vetrimaran director movies

Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked

Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran belongs to one of those breeds of director whose tight scripts, apt casting, and realistic treatment of storyline has made fundamental changes to the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. His films are made for a multi-cultural audience and backed by the strength of their storytelling and sculpted dialogue, which has reinvigorated the art of popular cinema with a breath of fresh air.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Every Lijo Jose Pellissery Film Ranked

Each of the films is imbued with a powerful, coherent aesthetic that guides viewers through a dark matrix. At its best, it augments a captivating narrative and sinks viewers into a world of social realism of rural Tamil Nadu. Even urban reality is being depicted showcasing more fallible and life-like characters. The cinema of the carnivalesque with its larger-than-life characters, melodramatic orientation and highly romanticized canvas is something that does not whet his appetite for creativity.

With a filmography of five features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as the most one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style involves artistically thriving with a soothing pace lending itself to an atmospheric work filled with oneiric undertones. Some viewers may find his films brutal and gut wrenching as it gets; yet, despite its ruthless depiction, it’s also surprisingly heartwarming.

5. Polladhavan (2007)

Vetrimaaran’s debut feature film opens up with a gruesome and brutal fighting sequence and then using the device of flashback, the filmmaker takes us into the dynamic world of contemporary Chennai, where an educated young man, Prabhu ( Dhanush ) fight injustice and in the process is forced to unleash the animal within him.

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

The protagonist of the film is an uneducated youth who due to turn of events confronts his father (Murali) and an argument regarding the responsibilities of parents towards their offspring ensues. As a result of this conflict, Prabhu gets a hefty amount from his father and he uses the money to purchase a Bajaj Pulsar bike. This appears to be a wise investment because owning the vehicle enables him to get a job and earn respect in society. But the situation takes a drastic turn when a gang of anti-socials steals his bike. Thereafter the film presents the viewers with the transformation of resilience into power and its hold over the life of an individual’s struggle to maintain his position in the harsh reality of everyday life.

The plot of the film has similarities with Wang Xiaoshuai’s Bejing Bicycle (2001). But the well worked out mise-en-scenes of Polladhavan makes it an entertaining tale of a casual urban carefree person’s conversion into a person of genuine worth and true dignity. Polladhavan was remade in Kannada as Punda, in Telugu as Kurradu starring Varun Sandesh, in Sinhala as Pravegeya, in Bengali as Borbaad (2014) and in Hindi as Guns of Banaras (2020). But none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

4. Visaranai (2016)

Based on the Tamil novel Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar, Vetrimaaran’s third outing in its first half has such brutal scenes of police torture that one could genuinely feel the bestial act of police torture. The viewers are compelled to cringe as well as empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The narrative of the film can be divided into two sections-before and after the intermission. Four migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a rich and affluent man’s bungalow. The police beat these four characters in black and blue and want them to confess. Not able to withstand the pain they agree to accept the charges. Once they are produced in the court the narrative of the film takes a twist and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Salt Of The Earth (1954) : A Landmark American Independent Cinema On The Working Class  

The filmmaker displays superb craftsmanship and commitment to an engaging dramatic tale that ends in a tragedy. The film subtly depicts that the characters in the film become a victim because of the system that protected the criminal over the accuser. It is a deeply troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran does not feel hesitant in constructing the brutal scene with ease and he is neither afraid to carve out its own unique style.

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home it had won three National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing.

Watch Visaranai (2016) on Netflix

3. asuran (2019).

What becomes the last resort for a farmer who goes on the run with his family as he is compelled to protect his son, who has murdered a wealthy upper-caste landlord in a fit of vengeance? The reply should be to fight with the oppressing forces and reclaim his identity. That is exactly what Sivasaami (Dhanush) does to break away from the uncomfortable social status he has inherited. Based on the novel Vekkai by Poomani, Vetrimaaran’s screen adaptation is so watertight that every occurrence in the screenplay feels alluring.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : Asuran (2019) Review: Rise, Asuran, Rise!

With Asuran Vetrimaaran continues his excellent cinematic flair as a director enhancing his commendable grasp on the tropes of mainstream cinema. The film also benefits from technical polish – the cinematography, background score and editing are all top-notch. Asuran too has gut-wrenching violence and prepares the viewer for the edge-of-seat tension. The narrative follows a rhythm where the plot is revealed without wasting much of the screen time. The film belongs to the genre of revenge saga told from the perspective of a lower caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfill a social purpose, for it’s hard to imagine anyone viewing Asuran and not abhorring the evil practice of casteism in our country and how it voluntarily degrade human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film had won two National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

Watch asuran (2019) on prime video , 2. vada chennai (2018).

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than a decade is the perfect recipe for a crime sage. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey that lasts for nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours and introduces them to the world of guilt, regret and vital decisions leading to loyalty turned into betrayal. The protagonist of the film Anbu (Dhanush) is an expert carrom player but his life gets entwined into the world of crime. He gets pulled into the vortex so deeply that penitence alludes to him after a point in time.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : Top Tamil Movies of 2018 and Where To Watch Them

With a multiple cast the story of the film is set in the underbellies of North Chennai as the title of the film implies and the theme of the film is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. The film blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence, investigates the nature of friendship, the ethics of vigilantism, and the nature of unhappiness. Vetrimaaran delves deeply into the minds of his tortured characters and explores how the men and women he depicts grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most basic questions about our humanity and how we relate to one another in a complex world. The stylistic elements in the film earn comparisons, bearing marked connections to several of Vetrimaaran’s other films. The film won the Best Film (People’s Choice Award) at the Pingyao International Film Festival, 2018. At the Filmfare Awards South, Dhanush won the trophy for the Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Vada Chennai (2018) Here

Watch vada chennai (2018) on disney hotstar, 1. aadukalam (2011).

As the roosters combat in the arena with each other, it becomes a fight of the egos of the individuals who own the fowl. So, when Karuppu’s rooster emerges victorious he not only earns a lot of money but also the enmity of his boss Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). And from then onwards the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after the other as the tale of loyalty, self-esteem, deception, and honor unfolds.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : 10 Great Tamil Movies You Can Stream On Netflix Right Now

In his sophomore, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu and uses realism, tradition, and contemporaneity, soaked in local flavor within the narrative structure of his tightly structured screenplay. The conflicts introduced within the plot points create tension by employing smart conventions that are able to sustain the viewer’s anticipation. The editing pattern of the film creates a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the impact of the film. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of Amores Perros (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his own style and poise within the film, which is anything by blatant copy.

Despite having strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from another region could not dare to remake the film until now. The reason being the milieu of the film is so rooted in the soil of Tamil Nadu and that makes it the best film in the oeuvre of Vetrimaaran’s impressive career. At the 58th National Film Awards, the film won five awards-Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Special Jury Award for Acting.

Special Mention: Oor Iravu (2020)

Oor Iravu is a part of the Tamil anthology drama Paava Kadhaigal (2020). Owing to its shorter running time, I have included it in the category of special mention. On the surface level of its narrative, the film depicts the tale of a daughter Sumathi (Sai Pallavi) who had eloped from her village and now she has reunited with her father Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). But as the story of the film moves forward we discover the sensitivity and intricacies of the complex human psyche of individual characters within the film.

Also, Read: Paava Kadhaigal (2020) Netflix: Sinful Filmmaking under the Garb of Hard Hitting Social Drama

Vetrimaaran treated the film with a style that is bold and innovative with the choice of a subject in which the form and content merge into one. The pacing is not fast like his other films rather it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s drastic decision had impacted the lives of various members of his family. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration but he has brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events.

There is a kind of freshness in his approach and courage displayed in choosing to build a film around the brutal concept of associating the honor of the family with the sanctity of a woman. The film ends on a depressing note as we realize that such evil things are a reality and will continue to happen unless and until the evils of casteism are not obliterated from our society.

Watch Oor Iravu (2020) on Netflix

Vetrimaaran links : imdb , wikipedia, trending right now.

Dipankar Sarkar is a freelance writer on various topics related to cinema. His articles have appeared in Scroll, The Hindu, Livemint, The Quint, The Tribune, Chandigarh, Upperstall, and vaguevisages.com amongst others.

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Viduthalai: Part 1

A police officer is recruited to capture the leader of a separatist group. A police officer is recruited to capture the leader of a separatist group. A police officer is recruited to capture the leader of a separatist group.

• Vetrimaaran
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• Trivia It's inspired from a poem of Lyrist Na.Muthukumar.
• Goofs The film is set in the late 1980s. However, when Kumaresan is introduced by Head Constable Chandran to a tea-selling undercover militant, the SBI bank's new board design---introduced after 2017, is shown. Also, near the bank, an Activa (introduced in India in the 2000s) is parked.
• Connections Features Maithili Ennai Kathali (1986)

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• Apr 4, 2023
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Why Vetrimaaran is the most interesting director in Tamil films today

Vetrimaaran is arguably among the most interesting filmmaker working in the tamil film industry. here’s documenting his rise and what it takes to be a talent like him..

His production house’s name, Grass Root Film Company, is a clear pointer to Vetrimaaran’s worldview. This Deepavali’s biggest release in Tamil Nadu is, arguably, Kodi (Flag), a political thriller he has produced that stars Dhanush in his first double role, as twin brothers. The twins may be identical but their natures are mutually exclusive. Refreshingly, Kodi casts Trisha as a feisty woman politico, giving Dhanush’s eponymous hero a run for his money.

“For a hero movie, it’s pretty decently written,” pronounces Baradwaj Rangan, film critic and associate editor at The Hindu. “There’s a conflict, there are surprises and even within a commercial film, it’s properly written and directed. It’s not some random moments strung together to get people whistling.”

The film’s premise is how politics and political interests shape communities and the quality of their life. In this case, it involves skullduggery surrounding a factory emitting toxic effluents. It could be happening not too far away from our backyards.

At the Oscars

Vetrimaaran himself, however, was conspicuous by his absence during Kodi’s promos. He has a bigger task on hand. Visaaranai (Interrogation), the part-docudrama, part-crime thriller he directed, is India’s official entry to the 89th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. So he is in the US persuading jurors take note of his film, which has some truly hairy torture scenes. The last Tamil film that made it to the Oscars was 16 years back: Hey Ram starring Kamal Haasan.

Usually, the choice of any film to represent the country at the Oscars polarises critics, but Visaaranai remains largely unchallenged. Rangan agrees. “Visaaranai was a fantastic film.”

It tells the story of innocent migrant labourers picked up and tortured by the police to extract a false confession for a fatal robbery at an influential man’s house. How the film, shot in 42 days on a Rs 2-crore budget and eventually wining three National Film Awards, got made is interesting. After his Aadukalam in 2011, Vetrimaaran had busied himself with his production ventures, Udhayam NH4, Poriyaalan and Kaaka Muttai. When he was prepared to shoot his next, the script he picked was Soodhadi, a story on gambling, proposing Dhanush in the lead role. However, the actor had to take time off to work in Balki’s Shamitabh, being shot in Mumbai.

Vetrimaaran was mooting a book adaptation when director Balu Mahendra’s assistant serendipitously presented him with Lock Up, a riveting, partly autobiographical book written by M Chandrakumar, a former autorickshaw driver. The book, which took five years to write and another four to publish, narrates his harrowing experience while in jail in (then) Andhra Pradesh.

“When I pitched the story to Dhanush, who later produced the film, I said I can only guarantee you a three-day weekend run at the box office. But it’s a low-budget venture; you’ll get your investment back,” Vetrimaaran laughs. “Dhanush was amused, but agreed to fund the project. [I thought] it’s the kind of film that would not bring in repeat audiences. I was proved wrong and it got a good three-week run.”

The author, Chandrakumar, was incarcerated for a fortnight way back in 1983. “Yet his experiences are relevant even today,” points out Vetrimaaran. “Visaaranai reflects a stark reality from which you cannot shut yourself out: that is its success. It was challenging to find the right kind of actors and locations. We employed real stuntmen who could exercise restraint while beating up the actors.”

“What was unique was that there were a lot of first-time actors in the film; that added rawness to it,” says K Hariharan, filmmaker and critic. “Actors like Samuthirakkani and Kishore were entirely on the sidelines. That made it an interesting watch.”

Astutely, the team decided to send it to international film fests right away, confident it would work with foreign audiences. Visaaranai premiered at the Orrizonti section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, a first for a Tamil film, and won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Crucially, the European audience was exposed to a hitherto unexplored form of Tamil cinema that dealt with grim reality in a non-dramatic but powerful way.

“Europeans have a different policing system. They found my narrative a bit harsh, though they were moved,” explains Vetrimaaran.

A rooted voice

It is Vetrimaaran’s preoccupation with sometimes gritty, sometimes heartwarming reality that makes this 41-year-old one of the best filmmakers of our times.

“The best thing about the regional filmmakers is that they bring in a very ‘native’ feel,” says Rangan. “Like if I watch Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat for instance, I find [elements] that remind me of Vetrimaaran. But that’s more because these filmmakers do these ‘rooted’ things very well. They give you the sense of the atmosphere, the rhythms of life in that particular environment, they take care to bring them alive.”

His critically acclaimed debut venture, Polladhavan (Ruthless Man) in 2007, followed a lower middle-class young man’s search for his stolen bike, an exercise that takes him through the seamy underworld. Four years later came Aadukalam (Arena), a Pongal release that raked in six National Film Awards. The cockfight arena was where love, ego, honour, friendship and betrayal were played out in the rustic backdrop of Madurai.

Says Manimaran, long-time friend and assistant, “Vetri used to like watching cockfights in the neighbourhood in our hometown. So he thought we could develop a story around them.”

There was no doubt about who would play the lead. “I wrote Aadukalam keeping Dhanush in mind,” says Vetrimaaran. “As an actor, he delivers exactly what I need and sometimes more. As a producer, he offers me complete freedom and does not interfere at all. He trusts me completely.”

Rangan explains the Vetrimaaran touch, “There is a world of difference in the way he uses the song and dance elements in Polladhavan and Aadukalam. They have become more organic and rooted; they’re not fantasy elements.”

“I personally prefer Aadukalam to Visaaranai, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges,” says Hariharan. “Aadukalam had a certain kind of warmth and spontaneity. Visaaranai, to me, looked rather staged.”

He explains, “Visaaranai’s [appeal across the world] is that for the first time in Tamil cinema, you see this kind of brute reality without the director taking recourse to a love story or family drama. It’s also interesting that a country like India allowed such a strongly critical film on the system. There’s no doubt that Vetrimaaran is a bold filmmaker.”

Vetrimaaran’s productive chemistry with Dhanush has paid rich dividends. The two went on to produce Kaaka Muttai (Crow’s Egg) in 2015, a subversive film poking fun at what is regarded as cool - pizzas, in this case. This little gem, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, tracks two brothers from a Chennai slum dying to taste a pizza. Directed by M Manikandan with wit, not once is the children’s dignity compromised. Their family struggles in a heartless and corrupt city and soon we find ourselves cheering for our little heroes. Kaaka Muttai pocketed two National Film Awards.

“There is a stamp of quality that people have begun to associate with Vetrimaaran, because even the films he produces are pretty decent,” says Rangan, adding that he looks for, and gets, that certain quality.

Vetrimaaran’s genius lies in shining a light on people we would not even glance at in our rat race. His films show us that ordinary people often lead extraordinary lives if only we stop to talk to them.

Smitten by cinema

Born in Cuddalore near Puducherry and raised in Ranipet, a suburban town in Vellore district, two and a half hours from Chennai, Vetrimaaran was smitten by cinema even as a child. His mother, a writer, ran a school in the area, while his father was a veterinarian. Friends remember him as a film buff who watched every movie that came to town.

“He would bunk classes and watch them, each three or four times. Then he would come to the school ground where we used to hang out until 7:30 in the evening and would retell the whole story to us. My friends and I have actually walked out of the theatre at times because the film was nowhere as good as his narration. He still has that quality,” says Manimaran, his assistant.

Vetrimaaran was in his second year of Masters in English Literature in 1999 when the now-deceased filmmaker Balu Mahendra was invited to judge a short film contest at the Loyola College, Chennai. Shortly afterwards, he attended a seminar conducted by the director and was inspired enough to assist him in Julie Ganapathy, Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam and the television series Kadhai Neram.

Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam cemented his friendship with the lead actor, Dhanush, whom he describes as his best friend. While still assisting Balu Mahendra, Vetrimaaran pitched the story of Desiya Nedunchalai, and the actor readily agreed to play the lead.

Recalls Manimaran, “Producers were not hard to come by because we had Dhanush. But a few had misgivings about how Vetri would handle the project as a newcomer. So we tossed aside that script, which I later made into Udhayam NH4.”

The initial years proved to be rough. “I was pitching different scripts to different people for three years and it was the sixth producer who okayed Polladhavan,” says Vetrimaaran on his directorial debut.

Adds Manimaran, who assisted him in the project, “After the film was edited, we were really scared to show it to the producer. We kept stalling the screening telling him it may not have come out as he expected. Finally, when he saw it, he was satisfied. We were relieved and gradually grew confident.”

Pushing for excellence

When Manimaran himself forayed into direction with Udhayam NH4 in 2013, Vetrimaaran returned the favour by stepping in as producer under his banner, Grass Root Film Company. As he puts it, “I want my production house to be a platform for good, interesting ideas. I can find a producer for my films, but others, who may be first-time filmmakers, might have innovative scripts that mainstream producers might not understand. Like Kaaka Muttai for instance.

“I produce films in partnership as I may not be able to afford the entire budget. Dhanush ends up co-producing some of them as our tastes are similar. None of my producers ever ask me for the budget. I always make sure it is within their means and I can give the desired returns.”

For someone who has been successful both commercially as critically, Vetrimaaran has directed only three films in nine years. “For me, every film is a learning process. After each, I take time to unlearn. Then I find new content, learn it completely and then execute it.”

Manimaran describes his working process thus, “Many directors make changes to the script on the spot. But Vetrimaaran is different because he pays attention to detail. He puts in a lot of effort, so there may be last-minute adjustments with lighting and locations. Unlike working with other directors, you need to be available 24 hours.”

Outside of work, the father of two, who met his wife Aarthi while at college, likes to race pigeons, pretty much like the characters he portrays. His rootedness has also led him to voice the germ of an idea: setting up an organic farm eventually.

Rangan describes grit as the definitive quality of Vetrimaaran’s films, and praises his skill in animating the atmosphere in terms of the integrity of the characters, the plot, and the texture. “The way he shapes the characters and writes them, you feel that these are not [just] individual people; you get a sense of where they come from, where they belong. [They’re] not just some random characters floating around.”

His fans are already talking about his fourth film, Vada Chennai (North Chennai), an ambitious gangster trilogy he has been planning since 2003. After undergoing several changes of scripts and stars, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul and Samuthirakkani are among those confirmed on the project that is currently under way. Slated for release next year, Vada Chennai is also bound to have the by-now classic Vetrimaaran stamp.

(Published in arrangement with GRIST Media.)

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Vetrimaaran

Producer, Writer, Director, Actor

Born September 4, 1975 in Cuddalore, Tamilnadu, India

Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut with the Polladhavan. His second feature film Aadukalam won six National Film Awards. He produces films under his production company, Grass Root Film Company. His movie Visaranai (2016) was selected as India's official entry to the Academy Awards.His film Asuran (2019) was named as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.

Filmography

Connections

Aadukalam Naren

Aishwarya Rajesh

Samuthirakani

Andrea Jeremiah

Kishore Kumar G.

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Vetrimaaran

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Viduthalai: part i, விடுதலை: பாகம் i.

Directed by Vetrimaaran

Kumaresan, a police constable, gets recruited for an operation implanted to capture Perumal Vaathiyar, who leads a separatist group dedicated to fighting against the authorities for committing atrocities against innocent village women in the name of police interrogations.

Soori Bhavani Sre Chetan Gautham Vasudev Menon Rajiv Menon Ilavarasu Munnar Ramesh Vijay Sethupathi Balaji Sakthivel Saravana Subbiah Tamizh Aryan Sardar Satya Manimegalai S. Chandran Bala Hasan Pavel Navageethan Thendral Raghunathan Sundareswaran CVC R. Ganesh Gurung Asuran Krishna R. Velraj Appukutty Surya Vijay Sethupathi

Director Director

Vetrimaaran

Co-Directors Co-Directors

Still Robert A. Jagadeesan

Producers Producers

Elred Kumar V Manikandan

Writers Writers

Vetrimaaran R. S. Durai Senthilkumar Manimaran Mathi Maran

Original Writer Original Writer

Editor editor, cinematography cinematography, additional directing add. directing.

R. S. Durai Senthilkumar Manimaran Tamizh Mathi Maran

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Art direction art direction, visual effects visual effects.

Harihara Suthan

Stunts Stunts

Peter Hein Stunt Silva

Choreography Choreography

Baba Baskar

Composer Composer

Ilaiyaraaja

Songs Songs

Ilaiyaraaja Suka

Sound Sound

T. Udayakumar

R S Infotainment Grassroot Film Company

Alternative Titles

విడుదల : పార్ట్ 1, విడుదల: పార్ట్ 1, Viduthalai Partie 1

Crime Thriller Action

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Review by Anurag Kashyap 9

Very powerful film, superb performances across board , the best opening shot I’ve seen in the longest time .. looking forward to part 2 .. Vetrimaran is our best .

Review by Michael James ★★★★ 6

Another immersive socio political period drama from Vetrimaaran. His craftsmanship and control over layered storytelling is simply stupendous. The police brutality, custodial violence and systemic oppression is portrayed in a disturbingly hard hitting manner. How media turn into a PR machine to the system for delivering manipulated incidents through social narratives were well depicted. The lead character perfectly resonates the common man dilemma, as he gets caught in between the struggle. The opening single shot sequence sets the tone straight away. And along with the final 20 minutes, they are two standout impact sequences.

Based upon a power struggle conflict between government and revolutionary activist groups, the first part sets up its world, emotional landscape and conflicts effectively with enough question…

Review by Barry Egan 2002 ★★★★ 1

Vetrimaaran, in glorious form once again, shows cop violence in its most brutal form yet, with Soori as the honest, powerless cop holding the narrative together. Absolutely not for the faint-hearted. Must-watch!

The opening sequence, a continuous shot, was extraordinary for the way the camera covered the entire location for a long duration, and also heartbreaking showing the loss of human lives. Vetrimaaran, from this sequence, tells the viewer, "Be prepared to get mind fucked". The scene reminded me of 'Atonement''s superb Dunkirk sequence. We then see Soori's introduction. Vetrimaaran, in an interview, said that he cast Soori due to his innocent looks. Although I thought a couple of lines were delivered as if he were a comedian, Soori, as…

Review by jack ★★★★★

vetrimaaran stop winning challenge

Review by Alicecharles ★★★★★

If someone had told me back that I would shout at the top of my lungs for a firing scene by Soori, i would have called it a joke but OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK !!!!!!

Review by cinema_made ★★★★ 2

The mere mention of Vetrimaran is a hypetrain for his film and Vetrimaran easily surpasses that. After a long wait, Viduthalai arrives as a special and scintillating film, that only Vetrimaran has guts to make. The film is the journey of the constable recruit, who in turn becomes rooted in the violent conflict between the police and the revolutionaries. As all the paths come together, there’s more tension and revelance of truth, that makes the character meet dark ends and change their mindsets.

Right from the start, Vetrimaaran channels the film with a strong dose of realism and raw filmmaking that keeps us in the center of the action at all times. This is definitely not a film for the…

Review by Arjun Rajput ★★★★

Vijay Sethupathi in an interrogation scene is cinema. Can't wait for the next part.

Review by joelmathew ★★★ 5

Definitely the most underwhelming Vetrimaaran film so far... although I don't know if its really fair to call it a "film" because only half the story has been told. The whole story of Vada Chennai has also not been told yet but the first film still holds on its own, this however just felt like the first half of a movie...

Also felt it was one of his weaker films technically. Vetri na is known for working on his films till literally the day before it releases. He was making dubbing corrections and changes for Vada Chennai and Asuran few days before release and this one was also no different I heard. But this time it kind of backfired. Some…

Review by Kibriya⚡ ★★★★ 9

Viduthalai was gut wrenching and gory as expected with powerful performance by Soori.  The electrifying one shot opening scene was terrific 🥵. Bring me part 2 and Vijay Sethupathi bringing fire on the screen 🔥

Cinematic parallels - Kumaresan and Desmond Doss from Hacksaw Ridge 

Vetrimaaran the real Polladhavan !

2023 Ranked Vetrimaaran Ranked

Review by sydney ★★★★★ 1

don't feel great about the gratuitous violence against women and how it's used here, it's not done especially offensively here but it is always frustrating to see it used as a shortcut to underline just how evil someone is and cliche to have women characters exist only as tools to move the male lead along. that said it's an incredible film, cried more than once, it's beautiful and soul crushing and i both can't wait to see the conclusion and am dreading it

Review by Deepak Chazhoor ★★★★½ 5

Watched FDFS.

Soori is a revelation here; easily his career best yet. Vijay Sethupathi, with his terrific screen presence and powerhouse potential as an actor, makes every scene he’s featured in, though few and far between, his own. The long takes are fantastic. Ilaiyaraaja’s work here is among his finest of late; “ Kaattumalli ” is an instant favorite. Overall, yet another great work, with its focus on its hard-hitting politics and unapologetic commentary about police brutality searing as ever, from one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. Vetrimaaran never disappoints. Can’t wait for  Part II .

Review by Jaisri Nandhini ★★★★

Love it when police brutality is ripped off of it's sugar coating Onscreen! Let's wait for the part 2!

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Vetrimaaran: ‘If you are not taking a stand, it means you are standing by the oppressor’

Filmmaker vetrimaaran in a roundtable spoke about recent tamil films and the social justice movement that they have brought about..

Director Vetrimaaran has lately been making films about oppression. Be it Asuran, a bloody tale of a socially backward farmer, or his latest film, Viduthalai Part 1, an anti-establishment film about the violence meted out by police in tribal villages, the director has been making powerful statements with his movies. Speaking about the same, Vetrimaaran, at the roundtable of Cinema Express, credited director Pa Ranjith for the movement. He also shared his thoughts on social justice, and how an individual shouldn’t shy away from standing up for the oppressed.

When asked what’s his view about people who can afford not to take a stand when it comes to issues that films like Viduthalai and Maamannan deal with, Vetrimaaran said, “Imagine a couple is fighting on the road. And the man is beating the woman. If you just pass by without interfering because it is their issue, you are supporting the man. There is no one called a by-stander. If you are not taking a stand when it comes to the issue of oppression, it means you are standing by the oppressor.”

Vetrimaaran noted that the movement of social justice happened in Tamil cinema after the rise of Pa Ranjith. “He became a force and started producing films like Mari Selvaraj’s Pariyerum Perumal. Now, everyone is trying to do their part. If you ask me if we have attained a socially equal place, I don’t think so. On top of that, we are also stuck with the problem of political correctness. Mari was telling me how it was stopping him… in a good way. But again it is a double-edged sword. We have to note how political correctness is limiting us sometimes.”

Vetrimaaran is currently working with Ilaiyaraaja for his upcoming film Viduthalai Part 2, which has Vijay Sethupathi and Soori in the lead roles.

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Director Vetrimaaran clears the air about his film with Vijay

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Vetrimaaran is an Indian Movie Director, Show display Creator, and a Movie Producer who works primarily throughout the Tamil Movie Commerce. As of 2016, Vetrimaaran has obtained 4 Nationwide awards and one film fare award. He made his directional debut by means of the movie “ Polladhavan ” which was critically acclaimed. The movie obtained launched throughout the yr 2007 and since then Vetrimaran has given many good motion pictures for the Kollywood Commerce. Check out beneath for Vetrimaaran Wiki, Biography, Age, Movies, Images and completely different particulars

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Vetrimaaran particulars.

Vetrimaran was born at Cuddalore after which moved to Ranipet. He was born on  4 September 1975 to V. Chitravel who’s a Veterinary Doctor and Megala who’s a well-known novelist. He studied at Ranipet until his 10th grade. He then moved to Loyola College in Chennai to pursue a graduation throughout the space of English Literature throughout the yr 1994. Vetrimaran discontinued his Grasp’s diploma to pursue his occupation throughout the space of filmmaking.

Initially, Vetrimaran labored as an assistant to director Balu Mahendra . Vetrimaran used to be taught 40 to 50 novels each week and help Balu Mahendra to resolve on few fascinating scenes. After working arduous, he was able to relate a story to Dhanush and he named the story as Desiya Nedunchaalai 47 nonetheless there have been a great deal of factors taking place on this movie. Later they chose the movie “Polladavan” which was a industrial hit and was able to build up higher than Vijay’s Alagiya Thamizh Magan and Suriya’s Vel .

Except for being a worthwhile film writer and director, he is moreover a worthwhile producer. The flicks he has produced has obtained many awards. His second movie “ Aadukalam ” was a masterpiece and he obtained his first nationwide award for this movie. His third movie as a director was “ Visaaranai ” which has obtained many awards and moreover it’s nominated for the academy awards as properly. Vetrimaran has as soon as extra joined hand with Dhanush to make a film named “ Vada Chennai “. The movie is in progress.

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Vetrimaaran social profile’s.

Vetrimaaran FB : https://www.facebook.com/VetriMaaranOfficial

Vetrimaaran Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/team_vetrimaaran/?hl=en

Vetrimaaran Twitter : Yet to be Updated

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04 Sep 1975

Vetrimaran is an Indian film Actor/Producer/Director, who has worked predominantly in The Tamil film industry . Vetrimaran has worked in popular movies like Vada Chennai 2 , Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu , and Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu . Vetrimaran has worked in popular movies like Vada Chennai 2 , and Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu . Vetrimaran has worked...

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Vetrimaaran

Age, biography and wiki.

Vetrimaaran (Vetri Maaran) was born on 4 September, 1975 in Cuddalore, India, is a Film director, producer, writer. Discover Vetrimaaran's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 48 years old?

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 4 September. He is a member of famous Film director with the age 48 years old group.

Vetrimaaran Height, Weight & Measurements

At 48 years old, Vetrimaaran height is 1.7 m .

Who Is Vetrimaaran's Wife?

His wife is Aarthi

Vetrimaaran Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is Vetrimaaran worth at the age of 48 years old? Vetrimaaran’s income source is mostly from being a successful Film director. He is from India. We have estimated Vetrimaaran's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets.

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Vetrimaaran is currently undertaking pre-production and scripting work for his next directorial venture, Vada Chennai, a tale on the mafia wars of North Chennai. When announced in 2009, Karthi was initially touted to play the lead role, although an official announcement from the producers in 2012 revealed that Silambarasan , Rana Daggubati , Divya Spandana and Andrea Jeremiah would essay pivotal roles in the film. The director also revealed that his fourth venture would see him recombine with Dhanush yet again. Vada Chennai released on 18 October 2018. The film opened to largely positive reviews. In 2012, Vetrimaaran also launched his own production house called the Grass Root Film Company and launched his maiden project, Udhayam - NH47 with Siddharth in the lead role and his associate Manimaran as director.

In Dec 2018, Vetrimaaran-Dhanush announced that they will take a break to shoot Asuran before commencing Vadachennai part 2. The movie was based on a Tamil novel titled 'Vekkai'.

Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. As of 2016, he has won four National Film Awards and one Filmfare Award.

In 2016, he announced a movie based on the novel 'Shoes Of The Dead' written by New Delhi based author Kota Neelima but he is yet to start its shooting.

Vetri Maaran made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Polladhavan (2007). His second feature film Aadukalam (2011) won six National Film Awards. He produces films under his production company, Grass Root Film Company. His movie Visaaranai (2016) was selected as India's official entry to Academy Awards.

Vetrimaaran has since described that he had "ample time" for he production works of Polladhavan as "Dhanush had confidence in him". Production designer Durai helped him rope in G. V. Prakash Kumar to score the film's music, while Dhanush also recommended cinematographer Velraj to Vetrimaaran after the pair had worked together in Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram. Vetrimaaran chose Kannada language actor Kishore to make his Tamil film debut after his assistant gave him rave reviews of the actor's performance in the unfinished Prashanth-starrer Petrol. The team held test shoots with both Kajal Aggarwal and Poonam Bajwa for the film and released the stills to the media, but Vetrimaaran was still unsatisfied and finished two schedules before finalising on Divya Spandana . The director revealed that there was initially an issue with the actress after she got offended by his words and did not come for the shoot for three days, before Durai intervened. The film's story was inspired partly by the lost bike of his friend Andrew and the variety of experiences he had tracking down his vehicle. Vetrimaaran revealed that when he wrote the script, he made many changes to suit the visual medium and for Dhanush on his physical attributes while playing an action hero. The film opened in November 2007 to rave reviews, with the critic from Sify.com stating that "Vetri has made his mentor proud, and his style of narration and takings are very similar to the ace director [Balu Mahendra]", labelling that the film had shades of Vittorio De Sica's 1948 Italian film, Bicycle Thieves. The reviewer from The Hindu stated that "at no point does Polladhavan sag and that writer-director Vetrimaaran has slogged through his screenplay and the result shows." The film also emerged successful commercially usurping collections of the Vijay-starrer Azhagiya Tamil Magan and the Suriya-starrer Vel and subsequently went on to win four Vijay Awards including Best Director for Vetrimaaran.

In 1999, Vetrimaaran worked as an assistant director for Kadhai Neram for Sun TV by Balu Mahendra , featuring 52 short stories for 52 episodes. In a team of 4-5 assistant directors, Vetrimaaran read around 50-60 short stories in a week and shortlist a few and present the synopsis to Balu Mahendra , who would select the required storyline. After Kadai Neram, he went on to work with Kadhir in Kadhal Virus for 2 years, whilst also working with Balu Mahendra for Julie Ganapathy and then Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam. At the time, he prepared a script for Dhanush, who has the lead hero of the films he worked in, and Dhanush immediately accepted the offer after hearing the story. The film titled Desiya Nedunchalai 47 was initially launched with Yuvan Shankar Raja as the music director and Ekambaram as the cinematographer. After he found trouble finding producers with A. M. Rathnam and Salem Chandrasekhar leaving the project after initial interest, Dhanush's sister Dr. Vimala Geetha agreed to produce the film, but she also dropped the film. Dhanush's father Kasthuri Raja finally agreed to produce the film and Kirat Bhattal was signed as heroine, while Harris Jayaraj was selected as music director. However, after two days of shoot the film was shelved and Dhanush opted to pursue other films after the surprise success of his Thiruvilayadal Arambam. The film's collapse saw Vetrimaaran approach producer Kadiresan and narrated to him the stories he had prepared but the producer did not like Desiya Nedunchaalai 47, but agreed to work on another project titled Polladhavan.

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Director Praveen Gandhi Slams Pa Ranjith And Vetrimaaran Over Films On Caste

Curated By : Entertainment Bureau

Local News Desk

Last Updated: May 13, 2024, 16:48 IST

Chennai, India

Praveen Gandhi made these controversial statements at an event.

The director also said that those who talk about caste in cinema should be excluded.

A recent statement by director Praveen Gandhi has stirred controversy in the Tamil film industry. He expressed his frustration, claiming that Tamil cinema has weakened following the rise of filmmakers like Pa Ranjith and Vetrimaaran. Pa Ranjith, who was criticised as a cultural scandal by the Tamil Nadu government’s Happy Street program, has directed a film called Kulanthai C/O Goundampalayam. At the music launch of actor Ranjith’s film in Chennai, director Praveen Gandhi and others voiced their concerns. Praveen Gandhi also said that those who talk about caste in cinema should be excluded. Ranjith countered the statement and gave a sudden twist, saying that if a film is made about caste, it will be good for society. Praveen Gandhi said, “I’ve always given statements against those directors who make caste films.Caste should never be spoken about. Nobody knows the caste of the person sitting here.”

Speaking further, Praveen Gandhi said that caste-based issues should not be created by taking what happened in history as a film. He also said that actor Ranjith is trying to extinguish the fire without blowing it out. He also warned against distorting history under the guise of abolishing caste. At the same time, he stressed that directors should not become traders based on caste. Speaking not only aggressively but also animatedly, he criticised the ever-smiling actor Ranjith as Ambala Sneha.

Praveen Gandhi’s comments on the caste have sparked a huge debate on social media. In response to the controversy, director Vetrimaaran emphasised the prevalence of caste oppression and inequality in India. He said, “If someone says that there is no caste oppression in India, he does not know where he is living. There is caste oppression and inequality all over India.”

In this matter, Hindu Munnani took to X to praise Praveen Gandhi and wrote, “In Tamil cinema, which talks about caste divisions and sows anti-Hindu ideas, directors like Praveen Gandhi talking like this is beneficial for our society.”

Praveen Gandhi is a Tamil film director and actor, known for his films like Jodi, Puli Paarvai, Thullal, and more.

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Senegal dispatch

When a Tale of Migration Is Not Just Fiction

When the director and crew of “Io Capitano” toured Senegal with their acclaimed movie, audiences responded with their life stories.

People watching “Io Capitano” in April at a screening in Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar, Senegal. Credit...

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By Elian Peltier

Photographs by Annika Hammerschlag

Reporting from a movie screening in Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar, Senegal.

• May 18, 2024

The two teenagers on the screen trudging through the endless dunes of the Sahara on their way to Europe were actors. So were the fellow migrants tortured in a bloodstained Libyan prison.

But to the young man watching the movie one recent evening in a suburb of Dakar, Senegal’s capital, the cinematic ordeal felt all too real. His two brothers had undertaken the same journey years ago.

“This is why they refused to send me money to take that route,” said Ahmadou Diallo, 18, a street cleaner. “Because they had seen firsthand how dangerous it is.”

Critics in the West have praised the film “Io Capitano” — nominated for the 2024 Academy Award for best international feature film — noting its visceral yet tender look at migration to Europe from Africa. It is now showing in African countries, and is hitting close to home in Senegal. That’s where the two main characters in the movie embark on an odyssey that epitomizes the dreams and hardships of countless more hoping to make it abroad.

Last month, the film’s crew and its director, Matteo Garrone, took “Io Capitano” to a dozen places in Senegal where migration isn’t fiction. They screened it in youth centers, in schools, even on a basketball court turned outdoor movie theater in Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar, where Mr. Diallo and hundreds of others watched it at sunset on a big screen.

“Io Capitano” tells the story of Seydou and Moussa , two endearing cousins who leave Dakar after months of planning, spending all of the savings they earned through straining work on a construction site.

But what begins as an exciting road trip quickly turns into a perilous expedition as the teenagers find themselves in the hands of careless smugglers, then under the control of armed robbers and cruel jailers, before they reach the deadliest step of their travels, the crossing of the Mediterranean.

Seydou, the lead character, ends up captaining the ship taking them and hundreds of other migrants to Italy. The movie never shows them reaching the shore, but when a helicopter from the Italian coast guard hovers over the boat, the viewer is tempted to believe that they will be rescued and that part of their troubles are over.

On the basketball court, some gasped in horror when bandits opened fire on a group of migrants on the screen. Others hid their eyes with their head scarves during scenes of torture.

“People know there’s a risk to lose their lives” in seeking to migrate to Europe, Mr. Garrone said. “But they haven’t seen what it’s like.”

Senegal’s youth make up the majority of its 17 million people, but its fast-growing economy has struggled to offer them jobs with decent pay. Thousands leave every year through the Sahara and the Atlantic Ocean , and deadly accidents are frequent. Increasingly, those who can afford it fly to Central America , hoping to reach the United States that way.

Senegal’s new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye , has promised to improve the economy by financing small businesses and strengthening traineeships in farming, fishing and industrial jobs. Natural gas and oil reserves are expected to turn the tiny coastal country into a hydrocarbon power in Africa.

But in Guédiawaye, where newly built houses sit on sandy streets next to crumbling shelters filled with flies and no access to running water, many young men said they weren’t expecting major changes.

Mr. Diallo, the street cleaner, said he wanted to join his brothers in Paris. He showed videos on his phone of himself and dozens of others in the Atlantic last summer, during one of his two previous — and unsuccessful — attempts to reach Europe.

A few feet away, Barra Gassama, 18, watched “Io Capitano” with sometimes teary eyes. A decade ago, he said, he picked up the phone at home to hear from a stranger that his older brother had died on his way to Spain. “That call changed our lives,” he said in a whisper. “This reminds me so much of him,” he added, staring at the screen.

Despite his brother’s death, Mr. Gassama’s mother later encouraged him to try to leave, too. But he said he had instead chosen to try to make it at home, working hard as a baker, earning up to $6 a day, six days a week.

In the movie, Seydou and Moussa leave Dakar without telling their families. But some of those watching the film said they were having open conversations with their relatives about migration.

Pape Alioune Ngom, 18, a welder, said a few hours before the screening that he was trying to persuade his parents to let him go to Europe. He swore that he wouldn’t leave without their blessing. “What’s there for us here?” he asked. “We all have migration in mind.”

Studies have shown that people aspiring to migrate often ignore warnings about the dangers of trying to enter countries illegally. But Mr. Garrone, the director, said the movie wasn’t intended to persuade people not to undertake the trip.

“I’m mostly hoping to help young people in Senegal realize that once they’ve left their home, they become part of a system that they can’t really get out of,” he said.

To depict the system of smugglers and exploitation, Mr. Garrone worked with Mamadou Kouassi, a social worker now working with migrants in Italy, who spent three and a half years trying to reach Europe from his native Ivory Coast. Mr. Kouassi’s experiences inspired most of Seydou’s and Moussa’s story line in the movie.

Mr. Kouassi also attended the screening, where he stared at the spectators who were laughing at the two young heroes trying to hide cash inside their bodies before beginning their trek through the Sahara.

“They have no idea how Europe and Italy are treating us on the other side,” Mr. Kouassi said.

The first tragedy in the movie followed shortly after, when a migrant fell off a pickup truck and the driver kept racing in the desert, to the horror of the other passengers grabbing onto wooden sticks to avoid meeting the same fate.

The audience fell silent.

Seydou Sarr, 19, and Moustapha Fall, 20, the two actors who play the cousins in the movie, have been touring film festivals in the West, wearing designer clothes at the Oscars and chilling in luxury hotels across Europe, a world away from the lives in Senegal they themselves left a few years ago. Their journey was a little different; they were cast in the film in Dakar, and later moved to Italy, where Mr. Garrone lives.

Mr. Sarr, who won the best young actor award at the Venice Film Festival, said he wanted to continue acting.

For now, they both live in Rome with Mr. Garrone’s mother, and Mr. Garrone said he worried about them. “They get up at 3 p.m., and my mother does the cooking and everything for them,” he said. “They’re kids.”

After the screening, Ndeye Khady Sy, the actress starring as Seydou’s mother, urged the audience to stay in Senegal. “You can succeed here,” she said.

But Mr. Ngom, the welder, had left the basketball grounds.

So had Mr. Diallo, the street cleaner, who said he would try reaching Europe for the third time this summer.

Elian Peltier is The Times’ West Africa correspondent, based in Dakar, Senegal. More about Elian Peltier

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'Back to Black' director opens up about 'noise' around Amy Winehouse biopic

“Back to Black” director Sam Taylor-Johnson is opening up about any criticism she faced while making the movie.

During a  May 17 appearance on the "TODAY" show , Taylor-Johnson was asked how she dealt with negative comments from fans who felt her biopic about Amy Winehouse’s life might’ve been “too sympathetic” or, on the other end, “exploitative in some kind of way.”

“Of course I felt the pressure, but I had to shut it out and just focus in on the movie that I wanted to make, and creatively I made the decision to go through (Winehouse’s) music and her perspective to tell the story,” Taylor-Johnson. “So, if I used her words within her songs as my kind of guidance in a way, I felt like I couldn’t go wrong because I was honoring her with her words and she was telling her own story that way.”

Taylor-Johnson shared she was aware of the “noise” around the film, saying, “You always have a friend that says, ‘Did you read’ And I’m like, ‘Don’t tell me,’ because I have to just sort of zone into the exact vision. And her telling her story just felt like honoring her.”

For the film, which came out May 17, Taylor-Johnson made the controversial decision  not to use Winehouse’s vocals . Instead, actor Marisa Abela, who plays Winehouse, can be heard singing the iconic tunes  in the trailer . This is a departure from traditional biopics like “ Bohemian Rhapsody “ which featured the late Freddie Mercury’s vocals in the movie.

When asked about the vocals in the film, Abela said she “definitely had to learn how to sing” to be in the movie.

“It was a choice as to whether we were going to use partly Amy’s voice, partly mine, but what became really clear throughout the process was that Amy was such a soulful performer,” she said. “She would change every single time depending on her mood, depending on the audience, depending on whether (ex-husband) Blake (Fielder-Civil) was there or not. So, I wanted to be able to have the freedom to express emotionally through each song what Amy was dealing with at that time.”

When the  official trailer  for “Back to Black” dropped in February, it received some criticism from social media users online.

Over on  YouTube , a person wrote in the comments that the film “won’t answer any questions or bring anything new to light. It will just dramatize an ultimately sad and painful end. Just listen to her music and let her rest in peace.”

Another said, “I think the AMY documentary captured her life and career perfectly. it had real footage of her and told her story the right way. we really don’t need an impression of her. let her rest.”

A third added, “There’s literally no one who can accurately portray her if we are honest.”

However, some fans expressed their excitement after watching the YouTube trailer.

“An old soul that burned incredibly bright and snuffed out too soon. Such a sad tragic story. Tears watching this trailer. I cant wait to see it,” one fan wrote.

Another penned, “I am 61 yrs old and I adored Amy. One of my tattoos is in memory of her. I am ecstatic that this film has been made.”

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Roger Corman, the B-movie legend who launched A-list careers, dies at 98

Cult film director Roger Corman often came up with titles before he came up with plots. His 1957 movie Attack of the Crab Monsters is one example — "I had no story," Corman told NPR's Renee Montagne in 2010 . Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images hide caption

Over the course of his half-century long career, Roger Corman filled America's drive-ins with hundreds of low-budget movies. They had titles like Sharktopus, Teenage Doll and The Terror. The trailers — and titles — were often better than the movies themselves.

But Corman was also a major figure in American independent film. The directors and actors who worked with him at the beginnings of their careers are a veritable who's who: Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Francis Ford Coppola.

"I think the task of the filmmaker is to break through and hit that horror that still remains in the unconscious mind," Corman said. "And there's a certain amount of catharsis there. He's pictured above in 2009. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images hide caption

"I think the task of the filmmaker is to break through and hit that horror that still remains in the unconscious mind," Corman said. "And there's a certain amount of catharsis there. He's pictured above in 2009.

Corman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, according to a statement released Saturday by his wife and daughters. "He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him," the statement said. "When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, 'I was a filmmaker, just that.'" He was 98.

Corman was educated at Stanford and Oxford Universities before he became the dean of grindhouse. Back in 1990, Corman told NPR about making his first film, Monster from the Ocean Floor. It was the early 1950s, and Corman had read in the newspaper about a company that had invented a miniature submarine.

"I finished breakfast, called them up, said I was an independent filmmaker and would be interested in having their submarine in my picture," he recalled.

Putting free stuff in the flicks he pumped out for cheap became Corman's trademark — along with little-known starlets in even littler outfits, filmed on the littlest of budgets. Corman's thrift was legendary.

'Corman': King Of The B's, And A Nice Guy Besides

Dick Miller acted in dozens of Corman films, including the 1955 Western Apache Woman. "I played an Indian in my first picture and about halfway through [Corman] asked me ... Would you like to play a cowboy?" Miller remembered in a Fresh Air interview in 2004. "I said, Doing another movie already? He says, No, in the same movie. So I ended up playing a cowboy and an Indian in my first movie."

Corman released as many as eight pictures a year — a breakneck pace that rivaled even major studios. Once, as a joke, he borrowed a set (for free, of course) and shot a movie in two days and one night. That hastily assembled movie was the original, black and white, Little Shop of Horrors.

"Possibly the fast pace, the insane schedule, brought something to the picture that made it the more-or-less cult film it became," Corman said.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars got their starts working on Corman films. Above, Salli Sachse and Peter Fonda are pictured on the set of The Trip, a 1966 film written by Jack Nicholson and directed by Corman. AP hide caption

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars got their starts working on Corman films. Above, Salli Sachse and Peter Fonda are pictured on the set of The Trip, a 1966 film written by Jack Nicholson and directed by Corman.

Of course, it didn't hurt that the film featured a young Jack Nicholson playing a masochistic dental patient.

Nicholson showed up in a raft of Corman pictures, including a relatively well-regarded series based on works by Edgar Allan Poe, all starring Vincent Price.

But Corman was mostly synonymous with schlock — there was The Student Nurses in 1970 (followed by several subsequent nurse-focused films), the 1966 biker gang movie The Wild Angels , and 1975's homicidal hot rod movie Death Race 2000.

"The drivers are scored not only on how fast they can drive, and how many other drivers they could hit, but also how many pedestrians they could kill," Corman bragged. "Now that was the key. The picture was the biggest success we had, ever, and it led to all kinds of jokes that entered our era."

Corman received an honorary Oscar in 2009 for producing and directing more than 300 films and fostering the careers of Ron Howard, John Sayles, Sylvester Stallone and James Cameron.

"Probably all of his movies combined would not have cost as much as Avatar, " Cameron told NPR in 2010.

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Repertoire of horrors: the films of roger corman.

Corman produced Cameron's first full-length feature, 1981's Piranha II: The Spawning, and taught him an essential lesson: "Your will is the only thing that makes the difference in getting the job done ..." Cameron said. "It teaches you to improvise, and, in a funny way, to never lose hope. Because you're making a movie, and the movie can be what you want it to be."

The movies Corman willed into being are their own loopy, glorious world of teenage cavemen, X-ray eyes and humanoids from the deep. His 300-some movies barely even rose to the level of camp. But many of Hollywood's most respected directors have at least one Corman credit buried in their resumes. And by teaching so many people how to deliver on-budget and on-schedule, Corman was arguably one of the most influential figures of American film.

In 1964 he married Julie Halloran, a UCLA graduate who also became a producer. He is survived by his wife Julie and children Catherine, Roger, Brian and Mary.

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Shocking Horror Movie ‘The Coffee Table’ Is Earning Raves From Stephen King. Its Director Wants Audiences to ‘Suffer’ and ‘Hate Me’

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The poster for the innocuously named “ The Coffee Table ” notes that it is “A Cruel Caye Casas Film.” The unique designation is certainly fitting, given the storm of controversy it’s stirring up among horror fans. The comically vague logline for the Spanish film —  new parents buy a coffee table that will change their lives forever — hides a shocking incident that happens early on. Said incident is not for the faint of heart, and director and co-writer Casas is eager to not only lean into the controversy but take willing audiences on an emotional journey of horror without monsters or the supernatural. Without spoiling the central incident, Casas explained his film to Variety , including how much he wanted to push audiences, the unique title and how he reacted when Stephen King recommended his work. (Note: This interview was conducted over email for accuracy between the Spanish and Catalan-speaking Casas and the English-speaking author.) How did the idea for this film come about?

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Who do you think the audience for this movie is? Are there some people who wouldn’t be able to handle it?

I have always thought that the film is aimed at audiences who want strong, extreme, unforgettable emotions. The horror audience is like that. I am a member of the horror audience and my great hope is to make them suffer, have a terrible time, hate me, but above all make them feel strong emotions. Now many productions are made with a lot of money that don’t make you feel anything, which is always the same, that you forget about them two days after seeing them. I think that “The Coffee Table” makes anyone who sees it feel an unforgettable experience, whether they like it or not. In fact, it is not for everyone, there are people who will not tolerate it, and I understand that.

What have audience reactions been like so far? Have you seen walkouts?

People’s response has been fucking incredible. I have gone to many festivals with the film, to many countries, and people always react by being shocked, they can’t believe what they see. Some leave the room, they can’t stand it, but there is also laughter about it. Black humor, the most macabre laugh, others feel guilty for laughing, but the majority have a very bad time, tension, anxiety. It is very fun to see the faces of the audience. In Mexico, they insulted me while watching the film. It was a joke, but they insulted me for torturing them — although, later, that same audience gave me the audience award at the Macabre Festival.

As a filmmaker, were you trying to show empathy for any of the characters, or just portray the events neutrally?

All the characters have something personal, they have something of mine, all of them. With these characters, I wanted to convey how any of our lives can change in a second, we can experience real hell and we don’t need monsters or zombies or anything to live in hell. Let everyone judge the characters as they want, I don’t, they came from my head and there is no one that is my favorite. What is important is that only the protagonist and the audience know what has happened, and that makes the tension unbearable, it makes the audience suffer as much as the protagonist, and that is what works like a time bomb.

How did you decide how much of the key incident in the movie you wanted to show onscreen?

I was clear that I did not want to make a gore film, and I was clear that imagination is an important weapon that the public has. Why show certain things when in your thinking it could be worse? You have to make the viewer’s mind work, sometimes less is more, and imagining what is happening is sometimes stronger than seeing it. It was very clear that some scenes were going to be shot out of frame, so that they could be seen as little as possible, the audience already knows that what happened is horrible.

There is lighthearted music playing during some dark moments. What was the inspiration behind that juxtaposition?

To be contradictory. When a great tragedy happens, sometimes it is better not to play the typical scary music and instead play a children’s song, as in this case. It is more disturbing, and with the composer of the OST, Bambikina, we were clear that we did not want to make the typical horror movie soundtrack, because this is not the typical horror movie. It’s different from everything, and the soundtrack had to be too.

Did you always have the ending in mind while writing the film?

What was the inspiration behind naming the film, simply, “The Coffee Table”?

All horror movies have powerful, dark, scary names. I wanted to make a terrifying film but with a harmless, ridiculous, everyday name… “The Coffee Table,” and in Spanish, “La Mesita Del Comedor.” Seriously, is a movie like that, that disturbing? The answer is yes. I also wanted to trick the viewer, I’m going to watch this movie with this silly name, and wham! They are left speechless. Besides, it is clear that the coffee table is the main protagonist of the film… don’t you think?

Do you want to focus on more horror movies and dark dramas in the future?

I have several projects for which I am looking for money. I have a very terrifying, unbearable, brutal but also philosophical one that would make horror audiences’ heads explode. It is titled “Dreams” and it is brutal. I have others that are incredible black comedies, so that people have a good time laughing at death, like a movie called “Bad Death.” Another cruel and macabre horror titled “Welcome,” another about a really disturbing television show titled “Luciferio.” But I also have films that are not 100% genre, like “Nothing Co” (which is one of my favorite stories) or “Mom’s Wish,” which is an original and different comedy. I like almost all genres, but I have a great time writing horror. Now the important thing is to find financing so that they exist and the public has fun… Is there anyone interested?

Stephen King tweeted that he loved the movie. What does it mean to have a horror master praise your work?

There is only one King of Terror, and that is Stephen King. What more can I say? That the King recommends your film to his audience, that he says that it is the darkest thing he has ever seen… It’s so exciting, it’s one of those things that I will explain to my grandchildren (although I don’t have children). It’s one of those things that you think will never happen and it does. The King has recommended an independent Spanish film shot in 10 days at a friend’s house and with a ridiculous budget. And not only the King has done it, but also teachers like [director] Mick Garris, who was the one who sent the film to Stephen King because he loved it. It’s an orgasm. I won’t tell you that I masturbated watching the King’s tweet talking about my movie (did I?), but I will die with a smile on my face just thinking about it.

“The Coffee Table” is now available on VOD. Watch the trailer below.

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