Fazil (b. 1953)

Successful Malayalam director, and one of the first to make the transition into big-budget Tamil films. Born in Alleppey, Kerala; theatre director and actor while at university. Degree in literature; later worked with Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s theatre group Thiruvarung. Film début assisting A. Vincent. Directorial début: the musical Manjil Virinja Pookkal which he also scripted and produced. Since then has been associated with the urban middle-class family musical melodrama, e.g. the Ilaiyaraja musical hit Poove Poo Chooda Va. His Tamil films are sometimes adapted from his own Malayalam hits (e.g. the melodrama Ente Mamattukuttiamma remakes En Bommu Kutti Ammavukku), although the incisiveness of the original (according to critic K. Hariharan) is usually diluted to suit the populist tastes of Tamil distributors. Varusham 16 was the Tamil debut of major star Khushboo. Co-directed the widely discussed Manichitratharazu.

FILMOGRAPHY: 1980: Manjil Virinja Pookkal; 1981: Dhanya; 1983: Eettillam; Marakkailo Rikalum; Ente Mamattukuttiamma; 1984: Nokketha Dhoorathu Kannum Nattu; 1985: Poove Poo Chooda Va; 1986: Ennennum Kannettante; Poovinnu Puthiya Poonthennal; 1987: Poovizhi Vasalile; Manivathoorile Ayiram Sivarathrikal; 1988: En Bommu Kutti Ammavukku; 1989: Varusham 16; 1990: Arangetra Velai; 1991: Ente Suryaputhrikku; Karpura Mullai; 1992: Killer; Papayude Sontham Appoose; 1993: Kilipetchu Ketkava; 1993: Manichithratharazu; 1994: Manathe Vellitheru.