Atlee (director)
| Atlee | |
|---|---|
 Atlee at the 8th Vijay Awards, 2014 | |
| Born |
Arun Kumar 21 September 1986 Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Residence | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2010present |
| Spouse(s) | Krishna Priya (m. 2014) |
| Website | Official Page |
Atlee (born 21 September 1986 as Arun Kumar) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works primarily in Tamil cinema. He is best known for his directorial debut Raja Rani (2013), produced by Fox Star Studios, for which he was awarded the Vijay Award for Best Debut Director. He worked as an assistant director under filmmaker S. Shankar for the films Enthiran (2010) and Nanban (2012).
Career
Born in Madurai, Atlee spent all his "growing years" in Chennai.[1] Atlee, aka Arun Kumar, did his Visual Communications at Sathyabhama University. He worked with director Shankar for 5 years, acting as the associate director for massive, landmark films such as Enthiran and Nanban.
He began his career as an assistant director in Enthiran (2010) under director S. Shankar and he continued to work with him in his next project Nanban (2012), a remake of the Hindi film 3 Idiots. In 2013, he made his directional debut through Raja Rani. The film was produced by Fox Star Studios and AR Murugadoss. It was a romantic comedy featuring Arya, Jai, Nayantara, Nazriya Nazim and Sathyaraj. He was appreciated for pulling off a stellar ensemble cast successfully in his very first film. Raja Rani eventually emerged a huge success after earning over 500 million from the South Indian box office within four weeks.[2] It also has won him the Vijay Award for Best Debut Director.[3] Atlee's latest directorial film is Theri, which has an ensemble cast; Vijay, Samantha, Baby Nainika and Amy Jackson has became highest grossing tamil film for the year 2016 crossing 150 crores worldwide within 15 days and still steady at box office.[4]
Atlee's next directorial venture has not be finalized. However the director has revealed that he is contemplating a debut in Malayalam cinema.[5]
Personal life
Atlee's married to actress Krishna Priya in November 2014.[6] He had known her for nearly eight years.[7]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Cast | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Raja Rani | Arya, Jai, Nayanthara, Nazriya Nazim | Yes | No | Edison Award for Best Debut Director Vijay Award for Best Debut Director SIIMA Award for Best Debut Director |
| 2016 | Theri | Vijay, Samantha, Amy Jackson | Yes | No |
References
- ↑ Y. Sunita Chowdhary. "Atlee displays his chops". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Raja Rani crosses 50 crore mark". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ↑ "8th Annual Vijay Awards a grand success". The Times of India. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Vijay plays an emotional cop in Theri: Atlee". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/mollywood/230316/theri-has-kerala-links-atlee.html
- ↑ "Atlee- Krishna Priya Wedding Reception Photos". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Director Atlee is engaged to his Rani, Krishna Priya". Behindwoods. 20 January 2016.