:Sudha Kongara

{{Infobox person

| name = Sudha Kongara

| image = Sudha Kongara Prasad at Irudhi Suttru Thanks Giving Meet.jpg

| caption = Kongara at {{Lang|ta-latn|Irudhi Suttru}} thanksgiving meet in 2016

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India

| occupation = Film director

Screenwriter

| years_active = 2002–present

| other_names = Sudha Kongara Prasad{{Cite web|date=2016-01-26|title=It was a struggle to make 'Saala Khadoos': Director Sudha Kongara Prasad|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/it-was-a-struggle-to-make-saala-khadoos-director-sudha-kongara-prasad/|website=The Indian Express}}

| children =

| alma mater = Women's Christian College, Chennai

}}

Sudha Kongara Prasad, known professionally as Sudha Kongara, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil.{{cite news | url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/09/03/stories/2002090300270400.htm | title=Changing gears successfully | work=The Hindu | date=3 September 2002 | access-date=13 August 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050507125930/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/09/03/stories/2002090300270400.htm | archive-date=7 May 2005 | url-status=usurped }} She made her directorial debut with the Tamil film Drohi. In 2016, she directed the bilingual {{Lang|ta-latn|Irudhi Suttru}} ({{Lang|hi-latn|Saala Khadoos}} in Hindi) for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil. She subsequently directed the film's Telugu remake, Guru (2017). In her career, working over 3 languages, she has won two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and two SIIMA Awards.

In 2020, she scripted, and directed Soorarai Pottru. It was featured in the Panorama Section of the Shanghai International Film Festival. At the 68th National Film Awards, it won five awards including Best Feature Film, and Best Screenplay for Sudha Kongara.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2022-07-22 |title=68th National Film Awards |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/68th-national-film-awards-live-here-are-all-the-winners/article65670011.ece |access-date=2022-07-22 |issn=0971-751X}}

Early life

Sudha Kongara was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, into a Telugu-speaking family.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAG2wTYQ7M&t=605s|title=Sudha Kongara with prema the Journalist - Full Interview #75|publisher=

PREMA the Journalist|date=10 November 2020|people=Prema and Sudha Kongara|time=10m5s}} Sudha grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She obtained a degree in History and Mass Communication from the Women's Christian College, Chennai.{{cite web |last1=B |first1=Jayabhuvaneshwari |title=All You Need To Know About The Soorarai Pottru Director Sudha Kongara! |url=https://jfwonline.com/article/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-soorarai-pottru-director-sudha-kongara/ |website=Just for Women |date=5 July 2021}}

Career

Kongara worked as a screenwriter for the English film Mitr, My Friend (2002).{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/did-you-know/Sudha-Kongara-made-her-film-debut-with-Mitr-My-Friend/articleshow/51209311.cms|title = Sudha Kongara made her film debut with Mitr- My Friend|website = The Times of India}} She worked as associate director for seven years with Mani Ratnam.{{Cite news|last=Rangarajan|first=Malathi|date=2010-09-10|title=Intriguing features|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Intriguing-features/article15910019.ece|issn=0971-751X}}{{cite web|title=The girl brigade of Tamil cinema - Behindwoods.com - Tamil Movie Slide Shows - Drohi - Sudha - Anjana - Suhasini Mani Ratnam - Revathy - Priya - Madhumita - J S Nandhini|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-slide-shows/movie-4/girl-brigade/sudha.html}}{{cite web|title=Saala Khadoos Director on Mani Ratnam and Rajkumar Hirani|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/regional/saala-khadoos-director-on-mani-ratnam-and-rajkumar-hirani-1269271|work=NDTVMovies.com}}{{Cite web|last=Vadla|first=Praveen Kumar|date=20 November 2020|title=Sudha Kongara: ఎక్కడ మొదలై.. ఎక్కడి వరకు.. సుధా కొంగర సక్సెస్ జర్నీ..|url=https://telugu.news18.com/news/movies/director-sudha-kongara-super-success-journey-inspires-lot-and-here-the-behind-story-pk-664002.html|website=News18 Telugu}}

During the production of her first Tamil directorial venture Drohi (2010), Kongara began writing a sports drama film on boxing which was titled {{Lang|ta-latn|Irudhi Suttru}}. In mid-2013, she approached Madhavan, who was on a sabbatical from Tamil films, to portray the lead role in the film and his presence in the project, helped take the financial viability of the venture to a higher level.{{cite web |last=Gupta |first=Rinku |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Madhavan%E2%80%99s-New-Boxer-Look-Revealed/2014/12/16/article2572958.ece |title=Madhavan's New Boxer Look Revealed |publisher=The New Indian Express |date=2014-12-16 |access-date=2015-08-12 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222110956/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Madhavan%E2%80%99s-New-Boxer-Look-Revealed/2014/12/16/article2572958.ece |url-status=dead }} The pair had previously collaborated in Madhavan's films under the direction of Mani Ratnam, where Sudha had been an associate director.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/hollywood-ho/article5180264.ece |title=Hollywood Ho! - Hosur |work=The Hindu |date=2013-09-29 |access-date=2015-08-12}} Madhavan portrayed a boxing coach who mentors an amateur boxer, played by kick boxer turned actress Ritika Singh. The film was simultaneously shot in Hindi as Saala Khadoos. She also directed the Telugu remake Guru (2017), with Singh reprising her role and Venkatesh playing Madhavan's.

Her next film was Soorarai Pottru (2020), which is based on life of Air Deccan founder Captain GR Gopinath feature and it is produced by Suriya's 2D Entertainment and co-produced by Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/suriyas-next-director-sudha-kongara-titled-soorarai-pottru-99991|title=Suriya's next with director Sudha Kongara titled 'Soorarai Pottru'|date=2019-04-13|website=The News Minute|access-date=2019-04-18}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/apr/16/suriya-is-best-actor-in-our-country-guneet-monga-1965071.html|title=Suriya is best actor in our country: Guneet Monga|website=The New Indian Express|date=16 April 2019 |access-date=2019-04-18}} Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film released straight to streaming on Prime Video. It received critical acclaim and won 5 National Film Awards. She also directed the Hindi remake Sarfira (2024), starring Akshay Kumar.

Kongara's upcoming film, Parasakthi, is based on the 1965 anti Hindi protests in Tamil Nadu. Suriya was originally set to collaborate with Kongara again, but now the film stars Sivakarthikeyan, alongside Atharvaa, Sreeleela, and Ravi Mohan.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/sudha-kongara-will-revive-purnanooru-with-these-two-stars/articleshow/111398394.cms|title=Sudha Kongara will revive 'Purnanooru' with these two stars|date=1 July 2024|work=Times of India}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/south/sk25-sudha-kongara-to-helm-sivakarthikeyans-upcoming-movie-likely-after-his-next-with-don-director-cibi-chakravarthy-1331664|date=24 July 2024|work=Pinkvilla|title=SK25: Sudha Kongara to helm Sivakarthikeyan's upcoming movie, likely after his next with Don director Cibi Chakravarthy}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Director ! Screenwriter ! Language ! class="unsortable"\| Notes
2002	Mitr, My Friend	{{no}}	{{yes}}	English
2008	Andhra Andagadu	{{yes}}	{{yes}}	Telugu	{{cite web \| url=https://telugu.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/interesting-facts-about-sudha-kongara-directorial-debut-movie-krishna-bhagavan-andhra-andagadu-121699940604342.html \| title=Sudha Kongara Andhra Andagadu: నేష‌న‌ల్ అవార్డ్ విన్నింగ్ డైరెక్ట‌ర్ సుధా కొంగ‌ర ఫ‌స్ట్‌ మూవీలో కృష్ణ భ‌గ‌వాన్ హీరో }}
2010	Drohi	{{yes}}	{{yes}}	Tamil
2016	Irudhi Suttru	{{yes}}	{{yes}}	Tamil Hindi (as Saala Khadoos)
2017 \|Guru \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|Telugu \|
rowspan="3" \|2020 \|Putham Pudhu Kaalai \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|Tamil \| Segment: "Ilamai Idho Idho"
Soorarai Pottru \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|Tamil \|
Paava Kadhaigal \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|Tamil \| Segment: "Thangam"
2024 \|Sarfira \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|Hindi \|
2025 \|{{Pending film\|Parasakthi}} \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|Tamil \|