The Indian film industry has seen the rise of numerous directors who have won a place in the hearts of the audience across the country. Loved for the entertainment they bring with their films, they are also regarded as some of the best creative minds by the critics. Over the years, many South Indian directors have made their mark not just in their regions, but in other parts of India as well. One such director who has gained popularity with his work is SS Rajamouli, who has the highest-grossing Indian film to his name.
Check out the list of top South Indian directors who have set high standards for the upcoming generation.
Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam aka Mani Ratnam is synonymous with the Tamil film industry. It is not an exaggeration to say that his films are guides to the budding filmmakers in numerous aspects of the art. The fact that the Indian Government honoured him with Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, speaks volumes about his contribution to the field. He has a total of four Filmfare awards and six Filmfare South awards to his name, apart from recognition at numerous International Film Festivals. His film Nayakan was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 60th Academy Awards aka The Oscars.
K Balachander
In his career which spanned over five decades, K Balachander has been an inspiration to many modern directors. To date, several reputed actors, such as Rajnikanth, attribute their success to Balachander. Regarded as Iyakkunar Sigaram, the Director Paramount, he has been honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in cinema. His is films have won a whopping 9 National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare Awards in various categories. Balachander was also awarded Tamil Nadu’s Highest Civilian Award, Kalaimamani, owing to his highly successful career.
K Viswanath
Known to the Telugu audience as Kala Tapaswi, K Viswanath is one of the most respected and admired directors across the country. He is well-known for his films which are a blend of the new-age commercial aspects and socio-economic issues. Viswanath directed many National Award-winning films such as Mooga Manasulu, Doctor Chakravarthy, and others. His film Swati Mutyam starring Kamal Haasan, Raadhika, was India’s official entry to the 59th Academy Awards. A number of his works were screened at various International Film Festivals and received huge critical acclaim from the audience. Megastar Chiranjeevi regards Viswanath as his guru and attributes his success to the director.
Ram Gopal Varma
The RGV we see today is not the one the yesteryear movie lovers know. He was regarded as one of the best technicians the Indian cinema industry has ever seen. RGV was one such director who has revolutionized the way cinemas were seen and made. Without any doubt, the history of Telugu films can be marked as “before Siva” and “after Siva”. He is one of the most influential directors of Tollywood, who is named as their inspiration by many successful film directors such as Puri Jagannadh, Krishna Vamsi, Teja, and many others. He has also made his mark in Bollywood with huge hits such as Sarkar, Rangeela, and many others.
Shankar
Shankar Shanmugam is well known for introducing unique concepts on the silver screen. He is regarded as a creative genius by his contemporaries for the grandeur in his films. Though the film Anniyan has established him as one of the top South Indian directors, he made his presence felt across the country with Robo. Known for his high-budgeted films, he is one of the most sought-after filmmakers of this generation.
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