Santhakumar
{{Short description|Indian film director and screenwriter}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Santhakumar
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| occupation = Film director
| years_active = 2001-2004 (Assistant director)
2006-present
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Santhakumar is an Indian director and screenwriter who predominantly works in tamil cinema.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/director-santhakumar-on-rasavathi-i-am-curious-about-the-lives-of-every-character-i-write/article68147376.ece|title=Director Santhakumar on 'Rasavathi': 'I am curious about the lives of every character I write'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508001444/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/director-santhakumar-on-rasavathi-i-am-curious-about-the-lives-of-every-character-i-write/article68147376.ece|archive-date=8 May 2024|url-access=subscription|work=The Hindu|date=7 May 2024|first=A.|last=Shrikumar}} He is known for directing Mounaguru (2011) and Magamuni (2019).
Career
Santhakumar worked as an assistant director to Dharani for Dhill (2001), Dhool (2003) and Ghilli (2004) before commencing work on Mounaguru in 2006.{{cite web |author=S. R. Ashok Kumar |url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2684004.ece |title=Arts / Cinema : Twin treat |work=The Hindu |date=2011-12-03 |access-date=2012-01-12 |archive-date=2012-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115214223/http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2684004.ece |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/director-santhakumar-of-mouna-guru-fame-updates-on-his-second-project.html|title=Director Santhakumar of Mouna Guru fame updates on his second project|date=June 16, 2015|website=Behindwoods|access-date=May 14, 2024|archive-date=April 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409063019/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/director-santhakumar-of-mouna-guru-fame-updates-on-his-second-project.html|url-status=live}} Mounaguru notably featured no lip-sync songs, a staple of Indian films, as he felt that it would ruin the film's narrative. A ten minute sequence featuring Arulnidhi on his knees took ten days to shoot. The film faced no significant competition during release and was a success.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/mounaguru/movie-review/11576622.cms|title=Mounaguru Movie Review|work= The Times of India|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2024-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515203847/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/mounaguru/movie-review/11576622.cms|url-status=live}} A critic wrote that the film "has everything that might count as a cliche but the marvel of it is that it never descends into mediocrity or becomes predictable".{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/south-review-mounaguru-is-a-must-watch/20111219.htm|title=Review: Mounaguru is a must watch|first=Pavithra|last=Srinivasan|website=Rediff|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2024-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200857/https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/south-review-mounaguru-is-a-must-watch/20111219.htm|url-status=live}} He commenced work for his next film Magamuni based on the two namesake characters in 2015, and first wrote Maga before Muni. Arya was cast in the titular roles after the producer suggested him after the script was finished, and Santhakumar decided to cast him after Arya was mentally strong and became a cyclist despite having a commercial failure. Regarding her character Deepa, Mahima Nambiar called her a female version of the director.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/Sep/12/interview--i-played-the-female-version-of-the-director-magamuni-actor-mahima-nambiar-2032303.html|title=INTERVIEW | I played the female version of the director: 'Magamuni' actor Mahima Nambiar|first=Navein|last=Darshan|date=September 12, 2019|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=May 15, 2024|archive-date=May 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200849/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/Sep/12/interview--i-played-the-female-version-of-the-director-magamuni-actor-mahima-nambiar-2032303.html|url-status=live}} Regarding the film, a critic wrote that "Director Santhakumar comes back to filmmaking after a eight-year gap [...] but has not lost touch with the craft, going by Magamuni. Not only is his story narrative unique, his writing of the various characters are also well fleshed out and detailed".{{Cite news |date=2024-05-10 |title='Magamuni' movie review: Arya headlines this offbeat, non-commercial revenge saga that gets many things right - The Hindu |newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/magamuni-movie-review-arya-headlines-this-offbeat-non-commercial-revenge-saga-that-gets-many-things-right/article29342214.ece |access-date=2024-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510054733/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/magamuni-movie-review-arya-headlines-this-offbeat-non-commercial-revenge-saga-that-gets-many-things-right/article29342214.ece |archive-date=2024-05-10 |last1=Ramanujam |first1=Srinivasa }}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/magamuni/movie-review/70985448.cms|title=Magamuni Movie Review : A worthy follow-up to Santhakumar's debut film, Mouna Guru|work= The Times of India|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2019-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909095114/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/magamuni/movie-review/70985448.cms|url-status=live}} Unlike his previous two films, he turned producer with Rasavathi (2024),{{Cite web|url=https://newstodaynet.com/2024/04/30/santhakumar-plans-big-in-rasavathi-the-alchemist/|title=Santhakumar plans big in Rasavathi - The Alchemist|first=N. T.|last=Bureau|date=April 30, 2024|access-date=May 14, 2024|archive-date=May 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514225311/https://newstodaynet.com/2024/04/30/santhakumar-plans-big-in-rasavathi-the-alchemist/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2022/Nov/04/santhakumars-next-with-arjun-das-to-be-a-multi-genre-film-36260.html|title=Santhakumar's next with Arjun Das to be a multi-genre film|first=Chandhini|last=R|date=November 4, 2022|website=Cinema Express|access-date=May 14, 2024|archive-date=May 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514225345/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2022/Nov/04/santhakumars-next-with-arjun-das-to-be-a-multi-genre-film-36260.html|url-status=live}} which was not well received with a critic noting that "To call the film’s pacing slow is an understatement and it’s understandable given the wafer-thin plot, which the director tries to accentuate by adding more characters that in turn lead to more scenes".{{Cite news |date=2024-05-12 |title='Rasavathi' movie review: This predictable revenge drama dearly misses Santhakumar's Midas touch |newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/rasavathi-movie-review-this-predictable-revenge-drama-dearly-misses-santhakumars-midas-touch/article68160849.ece |access-date=2024-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512183641/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/rasavathi-movie-review-this-predictable-revenge-drama-dearly-misses-santhakumars-midas-touch/article68160849.ece |archive-date=2024-05-12 |last1=Rajendran |first1=Gopinath }}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/rasavathi/movie-review/109984609.cms|title=Rasavathi Movie Review : A few compelling characters trapped in a non-compelling film|work= The Times of India|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2024-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510000313/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/rasavathi/movie-review/109984609.cms|url-status=live}}
Personal life
{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-am-not-into-the-business-of-commercialising-cinema-magamuni-director-santhakumar-5982630/|title=I am not into the business of commercialising cinema: Magamuni director Santhakumar|date=10 September 2019|url-access=subscription|work=The Indian Express|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916130928/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-am-not-into-the-business-of-commercialising-cinema-magamuni-director-santhakumar-5982630/|archive-date=16 September 2019|first1=S.|last1=Subhakeerthana|first2=Antara|last2=Chakraborthy}} He studied at American College, Madurai.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/my-stories-emerge-from-my-travels-says-director-santhakumar/article29320311.ece|title='My stories emerge from my travels,' says director Santhakumar|first=A.|last=Shrikumar|newspaper=The Hindu |date=2 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511014250/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/my-stories-emerge-from-my-travels-says-director-santhakumar/article29320311.ece|archive-date=11 May 2024}} Between films, Santhakumar likes to do solo traveling for soul searching and writing.
Filmography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ List of Santhakumar film credits | |||||
| rowspan="2" scope="col"| Year
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Credited as ! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" scope="col" | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director
! Writer ! Producer | |||||
| 2011 | Mounaguru | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2019 | Magamuni | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
| | |
| 2024 | Rasavathi | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1421683}}