Showing all artists born at Periyakulam

Bala is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala was born on 11 July 1966 in Periyakulam, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India. He studied Tamil Literature at The American College in Madurai. He admitted, that, as a youngster, he was not interested in studies and had dropped in his college days and was considered by many as he won't come up in life. At certain point he determined to prove himself to the society. After a struggling period he came to Chennai and entered the film industry. He started his film career as an assistant director to National Film Award–winning director and cinematographer Balu Mahendra, where a close friendship between the two grew. Bala is frequently credited with having "revolutionized Tamil cinema", through his realistic, dark and disturbing films that have garnered high critical acclaim. He has received several awards and recognition for his work, including the National Film Award for Best Director for his fourth feature film Naan Kadavul (2009).
Bala is known for his later success. He made his directorial debut with Sethu in 1999, that gave a break to Vikram, the film's lead actor, who was also struggling in the Tamil film industry for almost a decade without a hit and recognition. More than 60 distributors saw the film and hesistated to screen it because of its tragic ending. But after multiple preview shows, the film was released on a low profile without any advertisement. But after the first days the film started running to packed houses just through 'word of mouth'. The film was said to have initiated a 'new wave' as it received raving reviews and became a huge hit. Its stupendous success led to remakes in Kannada (Huchcha), Telugu (Seshu) and Hindi (Tere Naam) languages.Bala's next film was Nandha which gave a career boost to Suriya. His third film Pithamagan broke all the sentiments which were prevailing in Tamil cinema. In 2009 he released Naan Kadavul in Tamil featuring Arya and Pooja Umashankar for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Direction. In 2011, his fifth directorial Avan Ivan, considered his first comedy film, released, starring Vishal Krishna and Arya. While the film opened to mixed reviews by critics, the lead actors gained critical acclaim for their performances, particularly Vishal.Currenly he is doing Paradesi Tamil Film with Adharvaa.

Suruli Rajan was a Tamil film comedian/character artiste. He was a recipient of Tamil Nadu State Government's Best Comedian Award for the year 1981–82.

Biography

Suruli Rajan was born in 1938 in Periyakulam, near Theni. His father Ponniah Pillai worked as an accountant for farm owners of the adjoining areas in Theni. The child was named after the Suruli Velappar, the family deity at the temple atop a hill graced by the picturesque Suruli Falls.

Suruli Rajan lost his parents one after the other, and had to discontinue his schooling. He moved to his brother's house in Madurai and worked as an apprentice mechanic in a neighbourhood workshop.  Bitten by the acting bug, he acted in several amateur stage plays in Madurai before moving to Madras in 1959 in search of greener pastures.

In spite of his passion for acting opportunities were few and far between. A sudden spate of opportunities in stage plays filled him with heartening optimism. He worked with various drama troupes, including those of O.A.K.Devar, pisir Ramarao, T.N. Balu and in Karunanidhi's 'kagithapoo' staged in aid of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party's election fund. It was filmmaker Joseph Thaliayath of The Citadel Film Corporation Pvt. Ltd who brought Suruli Rajan to cinema, first in a brief appearance in Iravum Pagalum in 1965 and soon after in a more noticeable comic role in Kaadhal paduthum paadu the year following.

His friendship with T.N. Balu earned him memorable roles in blockbusters by T.R.Ramanna like naan and MoondRezhuthu. Despite his young age Suruli Rajan was offered older roles in many of his early movies. Two other significant roles in his early years were the Madras Tamil spewing cameo in APN's Thirumalai thenkumari (1970) and that of the devout fisherman in Aadhi parasakthi (1971). With his unique intonation and a flair for the absurd, Surulirajan rose to popularity in the late 70s.

Though at times bordering on the bawdy, he seldom failed to elicit a laugh. Suruli's brilliant portrayal of a niggardly rustic in M.A.Khaja's Maanthoppu Kiliye (1979) fetched him rare plaudits and has earned a place of pride in the annals of the immortal comedy sequences of Tamil cinema. 'It never rains, but pours' they say, and Suruli's capers had become a mandatory inclusion in most movies of the time. He created a record by acting in not less than 50 movies in a single year in 1980.

His career was cut short due to his untimely death in 1980 while he was in the peak of his career.