Tamil film industry is home to some truly visionary filmmakers who deserve recognition from every part of the world.
If we closely look at the graph of Tamil cinema in the last ten years, would realize that there has been happening a great revolution in the industry. The directors are doing a lot of experiments with this art form and coming up with contents that are entertaining as well as classy. So, let's take a look at some of the contemporary Tamil filmmakers who are slowly but steadily raising the bar internationally.
(Here, we are not talking about legendary filmmakers like Mani Ratnam, Shankar etc. as they are already well-known to all.)
Vetrimaaran: A director par excellence, Vetrimaaran is unparalleled when it comes to making raw, intense and dark movies on social issues. 'Aadukalam', 'Visaranai', 'Asuran' etc. are among his best works.
Lokesh Kanagaraj: Lokesh Kanagaraj is another skilled filmmaker who knows how to make a typical mainstream film combining interesting plot, powerful visuals and stellar performances. His best works include 'Maanagaram', 'Kaithi', 'Master' etc.
Gautham Menon: Gautham Menon is an incredibly talented filmmaker who simultaneously works in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industry. His best works in Tamil are 'Minnale', 'Vaaranam Aayiram', 'Kaakha Kaakha' etc.
Ram: If you are not familiar with his works, just watch 'Peranbu' and you'll know how gem of a filmmaker he is! His other notable works include 'Thanga Meenkal', 'Taramani' etc.
Selvaraghavan: A critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful filmmaker, Selvaraghavan loves to do experiments in different genres. 'Kaadhal Kondein', 'Pudhupettai', 'Aayirathil Oruvan' are some of his best works.
Mari Selvaraj: Mari Selvaraj is one of those filmmakers who consider cinema as a powerful tool to question the wrongs of the society. He has made two incredible films named 'Pariyerum Perumal' and 'Karnan' till date.
Thiagarajan Kumararaja: Thiagarajan Kumararaja is a filmmaker who has changed the face of Tamil cinema across the country. His has made two films ('Aaranya Kaandam' and 'Super Deluxe') till date and both of them are masterpieces in true sense.
Karthik Subbaraj: Karthik Subbaraj made his directorial debut in 2012 with 'Pizza' and stunned everyone with his exceptional filmmaking style. His 'Jigarthanda' and 'Petta' became huge hit at the box office.
A.R. Murugadoss: A.R. Murugadoss is another successful filmmaker who knows how to balance action, drama, thrill and romance perfectly in a movie. His best works include 'Thuppakki', 'Ghajini', '7am Arivu' etc.
Arun Karthick: Arun Karthick is an independent Tamil filmmaker whose films get screened at various prestigious international film festivals. His debut film 'Sivapuranam' deals with a powerful subject in a brilliant manner. His latest film 'Nasir' is a must-see for any cinephile.
The list also includes filmmakers like Karthick Naren, Ram Kumar, Ashwin Saravanan, Atlee Kumar, Sudha K Prasad etc.
