Arun Kumar (born 21 September 1986), known

mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

as Atlee, is a film director, screenwriter and producer best known for his work in

Indian film The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, ...

s. He initially worked as an assistant director under S. Shankar in the films '' Enthiran'' (2010) and ''

Nanban Nanban may refer to: Japan * Nanban art, Japanese art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries influenced by contact with the Nanban * Nanban trade or the , was a period in the history of Japan from the arrival of Europeans in 1543 to the ...

'' (2012). He made his directorial debut with the film '' Raja Rani'' starring ''

Nayanthara Diana Mariam Kurian, known professionally as Nayanthara, is an Indian actress and film producer who is known for her work in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She was in the '' Forbes India'' "Celebrity 100" 2018 list, with her total annual ...

, Nazriya,

Arya Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...

and Jai,'' produced by

Fox Star Studios Star Studios (formerly known as Fox Star Studios) is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney Star, part of the Disney International Operations segment of The Walt Disney Company. Th ...

, for which he was awarded Best Debut Director by

Vijay Award The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...

and Tamil Nadu State award for best dialogue writer. Following the success of his debut film, he went on to direct his next film '' Theri (2016)'' starring actor Vijay as the lead. He directed his films '' Mersal'' (2017) and ''

Bigil ''Bigil'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language sports action film written and directed by Atlee and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram under the banner AGS Entertainment. The film stars Vijay in the titular role. It also stars Nayanthara, Jacki ...

'' (2019), also featuring actor Vijay. Atlee's upcoming film is '' Jawan'' (2023) starring

Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood ...

Career

Atlee began his career at the age of 19, as an assistant director to director S. Shankar for the films '' Enthiran'' (2010) and ''

'' (2012), a remake of the Hindi film ''

3 Idiots ''3 Idiots'' (stylized as ''3 idiots'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Adapted loosely from Ch ...

''. His short film ''Mugaputhagam'' (2011) received a massive response from the public and throughout various media platforms. In 2013, Atlee went on to make his directorial debut with '' Raja Rani,'' a romantic comedy ''film,'' produced by

AR Murugadoss Murugadoss Arunasalam (born 25 September 1974), commonly known as A. R. Murugadoss, is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in the Tamil film industry. He is best known for directing action films mainly on ...

, Fox star studios and Next Big Films, starring

, Jai,

Nazriya Nazim Nazriya Nazim (born 20 December 1994) is an Indian actress, producer and former television presenter who works predominantly in Malayalam films in addition to Tamil films. She has won One Filmfare Award South, one Kerala State Film Awards, an ...

and

Sathyaraj Rangaraj Subbiah (born 3 October 1954), professionally known as Sathyaraj, is an Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality who has predominantly appeares in Tamil cinema and Telugu Cinema. His 240 films also include works in Mal ...

. ''Raja Rani'' earned over 150 crores at the box office and won him the Best Debut Director award from

Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held i ...

. Following ''Raja Rani 's'' success'','' Atlee went on to direct his next hit film '' Theri ( 2016 )'' an emotional action thriller, produced by

Kalaipuli S. Thanu Kalaipuli S. Thanu is an Indian film producer, director and distributor, known for his films in Tamil cinema. He has produced several films through his two companies, V Creations and Kalaipuli Films International. Many of his films have been co ...

, starring actor Vijay ,

Samantha Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Spe ...

and

Amy Jackson Amy Louise Jackson (born 31 January 1992) is a British actress and model known for her work in Indian films, predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu languages. A former Miss Teen World, Jackson has appeared in over fifteen films. She made he ...

in the lead roles''.'' The film released worldwide receiving positive reviews from critics who praised the cast performances, soundtrack and the making of the film. Grossing over 200 crores at the box office, the film emerged as a commercial success and became the second highest grossing Tamil and South Indian film of 2016. It further won three

SIIMA South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to apprec ...

awards, three

IIFA Utsavam The annual IIFA Utsavam rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. The ceremony is organised by Wizcraft International, the team behind the IIFA Awards, and represents Tamil cinema, Telugu cinema, Malay ...

awards and nine nominations at the 64th

Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...

awards south. In 2017, Atlee went on to direct ''Mersal'' , an action film, produced by ''Thenandal Studio Ltd''. starring Vijay, and

Nithya Menen Nithya Menen (born 8 April 1988) is an Indian actress and singer who has acted in more than 50 feature films and in six different languages: Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, English, and Telugu.In her acting career, Nithya has won three Film ...

while

S. J. Surya S. Justin Selvaraj, known by his stage name S. J. Suryah is an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, composer, producer and music director who has worked predominately in Tamil film industry. He sought to become an actor but started out d ...

Vadivelu Kumaravadivel Natarajan (born 12 September 1960), known professionally as Vadivelu, is an Indian actor, comedian and playback singer, having acted in supporting and lead roles in Tamil cinema. He gained widespread acclaim in Kollywood in the ...

Hareesh Peradi Hareesh Peradi is an Indian actor who predominantly acts in Malayalam and Tamil films. Career He is also a well-known theatre artist in Kerala, having made a mark in stage and also in TV and cinema. Even though he has acted in 36 films so far ...

Kajal Aggarwal Kajal Aggarwal (born 19 June 1985) is an Indian actress and model who mainly appears in Telugu and Tamil language films, in addition to a few Hindi films. Aggarwal has worked in more than 50 films and also received two South Indian Internatio ...

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly: Samantha Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She is a recipient of several awards, including four South Filmfare Awards, six South Indian I ...

and

Kovai Sarala Kovai Sarala is an Indian actress and comedian, who prominently plays supporting roles in Tamil and Telugu films. She has won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian three times, for her performances in '' Sathi Leelavathi'' (1995), '' ...

appear in pivotal supporting roles. The film was a commercial success becoming one of the highest-grossing films in Tamil cinema, grossing more than 250 crores worldwide. It is also a recipient of various accolades. The film was released on 6 December 2018 in China by HGC Entertainment. Due to demand, the film was screened at the largest cinema theatre in Europe Grand Rex, France. The film was screened at the

Hainan International Film Festival The Hainan International Film Festival () is a film festival held in Sanya, Hainan, China. The inaugural festival was held from December 9 to 16, and included forums, ceremonies, and competitions. Actor Jackie Chan is the promotional ambassador ...

Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...

, China and at the

Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurated ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Atlee soon directed his next film ''

,'' an action film, produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram under the banner

AGS Entertainment AGS Entertainment is an Indian film production, distribution company and multiplex chain in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was established in 2006 by three brothers Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S.Ganesh and Kalpathi S. Suresh. History AGS Entertain ...

. The film stars Vijay in the

titular role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

along with

Jackie Shroff Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff (born 1 February 1957), popularly known as Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor and former model. He has been in the Bollywood industry for over four decades, and , has appeared in over 220 films in 13 languages namely Hi ...

Vivek Vivek (or Bibek/Bivek in some regions) (विवेक in Devanagari script) is a masculine given name that is popular in South Asia, particularly in India and Nepal. It is of Sanskrit origin and means "wisdom" and/or "conscience". Vivek may refe ...

and Kathir in other prominent roles. The film marked as the third collaboration of Vijay and Atlee after ''Theri'' and ''Mersal.'' The film has music composed by the Academy Award winning music composer ''A.R Rahman.'' ''Bigil'' emerged as the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2019, collecting ₹285–300 crore upon its release, it further became the one of the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time and Vijay's highest-grossing film in his career. The film also won two awards each at the

Zee Cine Awards Tamil The Zee Cine Award (ZCA) is an Indian awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. They were instituted in November 1997 to award "Excellence in cinema - the democratic way". They were first held in Mumbai until 2004, when the ZCA went internat ...

Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards is an annual awards ceremony for people in the Tamil film industry. It is presented by the Tamil language weekly magazine ''ananda vikatan ''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published fr ...

, three

Edison Awards Edison Awards is an American company that runs an annual competition honoring excellence in innovation in a broad range of categories. Company The Edison Awards were established by the American Marketing Association in 1987 and has been an in ...

and a

SIIMA Award South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to apprec ...

. He also ventured into producing films. In 2017, Atlee along with his wife ''Priya Atlee'', started their own production house called " A for Apple Production ". and jointly produced their first film with

. The film ''

Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae ''Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film written and directed by Ike, and produced by Fox Star Studios and Atlee under his production house 'A for Apple Productions'. The film stars Jiiva, Sri ...

,'' a horror comedy film is written and directed by Ike. The film stars

Jiiva Amar Choudary (born 4 January 1984), known professionally as Jiiva, is an Indian actor and film producer who works mainly in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi films. He is the youngest son of film producer R. B. Choudary. He began his career as a ...

Sri Divya Sri Divya (born 1 April 1993) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Tamil and Telugu films. She won Nandi Award for Best Child Actress for ''Bharati'', a Telugu film in 2006. Early life Sri Divya was born in Hyderabad of present-day ...

, and Soori in the lead roles while

Radha Ravi Madras Rajagopalan Radhakrishnan Ravi (born 29 July 1952) is an Indian actor and politician who played supporting roles throughout his career. He is the son of actor M. R. Radha and the uncle of Vasu Vikram and half-brother of Raadhika. He is a ...

Raadhika Sarathkumar Raadhika Sarathkumar is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, producer and politician who works predominantly in Tamil cinema along with Telugu cinema as well as a few Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the founder and CP of the Radaan Me ...

, and

Thambi Ramaiah Thambi Ramaiah is an Indian actor, director and comedian who works in the Tamil film industry. He has also worked occasionally as a lyricist. He directed three films, ''Manu Needhi'' (2000), '' Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan'' (2008) and '' Mani ...

play supporting roles. The film's music was composed by

Vishal Chandrasekhar Vishal Chandrasekhar is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer, who has predominantly scored music for Tamil and Telugu films. Career Vishal started playing the keyboard aged six and began to give solo shows by the time he was ten years ...

. In 2020, A for Apple productions produced yet another film Andhaghaaram, a

supernatural horror Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

written and directed by V. Vignarajan. The film is produced by Priya Atlee, alongside Sudhan Sundaram and Jayaram under their banner Passion Studios and K. Poornachandra's O2 Pictures. The film stars

Arjun Das Arjun Das is an Indian actor who works in Tamil films. Best known for his role as ''Anbu'' in the film ''Kaithi'' (2019), he has garnered major attention for his bass-baritone voice. Arjun made his acting debut in the suspense thriller '' Pe ...

Vinoth Kishan Vinoth Kishan is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam language films. He made his debut as a child artiste in Bala's ''Nandha'' (2001), before playing villain in '' Naan Mahaan Alla'' and ''Vidiyum Munn''. Career Vi ...

, and Kumar Natarajan in lead roles along with

Pooja Ramachandran Pooja Ramachandran is an Indian actress, VJ and model. After her studies, she participated in beauty pageants, winning the 'Miss Coimbatore 2004' title and was the runner up for Miss Kerala 2005. She then went on to become a VJ at SS Music befo ...

and

Misha Ghoshal Meesha Ghoshal is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil films. After making her debut in the Tamil film '' Pokkisham'' (2009), she has appeared in ventures including A. R. Murugadoss's ''7aum Arivu'' and Atlee's '' Raja Rani''. ...

in supporting roles. The film was released on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

on 24 November 2020.

Personal life

Atlee married actress Krishna Priya on 9 November 2014.

Filmography

As director, writer and producer

Guest appearances

Accolades

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atlee Artists from Madurai Living people 21st-century Indian film directors Tamil-language film directors South Indian International Movie Awards winners 1986 births