Mahendran

Mahendran was born on 25 July 1939 in Ilayangudi, a town in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. His father, Joseph Chelliah, was a teacher and his mother, Manonmani, was a homemaker. He had a brother, Rajesh, who became a film producer. Mahendran did his schooling in Ilayangudi and completed his intermediate at American College, Madurai. He then joined Alagappa Government Arts College to do a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He was interested in drama and literature from his childhood and participated in many stage plays. He was inspired by the works of Tamil writers like Pudhumaipithan, Jayakanthan and Balakumaran. Mahendran started his career as a screenwriter for the film Naam Moovar in 1966. He wrote scripts for many successful films, such as Thangappadhakkam, Aadu Puli Aatam, Uthiripookkal and Nenjathai Killathe. He made his directorial debut with Mullum Malarum in 1978, which starred Rajinikanth and Sarath Babu. The film was a critical and commercial success and established Mahendran as one of the leading filmmakers of Tamil cinema. He was known for his realistic and humanistic approach to filmmaking, which influenced many directors who followed him. He also introduced new techniques and styles of narration, such as flashbacks, voice-overs and montages. He collaborated with actors like Kamal Haasan, Sivaji Ganesan, Sridevi, Revathi and Archana, and composers like Ilaiyaraaja and M. S. Viswanathan. Some of his notable films are Johnny, Nandu, Kai Kodukkum Kai, Metti, Mounam Kalaikirathu, Uthiri Pookkal and Nenjathai Killathe. Mahendran also acted in films during the later part of his career. He made his acting debut with Kamaraj in 2004, where he played the role of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy. He then appeared in films like Theri, Nimir, Seethakaathi, Petta and Kanne Kalaimaane. He received positive reviews for his performances and proved his versatility as an actor. He also mentored many young filmmakers and actors, such as Mani Ratnam, Bharathiraja, Balu Mahendra, Karthik Subbaraj and Vijay Sethupathi. He was honoured with many awards and accolades, such as the National Film Award, the Filmfare Award, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the News 18 Magudam Awards. Mahendran was married to Jasmine Mahendran, a former actress. They had a son, John Mahendran, who is also a film director and screenwriter. Mahendran died on 2 April 2019 at the age of 79, due to cardiac arrest. He was cremated at the Kannammapet cemetery in Chennai. His death was mourned by many celebrities and fans, who paid tribute to his legacy and contribution to Tamil cinema.