Rajesh M. Selva
{{Short description|Indian film director and screenwriter}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rajesh M Selva
| image = RajeshMSelva.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{bda|1981|3|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tamil Nadu, India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names = Rajesh Selvaraj
| yearsactive =
| spouse =
| alma_mater = Loyola College, Chennai M. C. C. Higher Secondary School, Chennai
| occupation = Director, Screenwriter
}}
Rajesh M. Selva{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/kamal-haasans-film-with-vikram-akshara-haasan-launched/articleshow/65608890.cms|title=Kamal Haasan's film with Vikram & Akshara Haasan launched|website=The Times of India}} is an Indian film director and screenwriter, primarily working in Tamil cinema.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ragalahari.com/stars/interviews/1280/director-rajesh-m-selva-interview.aspx|title = Director Rajesh M Selva Interview}} Selva became a notable director with the Kamal Haasan starrer Thoongaa Vanam.{{cite web |title=Kamal sir wanted Thoongavanam to be my film: Rajesh M Selva |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151024/entertainment-kollywood/article/kamal-sir-wanted-thoongavanam-be-my-film-rajesh-m-selva |publisher=Deccan Chronicle |access-date=22 September 2023 |date=25 October 2015}}
Career
Rajesh began his career in entertainment by being a part of the band, Shenanigans, which was formed in 1999 alongside his school mates Naresh and Sathish Ramalingam at M. C. C. Higher Secondary School. He is a reputed corporate designer who did his visual design course with Mr. Jullius Mac Van. He also graduated a visual communications degree from St Thomas College in 2003 & did his Master's from Loyola College, Chennai in 2005 and continued to work on his music career, by recording songs at DesignSelva, a record company he founded in 2005. Alongside his band, he released the independent album She 16, in collaboration with Saregama, during October 2006.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/mix-of-genres/article3201249.ece|title = Mix of genres|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 14 October 2006}}{{cite web |url=http://kaalaipani.blogspot.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=kaalaipani.blogspot.co.uk}} He subsequently went on to make a feature film with new technicians, titled Kaalaippani (2008), and shot for the project throughout 2007. Featuring Vasundhara and Nassar alongside several newcomers, Kaalaipani was a murder mystery film which had a low-key release, but received positive reviews. A critic noted that Rajesh Selva has "very well applied his paper works on the screen", adding his "clarity in execution is evident throughout the film".{{Cite web|url=http://www.kollywoodtoday.net/reviews/review-kaalaipani/|title = Review - Kaalaipani|date = 2 June 2008}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ayngaran.com/frame.php?iframepath=movietrailer.php?movid=103|title = Ayngaran International}}
In 2008, Rajesh decided to join Raaj Kamal Films International on the advice of his friend, director Sri Krishna. He subsequently joined Kamal Haasan for the pre-production works of Marmayogi and served as the film's third assistant director.{{Cite web|url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-director/rajesh-m-selva/rajesh-m-selva-interview.html|title = Rajesh M Selva Interview}} He worked on gathering information to help script portions set in the 6th century and spent nearly forty-five days with the researchers at the archaeological department to know the scriptures of sixth century Tamil that existed in Pandiya kingdom. The film was shelved soon after but he continued to work with Raaj Kamal Films through the productions of both parts to Vishwaroopam (2013) and Uttama Villain (2015), playing cameo roles as an actor in both films.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/do-not-miss-the-beginning-of-thoonga-vanam-says-rajesh-m-selva-news-tamil-plcpRDchfhjde.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102163303/http://www.sify.com/movies/do-not-miss-the-beginning-of-thoonga-vanam-says-rajesh-m-selva-news-tamil-plcpRDchfhjde.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 November 2015|title = Do not miss the beginning of 'Thoonga Vanam', says Rajesh M Selva|website=Sify }}
After gaining offers to direct films in 2014 after the completion of Vishwaroopam II (2016), Rajesh left Kamal Haasan's team, but the films which were being planned failed to materialize. Kamal Haasan subsequently called him back to the company in April 2015 and requested that he direct the official remake of Sleepless Night (2011), which Raaj Kamal Films had purchased.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/rajesh-m-selva-is-kamals-fanturnedfilmmaker/article7664906.ece|title=Meet Kamal Haasan's fan-turned-filmmaker|newspaper=The Hindu|date=18 September 2015}} Titled Thoongaa Vanam (2015) in Tamil and Cheekati Rajyam (2015) in Telugu, Rajesh completed both version of the film within sixty days of shoot. Featuring an ensemble cast headed by Kamal Haasan, he worked with the actor on adapting the original script into the Tamil and Telugu languages, and wrote in new characters to be played by Trisha and Madhu Shalini.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151024/entertainment-kollywood/article/kamal-sir-wanted-thoongavanam-be-my-film-rajesh-m-selva|title = Kamal sir wanted Thoongavanam to be my film: Rajesh M Selva|date = 25 October 2015}} Rajesh was also in charge of gathering and selecting the members of the cast and crew.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/rajesh-selva-tell-about-what-is-it-like-to-direct-kamal-in-ones-debut-film/article7668466.ece|title = 'Kamal's silence is appreciation'|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 19 September 2015|last1 = Srinivasan|first1 = Sudhir}} The films opened in November 2015 to critical acclaim and had a good performance at the box office.{{Cite web|url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/thoongavanam-director-rajesh-m-selva-on-the-response-of-his-film.html|title=Thoongavanam director Rajesh M Selva on the response of his film|date=13 November 2015}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/thoongavanam-an-okay-thriller-with-goodies-for-fans/article7865210.ece|title = Thoongavanam: An okay thriller, with goodies for fans|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 10 November 2015|last1 = Rangan|first1 = Baradwaj}}
In 2022, Selva helmed Irai, a Tamil-language crime thriller series for Aha Tamil, starring R. Sarathkumar in the lead role{{cite web |title=Irai Series Review: Sarathkumar shines in a series that needed more depth |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2022/feb/18/irai-series-review-sarathkumar-shines-in-a-series-that-needed-more-depth-29823.html |publisher=Cinema Express |access-date=8 September 2023 |date=18 February 2022}} and now Selva is directing Aditi Rao Hydari and Anson Paul in a Tamil-Telugu bi-lingual.{{cite web |title=Aditi Rao Hydari to star in director Rajesh M Selva's next |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/aditi-rao-hydari-to-star-in-director-rajesh-m-selvas-next/article67153169.ece/amp/ |work=The Hindu |access-date=8 September 2023 |date=3 August 2023}}
Filmography
{{BLP unreferenced section|date= November 2022}}
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||||||
| rowspan="2" style="width:35px;"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:150px;"| Film ! rowspan="2" style="width:150px;"| Language ! colspan="3" style="width:195px;"| Credited as ! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center; width:50px;" class="unsortable"| Role ! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center; width:250px;" class="unsortable"| Notes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="width:65px;" | Director
! width=65 | Writer ! width=65 | Actor | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"|2008 | Kaalaippani | Tamil | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | {{N/A}} | |
| style="text-align:center;"|2013 | Vishwaroopam (Vishwaroop in Hindi) | Tamil / Hindi | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | Terrorist | Also assistant director |
| style="text-align:center;"|2015 | Uttama Villain | Tamil | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | Spy | |
| style="text-align:center;"|2015 | Thoongaa Vanam (Cheekati Rajyam in Telugu) | Tamil / Telugu | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | Head Chef | |
| style="text-align:center;"|2019 | Kadaram Kondan | Tamil | style="text-align:center;" |{{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | {{N/A}} | |
| style="text-align:center;"|2022 | Irai | Tamil | style="text-align:center;" |{{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | {{N/A}} | Web series |
References
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Category:Tamil-language film directors
Category:Film directors from Tamil Nadu
Category:21st-century Indian people