Visu

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Visu
Born
Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan[1]

(1945-07-01)1 July 1945[2]
Kalakkad, Tamil Nadu, India
Died22 March 2020(2020-03-22) (aged 74)
Chennai, India
OccupationsFilm director, Screenwriter, Actor, Television host.
Years active1977–2019
SpouseSundari
Children3

Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan (1 July 1945 – 22 March 2020), best known by his stage name Visu, was an Indian screenwriter, film director, stage, film and television actor and talk-show host known for his work in Tamil theatre and film.[3] Visu initially worked as an assistant to director K. Balachander until becoming a director himself. He later began acting, with his first notable film being Kudumbam Oru Kadambam (1981), directed by S. P. Muthuraman.

Career

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Visu started his career as a theatre artist, working with Y. G. Parthasarathy's troupe. He was writing scripts for stage dramas before getting into the film industry as an assistant to director K. Balachander. During his time with Balachander, he wrote screenplays for numerous films including Pattina Pravesam (1977), Avan Aval Adhu (1980), Thillu Mullu (1981) and Netrikkan (1981). Thillu Mullu and Netrikkan, which were both released in 1981, became box office hits for actor Rajinikanth. Visu made his debut as a character actor in the film Kudumbam Oru Kadambam (1981), for which he also wrote the screenplay. The film was directed by S. P. Muthuraman.

His first film as a director was Manal Kayiru (1982). Most of his films including Manal Kayiru, Dowry Kalyanam (1983), Samsaram Adhu Minsaram (1986), Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi (1987), Penmani Aval Kanmani (1988), Vedikkai En Vadikkai (1990) and Pattukottai Periyappa (1994) spoke about the issues of urban middle-class families. These films, which were released in the mid-80s, turned out to be crowd pullers, particularly with regard to the female audience.[4] His other super hit was Chidambara Rahasiyam (1985), which is considered a cult-classic.[5]

While he has directed a rage of actors on screen, he and his brother Kishmu used to star in many of his films. His film Neenga Nalla Irukkanum won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues in 1992. Based on prohibition, the film was the last onscreen appearance of then Tamil Nadu chief minister, J. Jayalalithaa.[6]

He has also shared the screen with Rajinikanth in Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984), Mr. Bharath (1986), Mannan (1992), Uzhaippali (1993) and Arunachalam (1997).

During the ending phase of his career, he made movies which did not leave a lasting mark on the audience as Vaa Magale Vaa (1994), Meendum Savithri (1996) and Sigamani Ramamani (2001).[7]

Actor and stage artiste S. Ve. Shekher, who worked in over 20 films with Visu, called him extremely disciplined and committed.[8]

As an actor, he was last seen in Manal Kayiru 2 (2016), the sequel to one of his earliest directorial successes, Manal Kayiru.

He is known to have starred in over 60 films and directed around 25 films.[9]

Visu later became known for hosting live debates on television, namely Arattai Arangam on Sun TV and Visuvin Makkal Arangam on Jaya TV.[10][11]

Style

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"Growing up in a joint family, I observed how each person had a difference of opinion. It wasn't bad; just that we were different. I wondered, 'Wouldn't other joint families have similar issues?' So I started writing scripts that reflect the day-to-day scenario in a joint family".

 – Visu in 2016[12]

In most of the films Visu wrote or directed, all the characters were given equal importance. Often, the plot included a huge house where a joint family would reside and the character of Visu would solve their problems. Many of Visu's film titles contain rhyming words, such as Kudumbam Oru Kadambam, Samsaram Adhu Minsaram, Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi, Kavalan Avan Kovalan, Penmani Aval Kanmani, Varavu Nalla Uravu and Vedikkai En Vadikkai. His films focused on many family issues like dowry, need of remarriage for women, mother in law-daughter in law disputes and so on which were occurring that time. In most of his films there is a character named Uma, named after a school teacher who predicted his rise to fame after reading one of his scripts when he was a travel agent. During his last years before death, he wrote the script for Samsaram Adhu Minsaram Part 2 which is yet to see the light of day.[13][14][15][16]

Personal life

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In 2016, he joined and campaigned for BJP.[17]

On 22 March 2020 at Chennai, Visu died of kidney failure at the age of 74.[18][19][20]

Filmography

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As director

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Year Title Notes Ref.
1982 Kanmani Poonga [21]
Manal Kayiru [22]
1983 Dowry Kalyanam [23]
1984 Puyal Kadantha Boomi
Rajathanthiram [24]
Vaai Sollil Veeranadi
Naanayam Illatha Naanayam [25]
1985 Pudhiya Sagaptham [26]
Aval Sumangalithan [27]
Ketti Melam [28]
Chidambara Rahasiyam [29]
1986 Samsaram Adhu Minsaram National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment [30]
1987 Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi [31]
Kavalan Avan Kovalan [32]
Srimathi Oka Bahumathi Telugu film; remake of Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi
1988 Penmani Aval Kanmani [33]
Aadade Aadharam Nandi Award for Second Best Story Writer
Telugu film; remake of Penmani Aval Kanmani		 [34]
Illu Illalu Pillalu Telugu film; remake of Veedu Manaivi Makkal
1989 Sakalakala Sammandhi
1990 Varavu Nalla Uravu Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer [35]
Vedikkai En Vadikkai [36]
1992 Urimai Oonjaladugiradhu [37]
Neenga Nalla Irukkanum National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues [38]
1994 Pattukottai Periyappa [39]
Vaa Magale Vaa [40]
1996 Meendum Savithri [41]
Neti Savithri Telugu film [42]
2001 Sigamani Ramamani [43]

As writer (films)

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Year Title Credited as Notes Ref.
Writer
1977 Pattina Pravesam Story [23]
1978 Sadhurangam Story [44]
1980 Avan Aval Adhu Screenplay [45]
Mazhalai Pattalam Dialogues [46]
1981 Thillu Mullu Screenplay [47]
Netrikkan Story
Keezh Vaanam Sivakkum Screenplay [48]
Kudumbam Oru Kadambam Yes [49]
1982 Simla Special Yes
Pudukavithai Screenplay
1984 Nallavanukku Nallavan Screenplay
1986 Mr. Bharath Screenplay

As writer (plays/novels)

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Year Title Notes Ref.
1977 Pattina Pravesam plays
Bharatha Matharkku Jai
Kudumbam Oru Kadambam
Modi Masthan
Dowry Kalyana Vaibhogame
Aval Sumangalithan
Uravukku Kai Koduppom
Meendum Savithri novel

As an actor

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 Thillu Mullu One of the Candidate of Interview Also dubbing artist
Kudumbam Oru Kadambam Srinivasa Raghavan
1982 Kanmani Poonga Ramkumar
Manal Kayiru Uthramerur Narathar Naidu
1983 Oru Kai Paappom Kai Adi Kamalakannan
Dowry Kalyanam Ganesan
1984 Nallavanukku Nallavan Thakkali
Puyal Kadantha Boomi Nammaalu allies Namachivaayan
Rajathanthiram Bhairavan
Vaai Sollil Veeranadi Vengapuli Varadhachari
Naanayam Illatha Naanayam Veerapandi
Oorukku Upadesam Sankaran
1985 Pudhiya Sagaptham Ramadasaradan
Aval Sumangalithan Watchman Aarumugam
Ketti Melam Chinna Paiyan
Chidambara Rahasiyam Beemarao
1986 Mr. Bharath Kumaresa Gounder
Dharma Pathini "Vicks" Vardarajan Special appearance
Samsaram Adhu Minsaram Ammaiyappa Mudaliyar
Oomai Vizhigal Rathnasabapathy
Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu Thulasi's father
Thaaiku Oru Thaalaattu Ponnambalam
Anandha Kanneer Paapa Panchu
1987 Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi Naagarkoil Naadhamuni
Kavalan Avan Kovalan Chakravarthi's father-in-law
Kathai Kathaiyam Karanamam
Srimathi Oka Bahumathi Telugu film
1988 Veedu Manaivi Makkal Subbaiah Pillai [50]
Penmani Aval Kanmani Radio Mama
Aadade Aadharam Telugu film
Mappillai Sir Vakkil Varadharajan
Illu Illalu Pillalu Telugu film
1989 Sakalakala Sammandhi Mayavaram Malayappan
1990 Varavu Nalla Uravu Appa Ambalavanar
Vedikkai En Vadikkai Kaavisattai Kandasamy
1992 Urimai Oonjaladugiradhu Kasturi's father
Neenga Nalla Irukkanum
Mannan Viswanathan
1993 Uzhaippali Barrister
Sinna Mapplai Marriage Broker
1994 Pattukottai Periyappa Pattukottai Periyappa
Aranmanai Kaavalan Santhanam
Vaa Magale Vaa Viswanathan
Vanaja Girija Ramanathan
Vaanga Partner Vaanga Ganapathi
1995 Mayabazar Vishwanathan
God Father Viswanatham Telugu film
1996 Meendum Savithri Narayana Moorthy
Irattai Roja Anchor Guest appearance
1997 Nesam Himself
Aravindhan
Adimai Changili
Vasuki Ramasamy
Arunachalam Adv. Rangachari
Sishya Aadhimoolam
Vaimaye Vellum
1998 Bhagavath Singh
1999 Mannavaru Chinnavaru Shanmugasundaram
Anbulla Kadhalukku Chandrasekhar
2000 Kakkai Siraginilae Judge
Vaanavil Himself
2001 Sigamani Ramamani Sundaramoorthy
Krishna Krishna Advocate Viswanathan Guest appearance
Middle Class Madhavan Advocate
Vadagupatti Maapillai Gomathi Shankar
Looty Dr. Kuzhanthavelu
Vedham Guest appearance
2003 Thithikudhe Himself
2004 Maha Nadigan
2005 Ji Raghavan
2007 Cheena Thaana 001 Governor Guest appearance
2008 Ellam Avan Seyal
2009 Innoruvan Judge
Kannukulle
2013 Alex Pandian Chief Minister
Oruvar Meethu Iruvar Sainthu Judge
2014 Nenjirukkumvarai Ninaivirukkum Guest appearance
2016 Manal Kayiru 2 Uthramerur Narathar Naidu
Television
  • Arattai Arangam - Sun TV
  • Makkal Arangam - Jaya TV
  • Naalavathu Mudichu - Jaya TV[51]

References

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