2009, another Tamil film starring Vijayakanth, Meena, Meera Jasmine and Ambika playing the lead roles. The film repeated the success of Vanathai Pola . His latest film Ninaithathu Yaaro featuring newcomers release in January 2014 to positive reviews.

Trademarks

Vikraman films are known for their set format, which turned out to be called as cliches later – a separate comedy track with a bunch of comedians and a theme music, scenes of family sentiment involving the lead characters with chorus in the background and portions to explain each character. Hero is shown to be a kind hearted person who sacrifices his love. Hero becoming rich within few minutes through song. These cliches were imitated by various comedians in all films including Thamizh Padam.[11] But most of his films were made with positive and feel good intentions, like initial hardships and then hero overcomes it to become successful which is what made his films very successful. He is also known as a lucky director as he gave career peak to many of his leading stars.

Filmography

Year Title Language Notes
1990 Pudhu Vasantham Tamil Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil
1991 Perum Pulli Tamil
1993 Gokulam Tamil Dubbed in Telugu as Gokula Krishnudu
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (3rd place)
Naan Pesa Ninaipathellam Tamil
1994 Pudhiya Mannargal Tamil
1996 Poove Unakkaga Tamil Remade in Telugu as Subhakankshalu
Remade in Kannada as Ee Hrudaya Ninagagi
Remade in Hindi as Badhaai Ho Badhaai
1997 Suryavamsam Tamil Remade in Telugu as Suryavamsam
Remade in Hindi as Sooryavansham
Remade in Kannada as Surya Vamsha
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
1998 Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen Tamil Remade in Telugu as Raja
Remade in Kannada as Kanasugara
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (3rd place)
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer
2000 Vaanathaippola Tamil Remade in Telugu as Maa Annayya
Remade in Kannada as Yejamana
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
2002 Unnai Ninaithu Tamil Remade in Telugu as Cheppave Chirugali
Remade in Kannada as Krishna
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (3rd place)
2003 Priyamana Thozhi Tamil[12]
Vasantham Telugu[13] Bilingual film
2004 Cheppave Chirugali Telugu[14] remake of Unnai Ninaithu
2006 Chennai Kadhal Tamil[15]
2009 Mariyadhai Tamil[16]
2013 Ninaithathu Yaaro Tamil[17]

References


Categoran film directors