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Happy Birthday Bala: A look at the marvelous director's journey

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on - Jul 11, 2021, 08:00 IST
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Happy Birthday Bala: A look at the marvelous director's journey

Director Bala is a filmmaker who has made his own mark in Tamil cinema by delivering some classic films. In his career spanning over two decades, Bala has directed only nine films. He has shaped the careers of several actors and has delivered some timeless films. The talented director is celebrating his birthday today, on this special occasion, let’s take a look at the marvelous director's journey.


Pic Courtesy - Twitter

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Small town, big dreams

Bala's native town is Periyakulam in the Theni district, and he came to Chennai with cinema dreams. He was introduced to director Balu Mahendra by lyricist Arivumathi. Bala then worked as an assistant to Balu Mahendra in several films to develop his skills.


Pic Courtesy - Twitter

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Trusting the audience

Bala debuted as a director with the 1999 romantic drama 'Sethu' starring Vikram, and the film received a massive response. Although 'Sethu' worked wonders in the cinemas, he had struggled a lot prior to the release as more than 60 distributors refused to take the film due to the film's sad ending. However, Bala didn't lose his hope as he strongly believed that the audience would love the film.


Pic Courtesy - Twitter

4/6

Venturing into production

After delivering back-to-back hits, Bala earned popularity. The filmmaker later stepped into production and backed Suriya starrer 'Maayavi', which was directed by Singampuli. Bala continues to produce films with good content and his next production venture is RK Suresh starrer 'Visithiran'.


Pic Courtesy - Twitter

5/6

Ups and downs

Bala has delivered several heart-touching films, however, he lost his cool when director Bharathiraja accused him of story theft. The controversy led to rivalry between the two talented directors. Bala’s recent directorial was shelved, however, the fans are expecting that the filmmaker would bounce back stronger.


Pic Courtesy - Twitter

6/6

Award-winning filmmaker

Bala has not only won the hearts of cinephiles but also impressed the cinephiles through his films. The acclaimed filmmaker has won many awards accolades including the National Film award and state film awards.


Pic Courtesy - Twitter

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Copyright © Jun 11, 2026, 08.44AM IST Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service