Cheran

Biography:

Cheran, born on December 12, 1970, is a versatile Indian filmmaker, actor, producer, and lyricist renowned for his contributions to Tamil cinema. He is a recipient of the National Film Award on four occasions for his outstanding work in movies like “Vetri Kodi Kattu” (2000), “Autograph” (2004), and “Thavamai Thavamirundhu” (2005). Cheran has also earned recognition through five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and six South Filmfare Awards.

Cheran first gained prominence as a director by specializing in rural-based dramas that delved into human relationships. He received critical acclaim for his films “Bharathi Kannamma” (1997) and “Porkkaalam” (1997). Later in his career, he shifted his focus to explore how globalization impacts the Indian middle class, addressing issues such as scam job offers in “Vetri Kodi Kattu” (2000) and rural-to-urban migration in “Pandavar Bhoomi” (2001).

One of his most celebrated works to date is “Autograph” (2004), a semi-autobiographical film depicting a man’s life at four different stages. Cheran also tasted success in the family drama genre with “Thavamai Thavamirundhu” (2005) and gained recognition as an actor in films like “Pirivom Santhippom” (2008) and “Yuddham Sei” (2011).

Cheran was born in the village of Pazhaiyurpatty near Madurai. His father, Pandian, worked as a film projector operator in a touring theatre in Vellalur, while his mother, Kamala, was a primary school teacher. Cheran has two sisters.

He came to Chennai with aspirations of pursuing a career in the film industry, initially aiming to become an actor. He started his career as a production manager in some films and gradually worked his way up. He began as an assistant director under K. S. Ravikumar in the film “Puriyaadha Pudhir” (1990) and was later promoted to an associate director, working on films from “Cheran Pandiyan” (1992) to “Nattamai” (1994).