Tamil cinema’s most successful commercial director – S.P. Muthuraman

Director S.P. Muthuraman is probably Tamil cinema’s most successful commercial film director. In a career spanning 35 years, Muthuraman directed 72 films, collaborating with Sivaji Ganesan, R Muthuraman (father of actor Karthik and grandfather of Gautham Karthik) and Jaishankar before going on to direct the next generation of actors, including Kamalhaasan, Rajinikanth, Sivakumar, Karthik, Vijayakanth, Sathyaraj, R.Parthiban, Vikram, Shrikanth, Sarath Babu and Ramki.

He started as an office assistant in the offices of Thendral Magazine – owned by Kannadasan. He slowly worked his way up to assistant editor. It was Kannadasan who introduced him to A.V.Meiyappan, the founder of AVM Studios and AVM Productions.

Although Muthuraman wanted to join the story team, Meiyappan insisted that he start off as assistant editor. Muthuraman went on to apprentice under great directors like A.C. Thirulogachander, Krishnan-Panju, A.Bhimsingh, D.Yoganand and m. Krishnan Nair.

Muthuraman’s first film as assistant director was A.Bhimsingh’s Gemini Ganesan-Savitri Ganesan starrer which introduced Kamalhaasan to the screen.

Muthuraman made his debut as a director through the 1972 film Kanimuthu Papa which had Jaishankar, R. Muthuraman and Lakshmi in the lead roles.

In 1976, S.P. Muthuraman won the Filmfare Best Director Award for his 12^th film, Oru Oodhaapoo Kan Simitugirathu, which starred Kamalhaasan and Sujatha in the lead roles.

A year later, Muthuraman repeated this feat, this time for the Sivakumar-Rajinikanth starrer, Bhuvuna oru Kelvikuri.

His 25^th film, Vattathukkual Chadaram was not a commercial success but it won for its lead actress – Latha – the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

In 1979, Muthuraman won the Tamil Nadu State Awardfor the Rajinikanth starrer, Aarilirunthu Arubathuvarai. Although Rajinikanth accepted the role which was completely different from his previous roles, his misgivings increased throughout the shooting of the film and it eventually reached a stage where producer Panju Arunachallam had to intervene. The film proceeded as per Muthuraman’s vision and the result was not only an award-winning film, but a film that brought recognition to Rajinikanth as an actor. Aarilirunthu Arubathuvarai went on to become a silver jubilee hit and was remade into Telugu and Kannada.

Instead of fracturing the relationship, the disagreements between Rajinikanth and Muthuraman led to greater trust in the director. Muthuraman directed a total of 25 of Rajinikanth’s films, effectively establishing Rajinikanth as a mass hero.

S.P. Muthuraman’s 50^th film was released on 27 July 1985. Titled Uyarndha Ullam, the film had Kamalhaasan and Ambika in the lead roles. Uyarndha Ullam was not a huge commercial hit, but was helped at the box-office by the scintillating soundtrack by Illaiyaraja.

Later the same year, Muthuraman directed Tamil cinema’s first sequel – Japanil Kalyanaraman – a lavish sequel to the 1979 hit film Kalyanaraman. The film starred Kamalhaasan and Radha and was filmed predominantly in Japan and Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the film bombed at the box-office.

Muthuraman’s 70^th film was the Rajinikanth-Kushbu starrer, Pandian which saw for the first time a song tuned by Karthik Raja who was only 18 at the time. Illaiyaraja was the music composer for the rest of the soundtrack and the film. Pandian was an average grosser.

S.P. Muthuraman’s last film – his 71^st – was the 1995 Ramki-Ranjitha starrer, Thottil Kuzhandhai. Muthuraman had intended Pandian to be his last film but but S.P. Muthuraman was persuaded by an AIADMK party member to make a film about the Tamil Nadu State efforts against female infanticide. When he heard that his old friend, Panju Arunachallam was going to pen the script, he agreed to direct one last film. Unfortunately, the Thottil Kuzhandhai failed at the box-office.

S.P. Muthuraman turns 90 today. Sigaram wishes him good health and salutes him for his contribution to Tamil commercial cinema.