R. Thyagarajan (died 1 July 2018) was an Indian writer, producer and director who worked in

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Ch ...

Film career

Thyagarajan grew up in Pollachi in an extended family of 23 people, and had four sisters and four brothers. After studying in Pollachi, he went on to study chemistry in Peelamedu, with the intention of becoming a chemist. After his marriage in 1966, he began to work on the productions of his father-in-law,

Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar Sandow Marudur Marudachalamurthy Ayyavoo Chinnappa Thevar (28 June 1915 – 8 September 1978) was a film producer of Tamil cinema in the mid-1950s through the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for his films featuring animals, and has produced nu ...

Devar Films Sandow Marudur Marudachalamurthy Ayyavoo Chinnappa Thevar (28 June 1915 – 8 September 1978) was a film producer of Tamil cinema in the mid-1950s through the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for his films featuring animals, and has produced nu ...

. He initially worked on the story-discussion panel teams in 1968 and progressed to the editing department. In the late 1960s, he worked as an assistant director and as an associate editor in the films, '' Haathi Mere Saathi'' (1971) and ''

Nalla Neram ''Nalla Neram'' () is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language film, directed by M. A. Thirumugam and produced by Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and K. R. Vijaya. It is a remake of the 1971 Hindi film '' Haathi Mere Sa ...

'' (1972). His first directorial venture was ''

Vellikizhamai Viratham ''Vellikizhamai Viratham'' ( ) is a 1974 Indian Tamil-language devotional film, directed by R. Thyagarajan in his debut and produced by Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar under Dhandayudhapani Films. The film stars Sivakumar, Jayachitra and Jay ...

'' (1974), which portrayed the bond between the female protagonist and her deity, the Naga-Devatha. The film starring

Sivakumar Palaniswamy Gounder (born 27 October 1941), better known by his stage name Sivakumar, is an Indian visual artist and former actor who has appeared in Tamil cinema and television. He made his acting debut in '' Kaakum Karangal'' (1965) and has ...

, performed well at the box office and was later remade in Hindi and Telugu. Over the course of his career, he was closely associated with Devar Films, eventually going on to make over 30 films. He made 11 films with

Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...

in the lead role, including the Tamil-Telugu bilinguals ''

Annai Oru Aalayam ''Annai Oru Aalayam'' () is a 1979 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language adventure film directed by R. Thyagarajan (director), R. Thyagarajan. It was simultaneously shot in Telugu language, Telugu with the title ''Amma Evarikaina Amma'' (). The ...

'' (1979) and ''

Anbukku Naan Adimai ''Anbukku Naan Adimai'' () is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by R. Thyagarajan and produced under the Devar Films banner by C. Dhandayuthapani. It stars Rajinikanth, Vijayan, Surulirajan, Thengai Srinivasan, Asokan, ...

'' (1980), the crime drama '' Ranga'' (1982), and the Hindi film ''

Bewafai ''Bewafai'' is a 1985 Hindi film starring Rajesh Khanna and Rajinikanth. The film was directed by R. Thyagarajan. Bewafai grossed Rs 11.95 crore at the box office in 1985. The film was a box office success.https://blogbuster.tatasky.com/loo ...

'' (1985). Several of the films produced under the Devar Films banner featured animals such as lions, snakes and elephants in pivotal scenes, and Thyagarajan became renowned for handling the shoot.

Personal life

In 1966, Thyagarajan married T. Subbulakshmi. He subsequently became the son-in-law of Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar. He had two children, son Vel Muruga and daughter Shanmugha Vadivu.

Death

Thyagarajan died on 1 July 2018 following a heart attack.

Partial filmography

;Director

References

External links

* {{R. Thyagarajan (director) 2018 deaths Year of birth missing 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Film directors from Tamil Nadu Tamil film directors Tamil screenwriters