G. N. Rangarajan
{{Short description|Indian writer (1930–2021)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = G. N. Rangarajan
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|12|17}}
| birth_place = Gobichettipalayam
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2021|06|03|1930|12|17}}
| death_place = Chennai, India
| othername =
| occupation = Writer, producer, director
| yearsactive =
| spouse =
| children = G. N. R. Kumaravelan
| domesticpartner =
| website =
}}
G. N. Rangarajan (17 December 1930 – 3 June 2021) was an Indian writer, producer and director who worked in Tamil cinema.
Film career
Rangarajan was influenced by the works of director A. Bhimsingh, and joined editor Dorai Singam as an assistant in the late 1950s. The first film Rangarajan began work on as an assistant director was Gnayirum Thingalum, which was shelved. He became associated with director S. P. Muthuraman and writer Panchu Arunachalam for many films, early in his career.{{Cite magazine |date=21 November 1982 |title=கமலை டா போட்டு அழைப்பவர் |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki1982-11-21/kalki1982-11-21.pdf |access-date=12 April 2024 |magazine=Kalki |pages=52–53 |language=Ta |via=Internet Archive}} He worked as an associate director on films including Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri (1977), Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai (1979) and Priya (1978).{{Cite news |date=3 June 2021 |title=Tamil director GN Rangarajan dies at 90 |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/filmmaker-gn-rangarajan-passes-away/article34715439.ece |url-status=live |access-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603085055/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/filmmaker-gn-rangarajan-passes-away/article34715439.ece |archive-date=3 June 2021}}
As a director, Rangarajan subsequently collaborated with Kamal Haasan on a number of successful films including Kalyanaraman (1979), Meendum Kokila (1981), Kadal Meengal (1981) and Ellam Inba Mayyam (1981) in a two-year period.{{Cite web |date=3 June 2021 |title=Veteran Tamil director GN Rangarajan passes away at 90 |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/veteran-tamil-director-gn-rangarajan-passes-away-90-150033 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603134106/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/veteran-tamil-director-gn-rangarajan-passes-away-90-150033 |archive-date=3 June 2021 |access-date=3 June 2021 |website=The News Minute}} Notably, he took over directorial duties from Mahendran during the making of Meendum Kokila on the insistence of Kamal Haasan.{{Cite news |date=16 June 2008 |title=வரலாற்றுச்சுவடுகள் – திரைப்பட வரலாறு 944 – கமல்–ஸ்ரீதேவி நடித்த மீண்டும் கோகிலா |language=ta |work=Dina Thanthi}}{{Cite magazine |year=1980 |editor-last=Ramachandran |editor-first=T.M. |title=Rekha's first Tamil movie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WHpTAAAAYAAJ&q=Meendum+Kokila |url-status=live |magazine=Film World |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324191823/https://books.google.com/books?id=WHpTAAAAYAAJ&q=Meendum+Kokila |archive-date=24 March 2021 |access-date=7 June 2013}} He later also wrote and produced films, notably making Aduthathu Albert (1985) and Sir... I Love You (1991).{{Cite magazine |last=சுந்தர்ஜி |date=3 March 1991 |title=சார், ஐ லவ் யு... |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1991/mar/03-03-1991/p28.jpg |url-status=dead |magazine=Kalki |language=ta |pages=28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220809070107/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1991/mar/03-03-1991/p28.jpg |archive-date=9 August 2022 |access-date=31 March 2022}} His final directorial Maharasan (1993), had Kamal Haasan in the lead role, who refused to take any salary for the film, in ode to his friendship with Rangarajan. Following his film career, Rangarajan worked on the television series Raghuvamsam and also made a telefilm for Singaporean producers.{{Cite web |date=18 December 2020 |title=Adoring the legendary filmmaker GN Rangarajan on 90th Birthday |url=https://www.chennaicitynews.net/cinema/5907/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218070227/https://www.chennaicitynews.net/cinema/5907/ |archive-date=18 December 2020 |access-date=3 June 2021 |website=Chennai City News}}{{Cite web |date=18 December 2020 |title=Director G.N.Rangarajan' s 90th Birthday |url=https://royalreporter.in/?p=5983 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218190341/http://royalreporter.in/?p=5983 |archive-date=18 December 2020 |access-date=3 June 2021 |website=Royal Reporter}}
Owing to his association with Kamal Haasan, Rangarajan renamed his house as "Kamal Illam". His son, G. N. R. Kumaravelan, apprenticed with Kamal Haasan for films such as Sathi Leelavathi (1995) and Marudhanayagam, and then debuted as a director in the late 2000s.{{Cite web |last=K. |first=Janani |date=3 June 2021 |title=Kamal Haasan lost a brother in GN Rangarajan, says he showered me with unconditional love |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/kamal-haasan-lost-a-brother-in-gn-rangarajan-says-he-showered-me-with-unconditional-love-1810432-2021-06-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603110429/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/kamal-haasan-lost-a-brother-in-gn-rangarajan-says-he-showered-me-with-unconditional-love-1810432-2021-06-03 |archive-date=3 June 2021 |access-date=3 June 2021 |website=India Today}}{{Cite web |date=13 October 2016 |title=Filmmakers should make movies that matter to public: GNR Kumaravelan |url=https://www.governancenow.com/views/interview/filmmakers-should-make-movies-that-matter-public-gnr-kumaravelan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926144027/http://www.governancenow.com/views/interview/filmmakers-should-make-movies-that-matter-public-gnr-kumaravelan |archive-date=26 September 2020 |access-date=3 June 2021 |website=Governance Now}}
Death
Rangarajan died on 3 June 2021, aged 90, due to age-related ailments.{{Cite news |date=3 June 2021 |title='கல்யாணராமன்', 'கடல் மீன்கள்' இயக்குநர் ஜி.என்.ரங்கராஜன் மறைவு |language=ta |work=Hindu Tamil Thisai |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/678029-director-gn-rangarajan-passed-away.html |url-status=live |access-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603051624/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/678029-director-gn-rangarajan-passed-away.html |archive-date=3 June 2021}}
Partial filmography
;Films
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||||
| rowspan="2" style="width:35px;"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:250px;"| Film ! colspan="3" style="width:195px;"| Credited as ! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center; width:250px;" class="unsortable"| Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="width:65px;" | Director
! width=65 | Writer ! width=65 | Producer | |||||
| 1979 | Kalyanaraman | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1980 | Rusi Kanda Poonai | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1981 | Meendum Kokila | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1981 | Kadal Meengal | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1981 | Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1981 | Ellam Inba Mayyam | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1982 | Rani Theni | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | |
| 1983 | Muthu Engal Sothu | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | |
| 1985 | Aduthathu Albert | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | |
| 1991 | Sir... I Love You | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |
| 1993 | Maharasan | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} |
;Television
- Raghuvamsam
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0710048|name=Rangarajan, G. N.}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangarajan, G. N.}}
Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
Category:Film directors from Chennai
Category:Film producers from Chennai
Category:Place of birth missing