Agathiyan
Indian film director (born 1952)
title: "Agathiyan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "tamil-film-directors", "tamil-nadu-state-film-awards-winners", "filmfare-awards-south-winners", "best-director-national-film-award-winners", "hindi-language-film-directors", "tamil-screenwriters", "tamil-film-producers", "20th-century-indian-dramatists-and-playwrights", "21st-century-indian-dramatists-and-playwrights", "best-original-screenplay-national-film-award-winners", "1952-births", "tamil-television-directors"] description: "Indian film director (born 1952)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathiyan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indian film director (born 1952) ::
::data[format=table title="infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Agathiyan |
| image | Agathiyan at the ‘Kennedy Club’ Audio Launch.jpg |
| caption | Agathiyan at the "Kennedy Club" film Audio Launch |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Peravurani, Thanjavur district, Madras State (now Tamil Nadu), India |
| occupation | |
| spouse | |
| children | Kani Thiru |
| Vijayalakshmi Agathiyan | |
| Niranjani Ahathian | |
| relatives | Thiru (son-in-law) |
| | yearsactive | 1991 – present | ::
| name = Agathiyan | image = Agathiyan at the ‘Kennedy Club’ Audio Launch.jpg | caption = Agathiyan at the "Kennedy Club" film Audio Launch | birth_date = | birth_place = Peravurani, Thanjavur district, Madras State (now Tamil Nadu), India | occupation = | spouse = | children = Kani Thiru Vijayalakshmi Agathiyan Niranjani Ahathian | relatives = Thiru (son-in-law)
Desingh Periyasamy (son-in-law) | yearsactive = 1991 – present
Agathiyan (born 18 August 1952; ) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, lyricist, and actor. He was the first director in Tamil cinema to win the National Film Award for Best Direction for Kadhal Kottai (1996). For the film, he also won National Film Award for Best Screenplay and Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil.
Career
Agathiyan, a director in his late forties entered films a decade back and struggled as an assistant to various directors. Hailing from a agriculturist family, he spent a happy-go-lucky time in college, and when he decided to pack his bags and come to Chennai to try his luck in films as a director, he lost his family's support. Struggling with no money, he did odd jobs in film companies and became an assistant to anyone who offered him food and shelter.
He wrote story for Ramarajan starrer Manasukketha Maharasa under the name Karunanidhi Santharam and initially directed a film called Mangalyam Thanthunanena in 1991 and was credited as Ravi Thasan but it was unsuccessful. Anbalaya Prabhakaran, who acted in that movie and also produces small budgeted films with new directors, gave Ahahtian his second break as a director with Madhumathi, a teenage love story with new faces. The film was a big hit. He was back to where he started, but again fate had bigger things in store for him. Sivasakthi Pandian, a film distributor turned producer, produced Vaanmathi with Ajith and Swathi. The film was a hit. Next came Kadhal Kottai from the same banner and Ahahtian became the toast of the industry. Offers poured in for films.
In late 2014, he began work on an untitled project produced by Bharathiraja starring Santhosh Prathap, Oviya, Vijayalakshmi and Manoj Bharathiraja, but the film was later shelved. He has served as jury member at 57th National Film Awards.
Personal life
He married Radha in 1978. Kani Thiru is a winner of Vijay TV's Cook With Comali (Season 2). His second daughter Vijayalakshmi Agathiyan is an actress and is married to film director Feroz. His younger daughter Niranjani Ahathian is a costume designer and actress who is married to director Desingh Periyasamy.
Filmography
- Note: all films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
As film director
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Mangalyam Thanthunane | Tamil | Credited as Ravi Thasan |
| 1993 | Madhumathi | ||
| 1996 | Vaanmathi | ||
| Kadhal Kottai | |||
| Gokulathil Seethai | |||
| 1997 | Vidukathai | ||
| 1998 | Kaadhal Kavithai | ||
| 1999 | Sirf Tum | Hindi | credited as Ahathian |
| 2001 | Hum Ho Gaye Aapke | ||
| 2002 | Kadhal Samrajyam | Tamil | Unreleased film |
| 2003 | Ee Abbai Chala Manchodu | Telugu | Credited as Agastyan |
| 2004 | Ramakrishna | Tamil | |
| 2005 | Selvam | Also producer | |
| 2008 | Nenjathai Killadhe | ||
| :: |
As writer
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Credited as | Notes | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Manasukketha Maharasa | Credited as Karunanidhi Santharam | ||
| 1992 | Pondatti Rajyam | |||
| 1998 | Santhosham | |||
| :: |
As an actor
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Kadhal Kottai | Cameo | |
| Gokulathil Seethai | |||
| 1999 | Poovellam Kettuppar | Himself | |
| 2001 | Vinnukkum Mannukkum | Cameo | |
| 2007 | Agaram | Thiru's father | |
| 2011 | Avargalum Ivargalum | Dr. Thamizhvanan | |
| Maithanam | Velu | ||
| 2018 | Mr. Chandramouli | Ramamurthy | |
| :: |
Television
Director
::data[format=table]
| Year | Serial | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Pugazh | DD Podhigai | |
| :: |
Actor
::data[format=table]
| Year | Serial | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-present | Moondru Mudichu | Sun TV | |
| :: |
As lyricist
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Song(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Kadhal Kottai | All songs | |
| 1996 | Gokulathil Seethai | All songs | |
| 1997 | Vidukathai | Idhayam Idhayam, Meenakshi Kaiyil, Kidaichuruchu | |
| 1998 | Santhosham | All songs | |
| 2002 | Kadhal Samrajyam | All songs | |
| 2004 | Ramakrishna | All songs | |
| 2005 | Selvam | All songs | |
| 2008 | Nenjathai Killathe | All songs | |
| 2020 | Meendum Oru Mariyathai | Kozhandhan Peru | |
| :: |
Awards
- 1997 – Best Direction – Kadhal Kottai
- 1997 – Best Screenplay – Kadhal Kottai
- 1997 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Kadhal Kottai
- 1997 – Best Director – Kadhal Kottai
- 1996 – Best Director – Kadhal Kottai
References
References
- (21 October 2016). "Director Agathiyan's wife Radha passes away".
- "IndiaGlitz — Agathiyan on the move — Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz.com.
- Dhananjayan, G.. (2014-11-03). "PRIDE OF TAMIL CINEMA: 1931 TO 2013: Tamil Films that have earned National and International Recognition". Blue Ocean Publishers.
- (22 December 2001). "Tamil Star — Profile". Archive.org.
- (4 April 2021). "70/80/ 90's Kids... இந்த சினிமா பாட்டு நினைவில் இருக்கா..?".
- "Welcome To Sify.com". Sify.com.
- (25 September 2015). "Agathiyan to direct Bharathiraaja's film". ChennaiOnline.com.
- "57th National Film Awards". Directorate of Film Festivals.
- "Thoranai, Vishal and Thiru — Behindwoods.com — Tamil Movies News — Thoranai Vishal Agathiyan". Behindwoods.com.
- "புகழ் | Pugazh | Epi - 1 #IndianClassics #TamilSerial".
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