Mahendran (filmmaker)

Biography

Mahendran was born on 25 July 1939 to Joseph Chelliah, a teacher and Manonmani. Mahendran did his schooling in Ilayangudi and completed his intermediate at American College, Madurai. Later he joined Alagappa Government Arts College to do a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. During his college days, he was very active in stage plays. It was during that time when M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.) was invited as the chief guest for the college day during which Mahendran gave a speech that directly criticized the commercial elements that existed in cinema. Impressed by his speech M.G.R. praised Mahendran and said that he could become a good critic. After completing his degree, he went to Madras to study law. Seven months after joining the course he had to discontinue due to financial concerns. He then decided to go back to Ilayangud. However, on the insistence of Karaikudi Kannappa Valliappan he joined Inamuzhakkam, a periodical as a journalist. It was during this time he met M.G.R. again and he was asked to write the screenplay of Ponniyin Selvan after the former decided to make a film based on the story. The idea of developing the screenplay into a film got delayed, and M.G.R. asked Mahendran to write a story for his drama troupe. Mahendran wrote a script titled Anaadhaigal. M.G.R. decided to make a film based on the play. He named the film Vaazhve Vaa and acted in the lead role alongside Savitri. The project got shelved after three days of shooting. Soon M.G.R. acted in a film called Kaanchi Thalaivan and he recommended Mahendran to the director to make him an assistant.

Mahendran made his breakthrough as a screenwriter for the film Naam Moovar in 1966. After the success of the film he got more offers from the same banner and worked in films like Sabaash Thambi and Panakkara Pillai, both released in the subsequent years. He also worked as an actor in the films Kamaraj (2004), Theri (2016), and Nimir (2018).

Mahendran died on 2 April 2019, at the age of 79.

Awards

• Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil – Mullum Malarum (1978)
• Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil – Uthiripookkal (1979)
• National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Nenjathai Killathe (1980)
• IIFA Utsavam Best Actor for Performance in a Negative Role – Theri (2016)

Filmography

As actor

References

References

1. (1 January 2005). "Conscience of the race: India's offbeat cinema". Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
2. (3 April 2019). "Veteran writer, director Mahendran passes away".
3. (20 September 2020). "பாக்யராஜ் படத்தில் நடிக்கத் தயங்கினேன் – Actor Rajesh Chai With Chithra Part – 1". Touring Talkies.
4. "cinemanewstoday.com".
5. (1 January 2005). "Conscience of the race: India's offbeat cinema". Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
6. "எம்.ஜி.ஆர். மூலமாக திரை உலகில் நுழைந்த மகேந்திரன்". [[Maalai Malar]].
7. "முள்ளும் மலரும் படத்தின் மூலம் இயக்குனர் ஆனார் மகேந்திரன்". Maalai Malar.
8. "Illayaraja's music has been my films' soul: Filmmaker Mahendran".
9. (2017-01-06). "The cinema of J Mahendran: Social milieu was his canvas". The News Minute.
10. Vijayakumar, Sindhu. (5 October 2017). "Mahendran titles Priyan's movie Nimir". [[The Times of India]].
11. Muralidharan, Kavitha. (2 April 2019). "J Mahendran, the reluctant filmmaker: What the man who gave us Rajinikanth was like". The News Minute.
12. (2 April 2019). "Noted director J. Mahendran passes away".