Guru Dhanapal

{{Short description|Indian film director}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}

{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Guru Dhanapal

|image = Guru Dhanapal.jpg

|caption =

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1959|3|2}}

|birth_place =

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2014|4|18|1959|3|3}}

|death_place = Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

|occupation = Film director, screenwriter

|yearsactive = 1991–2007

}}

Guru Dhanapal (2 March 1959 – 18 April 2014) was an Indian film director, who worked in Tamil cinema, mostly with actor Sathyaraj.

Career

Guru Dhanapal made his directorial debut with Unna Nenachen Pattu Padichen (1992) starring Karthik, Sasikala, and Monisha in leading roles. In the 1990s, the director made a series of film starring Sathyaraj in the lead role, achieving box office success with Thai Maaman (1994) after which he made Maaman Magal (1995) and Periya Manushan (1997). The three films were described as "routine comedy masala ventures" and were filmed in very quick schedules.{{Cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Nov/deepavali/deepavali1.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=18 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817104937/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Nov/deepavali/deepavali1.htm |archive-date=17 August 2010 |url-status=usurped }} In between he collaborated with Jayaram twice in Periya Idathu Mappillai (1997) and Raja Magal, which did not release, as well as directing a portion of Suyamvaram (1999), which featured an ensemble cast of actors from the Tamil film industry.{{cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-4.htm |title=A-Z (Iv) |publisher=Indolink.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927193804/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-4.htm |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=usurped }} A further project titled Vanthanga Jeyichanga launched in 1998 with Sathyaraj and Meena, failed to materialise.{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.ws/gokima/cinjan.html |title=Gokul'S Home Page |publisher=Geocities.ws |date= |accessdate=2019-11-23 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061911/http://www.geocities.ws/gokima/cinjan.html |url-status=live }} Likewise, he began working on Yen Vizhiyil Nee Irunthaal featuring Karthik and Suvaluxmi in 2000, but the film was later shelved.{{cite web |url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/16-08-00/jothiga.htm |title=Dinakaran |website=www.dinakaran.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041103100644/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/16-08-00/jothiga.htm |archive-date=3 November 2004 |url-status=dead}}

His final venture was the much-delayed Sathyaraj starrer Suyetchai MLA in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-5.htm |title=A-Z (V) |publisher=Indolink.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424003725/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-5.htm |archive-date=24 April 2013 |url-status=usurped }}

Filmography

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

!Year!! Title !! Notes

1992Unna Nenachen Pattu Padichen{{cite web |last=சுந்தர்ஜி |date=10 May 1992 |title=உன்னை நினைச்சேன் பாட்டுப் படிச்சேன் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-05-10/page/n3/mode/2up |access-date=15 December 2022 |work=Kalki |page=3 |language=ta}}
1994Thai Maaman{{Cite news |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=16 September 1994 |title=Keeps you in splits |pages=6 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19940916&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=19 December 2018}}{{cbignore}}
1995Maaman Magal{{cite magazine|magazine=Kalki|language=Ta|page=64|url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1995-12-24/page/n65/mode/2up|title=மாமன் மகள்|date=24 December 1995}}
1997Periya Idathu MappillaiRemake of Malayalam hit Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava
1997Periya Manushan
1999Suyamvaram
2006Suyetchai MLA

Death

Guru Dhanapal died on 18 April 2014 at the age of 55 in Coimbatore after being admitted to hospital due to a massive heart attack.{{cite news |author= |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/tamil-film-director-guru-dhanapal-passes-away-114041800760_1.html |title=Tamil film director Guru Dhanapal passes away |newspaper=Business Standard India |publisher=Business Standard |date=18 April 2014 |accessdate=2014-04-19 |agency=Press Trust of India |archive-date=18 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418234142/http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/tamil-film-director-guru-dhanapal-passes-away-114041800760_1.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |date=2013-10-15 |title=Tamil film director Guru Dhanapal passes away |url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/regional/tamil-film-director-guru-dhanapal-passes-away_153785.html |url-status=dead |accessdate=2014-04-19 |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |archive-date=18 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418220923/http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/regional/tamil-film-director-guru-dhanapal-passes-away_153785.html }}

References