{{short description|Indian film director and screenwriter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = A.M. Nandakumar | image = Profilepic64.jpg | image_size = | birth_date = | birth_place = Aranthangi, Pudukottai District | occupation = Film director, screen writer | other_names = | years_active = 1997 — present | spouse = | parents = | alma_mater = VSS Govt. Arts College }}
'''A. M. Nandakumar''' is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked on Tamil language films. His first was the 2003 action drama film, ''Thennavan'', starring Vijaykanth and Kiran Rathod.
==Career== After working as an assistant director for several years to P. Vasu, Manivannan and Rajasekar, Nandakumar successfully pitched the story of ''Kodiesvaran'' to the producer K. T. Kunjumon.<ref name="Career">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/PWg-VfsRVgE Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200308224926/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWg-VfsRVgE&app=desktop Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWg-VfsRVgE |title=டூப்பும் மனுஷன்தான.. அவனுக்கு குடும்பம் இல்லயா? கோபப்பட்ட கேப்டன் - Thennavan Director Nandakumar |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After initially considering either Vijay or Ajith Kumar for the lead role, the team chose the producer's son, Eby Kunjumon. Production started in 1997 with Eby appearing with Simran and the Hindi actress Karisma Kapoor making a guest appearance in an item number.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Madras calling|url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/1998/oct/13ss.htm|date=13 October 1998|website=Rediff|access-date=17 August 2020}}</ref> The film's music album and trailer were released in early 1999, but Kunjumon's financial troubles meant that the film failed to have a theatrical release. If released, the film would have been among the highest budgeted films of the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://readtiger.com/https/www.rediff.com/movies/2001/jan/27tamil.htm |title=Movies: On the floors |website=Rediff |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711020809/https://readtiger.com/https/www.rediff.com/movies/2001/jan/27tamil.htm |archive-date=2020-07-11}}<br>- {{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/jun/07spice.htm|title=Gossip from the southern film industry|website=Rediff}}</ref> As the film became stuck, Nandakumar worked on a Japanese film titled ''Nattu Odoru! Ninja Densetsu'', starring Neha Dhupia, that was shot in Chennai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dinakaran.com/cinema/english/highlights/2000pa2/2000-2.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010417201908/http://dinakaran.com/cinema/english/highlights/2000pa2/2000-2.htm|archive-date=17 April 2001|title=Dinakaran}}</ref>
Nandakumar worked on another script titled ''Aasan''. He approached Vijayakanth to work on the film, but it became clear that the script had been already pitched to the actor as ''Ramana'' by AR Murugadoss. Following the confusion, Vijayakanth apologetically called Nandakumar to make another film with him titled ''Thennavan'' (2003).<ref name="Career" /> The film opened to mixed reviews, with a critic from ''The Hindu'' noting, "''Thennavan'' would have been a tailor made story for Vijayakanth but for the flawed script, clichéd dialogue and unappealing caricatures. Somewhere down the line everyone from the director (M. Nandakumaran) and the hero seem to have lost interest."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/thennavan/article28573907.ece|title=Thennavan|newspaper=The Hindu|date=22 August 2003}}</ref>
Nandakumar announced ''Jambhavan'' (2006) in December 2005 and began production shortly after a launch event held in Tirupathi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/features/News/News39/10-12-05e/tamil-movies-news-prashanth.html|title=Prashanth's Jambavan will be launched in Tirupathi|website=Behind Woods |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref> Prashanth was signed to play the lead role, while Nila and Meghna Naidu were signed to portray the film's lead heroines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/features/News/News39/15-12-05/prasanth.html|title=Prashanth's Jambavan has high glamour index|website=Behind Woods|access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref> The team began filming with a 30-day schedule in Tenkasi in southern Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/my-kind-of-place-prasanth/article3190958.ece|title=My kind of place – Prasanth|date=2006-04-17|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-01-06 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The making of the film was disrupted in January 2006, when the actress Nila briefly walked out of the film after falling out with the producers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/events/9398.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924154153/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/events/9398.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015|title=Jambavan |work=IndiaGlitz|access-date=2018-01-06}}<br>- {{Cite news|url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/nila-pulls-a-surprise-tamil-news-20733|title=Nila pulls a surprise |work=IndiaGlitz |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref> The film opened in September 2006 and received predominantly negative reviews.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/box-office-flurry-of-films-this-weekend-kannada-news-25014|title=Box Office - Flurry of films this weekend |work=IndiaGlitz |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref> A critic from ''Sify'' noted, "This film is a slapdash enterprise that will make you groan," adding "It caters strictly to B and C class audiences and leaves you cold."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/jambavan-review-tamil-14290589.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310001434/http://www.sify.com/movies/jambavan-review-tamil-14290589.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-03-10|title=Review listing (1970)|website=Sify |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref> Another reviewer noted the similarity to ''Baashha'' (1995) adding "the quality of these remakes has ranged from entertaining to outright bad and Prashanth's ''Jaambavan'' unfortunately comes in at the lower end of that scale".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jaambavaan: A movie review by Balaji Balasubramaniam |website=Reocities |url=http://www.reocities.com/bbreviews/2006/jaambavaan.html |access-date=11 July 2020 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065351/http://www.reocities.com/bbreviews/2006/jaambavaan.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Indiaglitz'' also noted the similarity adding that "director Nandakumar has taken cue from a few 'mass films', but just has not managed to cobble them with any sense of purpose".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/8034.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626181109/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/8034.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 June 2006|title=Cinema News|work=IndiaGlitz |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref>
In 2014, Nandakumar made ''Kalkandu'' and the film gained media attention before release, owing to the lead actor Gajesh's debut. He was the son of the actor-dancer Anand Babu and grandson of the comedian Nagesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/gajesh-will-recreate-nagesh-s-magic-on-screen-director-news-others-ohvlunidggbgh.html|title=Gajesh will recreate Nagesh's magic on screen: Director|website=Sify|access-date=21 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924171946/http://www.sify.com/movies/gajesh-will-recreate-nagesh-s-magic-on-screen-director-news-others-ohvlunidggbgh.html|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Following the appearance of late actor Nagesh's animation in ''Kochadaiiyaan'' (2014), Nandakumar insisted on having a sequence in his film, where all three generations of the family appear in one scene through computer imagery.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/nagesh-to-dance-in-grandsons-film/article6443164.ece|title=Nagesh to dance in grandson's film?|newspaper=The Hindu|date=25 September 2014 |access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref> The film was shot mainly in Tamil Nadu, in places such as Tiruchi and Kanyakumari.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/my-grandfather-was-a-huge-inspiration/article6233801.ece|title='My grandfather was a huge inspiration'|first=Srinivasa|last=Ramanujam|newspaper=The Hindu|date=21 July 2014|access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref> It had a limited release in October 2014, owing to the presence of bigger budget films at the box office, and opened to mixed reviews with a critics noting it "gets stuck towards average".{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} Another reviewer noted that the film had a dated feel and called it "excruciatingly long".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://silverscreen.in/reviews/kalkandu-review/|title=Kalkandu Review: Not So Sweet|first=Deepika|last=Ramesh|date=1 November 2014|website=Silver Screen |access-date=21 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235339/http://silverscreen.in/reviews/kalkandu-review/|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nandakumar later worked on a project titled ''K7 - Kesavan'' with debutant Sakthivel, though the film failed to have a theatrical release.
==Filmography== ===Films=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title !Language !Production House !Cast ! Notes |- |2003 |''Thennavan'' |Tamil |Captain Cine Creations |Vijayakanth Kiran Rathod | |- |2006 |''Jambhavan'' |Tamil |ESK Frames Rajalakshmi Kalaikudam |Prashanth Nila Meghna Naidu | |- |2014 |''Kalkandu'' |Tamil |Rajarathinam Films |Gajesh Dimple Chopade Akhil|| | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2" | Year ! rowspan="2" | Title ! colspan="2" | Functioned as ! rowspan="2" | Production House ! rowspan="2" | Channel ! rowspan="2" | Language |- ! Director ! Project Head |- |2018 |''Maya''||{{yes}} | {{no}} | Avni Telemedia | Sun TV | |- |2019 |''Lakshmi Stores'' ||{{no}}||{{yes}} | Avni Telemedia | Sun TV | Tamil & Telugu |- |2021 |''Jyothi'' ||{{no}}||{{yes}} | Avni Telemedia | Sun TV | |- |2024 |''Moondru Mudichu''||{{yes}} | {{no}} | A R Film World | Sun TV | |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nandakumar, A. M.}} Category:Living people Category:20th-century Indian people Category:Tamil film directors Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Tamil screenwriters