From PS Mithran to Arunraja Kamaraj, Promising directors who made a mark in 2018

2018 has been an amazing year for the newer filmmakers as almost all of their films managed to get noticed. Though a few films didn’t do well at the box office, they received critical acclaim. We look at the promising directors who made a mark for themselves this year…

PS Mithran

PS Mithran impressed the audience with his technological thriller Irumbu Thirai, featuring Vishal, Samantha and Arjun. The film, which was about a military man going after a cyber criminal, had a gripping screenplay. Soon after the release of Irumbu Thirai, the director has been roped in to helm a film featuring Sivakarthikeyan.

Elan

Though Pyaar Prema Kaadhal wasn’t a perfect love story, debutant director Elan grabbed a lot of attention by bringing together Bigg Boss fame Harish Kalyan and Raiza Wilson for his film. The film, a take on contemporary romance, was the first production venture of music director Yuvan Shankar Raja, and was well-liked by youngsters. Thanks to its success at the box office, the film is all set to be remade in Hindi.

Ajay Gnanamuthu

Ajay Gnanamuthu, who made Demonte Colony in 2015, was back with a bang with Imaikkaa Nodigal. The director managed to keep the suspense intact in this twisty thriller, which starred Nayanthara, Atharvaa, Anurag Kashyap and Raashi Khanna.

Nelson Dilipkumar

Nelson Dilipkumar debuted with Kolamaavu Kokila, starring Lady Superstar Nayanthara, and impressed the public and critics with the film’s unique genre — black comedy. The story revolved around a middle-class girl turning into a drug pusher to save her mother, who suffers from cancer. Nelson had previously worked as a program director in a private TV channel.

Lenin Bharathi

Lenin Bharathi shot to fame with the critically acclaimed Merku Thodarchi Malai, which was produced by Vijay Sethupathi. Though, the film was not a hit, the director certainly made a mark, with his film receiving rave reviews from critics and people from film industry. The film revolves around the life and times of a group of people living along the foothills of the Western Ghats. The film had music by Ilaiyaraaja.

Mari Selvaraj

Mari Selvaraj debuted with Pariyerum Perumal, produced by Pa Ranjith. The film, which starred Kathir, Anandhi and Yogi Babu, went on to become a hit and received positive reviews from public and critics alike. The film is about a law student belonging to the so-called lower caste getting into a friendship with his classmate, a girl from a so-called higher caste, and how that affects his life. The film was chosen to be screened at International Film Festival of India. Impressed with the film, Dhanush has announced his next film with the director.

C Prem Kumar

96, featuring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha, redefined love stories. The films received extremely good reviews from the public and the critics and went on to become a superhit. Cinematographer-turned director C Prem Kumar gave a beautiful love story about two lovers who manage to spend a night together reminiscing about their school days. The director also faced plagiarism charges, which he handled very confidently. The film created a buzz when it was premiered on a television channel even while it was running successfully in theatres.

Ram Kumar

Director Ram Kumar, who made the quirky Mundasapetti in 2014 gave us the sensational thriller Ratsasan in 2018. The film, which secured the second spot in the top 10 Indian films of 2018 on IMDB, is about a rookie cop who has to hunt down a clever psycho killer, and kept the audience hooked till the end. Ram Kumar has also signed on to do one of Dhanush’s next films, which will be a fantasy comedy.

Arunraja Kamaraj

Kanaa, featuring Aishwarya Rajesh and Sathyaraj, received good reviews for having the right balance of entertainment and message in a commercial film. Debutant director Arunraja Kamaraj, who is also an actor, lyricist and also a singer, presented the film, highlighting the struggles of farmers and women cricketers, with quiet confidence.