C. V. Sridhar

3. V. Sridhar (22 July 1933 – 20 October 2008) was a South Indian screenwriter and film director. He has directed nearly 60 films in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada.Sridhar hailed from Chitthamur, a village near Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu. He studied at St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School (Chengalpattu), where he began writing and staging plays while he was in Grade seven.Sridhar entered films as a dialogue writer when his play Rattha Pasam was adapted as a film. He made his debut as a director with Kalyana Parisu. He started his own production company "Chitralaya" in 1961 and made a series of commercially successful films like Nenjil Ore Alayam and Then Nilavu. The latter which had Gemini Ganesan and Vyjayanthimala in the lead was the first Tamil film to be shot in Jammu and Kashmir.[1] In all his films he used a combination of stars, melodrama and melodious songs. He has directed films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada.

Sridhar's Kaadhalikka Neramillai was one of the greatest blockbusters of Tamil film history;[citation needed]. It was later remade in Hindi with actor Kishore Kumar and Shashi Kapoor. Sridhar helped launch the career of some of the celebrities in Tamil cinema namely R. Muthuraman and Devika in Nenjil Oru Aalayam, Sreekanth, J. Jayalalithaa, Nirmala and Venniradai Moorthy in Vennira Adai (White Dress), Ravichandran, Kanchana and Rajshri in Kaadhalikka Neramillai, Jayashree in Thendralae Ennai Thodu and Vikram in Thanthu Vitten Ennai.

His Bollywood films include Nazrana (1961), Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966) and Gehri Chaal (1973). Nazrana, starring by Raj Kapoor, Vyjayanthimala, Usha Kiran and Gemini Ganesan in guest appearance, earned him Filmfare Award for Best Story.

Sridhar's films with Sivaji Ganesan include Ooty Varai Uravu, Nenjirukkum Varai, Sivantha Mann. Sivanthaman was the first color movie in tamil shooted at foreign locations. Dharti, the hindi version was released in 1970. With M. G. Ramachandran, he made Urimai Kural (which was a commercial success) and "Meenava Nanban" (which happened to be MGR's last movie).

Filmography

Kalyana Parisu (1959) Vidivelli (1960) Pelli Kanukka (1960) Meenda Sorgam (1960) Then Nilavu (1961) Punarjanmam (1961) Nazrana (1961) Sumaithaangi (1962) Policekaran Magal (1962) Nenjil Or Alayam (1962) Nenjam Marappathillai (1963) Dil Ek Mandir (1963) Kalai Kovil (1964) Kaadhalikka Neramillai (1964) Vennira Aadai (1965) Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966) Manase Mandiram (1966) Kodimalar (1966) Nenjirukumvarai (1967) Nai Roshni (1967)

Ooty Varai Uravu (1967) Saathi (1968) Sivandha Mann (1969) Uttharavindri Ulley Vaa (1970) Dharti (1970) Duniya Kya Jane (1971) Avalukkendru Oru Manam (1971) Alaigal (1973) Gehri Chaal (1973) Urimai Kural (1974) Vaira Nenjam (1975) Ninagai Nanu (1975) Lakshmi Nirdoshi (1975) Jagruthi (1975) Oh Manju (1976) Seeta Geeta Datithe (1977) Meenava Nanban (1977) Ilamai Oonjalaadugirathu (1978) Vayasu Pilichindi (1978) Urvasi Niney Naa Priyasi (1979)

Azhage Unnai Aarathikkirean (1979) Sundarime Varuga Varuga (1980) Hare Krishna Hello Radha (1980) Mohana Ponnagai (1981) Ninaivellam Nithya (1982) Dil-E-Nadaan (1982) Thudikkum Karangal (1983) Odai Nathiyaakirathu (1983) Prema Sangamam (1984) Alaya Deepam (1984) Unnaithedi Varuven (1984) Thendraley Ennai Thodu (1984) Yaro Ezhuthia Kavithai (1986) Naanum Oru Thozhilali (1986) Iniya Uravu Poothathu (1987) Andarikante Ghanudu (1987) Premayanam (1988) Thanthu Vitten Ennai (1991)

Awards

1959: Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Kalyana Parisu[5] 1962: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Nenjil Oru Aalayam[6] Kalaimamani Award from State Sangeeth Natak Academy. Filmfare Award for Best Story for Nazrana (1961).

Nominated

Filmfare Award for Best Director for Dil Ek Mandir (1963) Filmfare Award for Best Story for Dil Ek Mandir (1963)

Director