{{Short description|Indian film director and screenwriter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Santhakumar | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = | other_names = | occupation = Film director Screenwriter | years_active = 2001-2004 (Assistant director)<br />2006-present | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Santhakumar''' is an Indian director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/director-santhakumar-on-rasavathi-i-am-curious-about-the-lives-of-every-character-i-write/article68147376.ece|title=Director Santhakumar on 'Rasavathi': 'I am curious about the lives of every character I write'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508001444/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/director-santhakumar-on-rasavathi-i-am-curious-about-the-lives-of-every-character-i-write/article68147376.ece|archive-date=8 May 2024|url-access=subscription|work=The Hindu|date=7 May 2024|first=A.|last=Shrikumar}}</ref> He is known for directing ''Mounaguru'' (2011) and ''Magamuni'' (2019).
== Career == Santhakumar worked as an assistant director to Dharani for ''Dhill'' (2001), ''Dhool'' (2003) and ''Ghilli'' (2004) before commencing work on ''Mounaguru'' in 2006.<ref name="H">{{cite web |author=S. R. Ashok Kumar |url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2684004.ece |title=Arts / Cinema : Twin treat |work=The Hindu |date=2011-12-03 |access-date=2012-01-12 |archive-date=2012-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115214223/http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2684004.ece |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="B">{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/director-santhakumar-of-mouna-guru-fame-updates-on-his-second-project.html|title=Director Santhakumar of Mouna Guru fame updates on his second project|date=16 June 2015|website=Behindwoods|access-date=14 May 2024|archive-date=9 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409063019/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/director-santhakumar-of-mouna-guru-fame-updates-on-his-second-project.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Mounaguru'' notably featured no lip-sync songs, a staple of Indian films, as he felt that it would ruin the film's narrative.<ref name="H"/> A ten-minute sequence featuring Arulnidhi on his knees took ten days to shoot.<ref name="H"/> The film faced no significant competition during release and was a success.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/mounaguru/movie-review/11576622.cms|title=Mounaguru Movie Review|work= The Times of India|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2024-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515203847/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/mounaguru/movie-review/11576622.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> A critic wrote that the film "has everything that might count as a cliche but the marvel of it is that it never descends into mediocrity or becomes predictable".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/south-review-mounaguru-is-a-must-watch/20111219.htm|title=Review: Mounaguru is a must watch|first=Pavithra|last=Srinivasan|website=Rediff|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2024-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200857/https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/south-review-mounaguru-is-a-must-watch/20111219.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> He commenced work for his next film ''Magamuni'' based on the two namesake characters in 2015,<ref name="B"/> and first wrote Maga before Muni.<ref name="I"/> Arya was cast in the titular roles after the producer suggested him after the script was finished,<ref name="H2"/> and Santhakumar decided to cast him after Arya was mentally strong and became a cyclist despite having a commercial failure.<ref name="I"/> Regarding her character Deepa, Mahima Nambiar called her a female version of the director.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/Sep/12/interview--i-played-the-female-version-of-the-director-magamuni-actor-mahima-nambiar-2032303.html|title=INTERVIEW | I played the female version of the director: 'Magamuni' actor Mahima Nambiar|first=Navein|last=Darshan|date=12 September 2019|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=15 May 2024|archive-date=15 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200849/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/Sep/12/interview--i-played-the-female-version-of-the-director-magamuni-actor-mahima-nambiar-2032303.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Regarding the film, a critic wrote that "Director Santhakumar comes back to filmmaking after a eight-year gap [...] but has not lost touch with the craft, going by ''Magamuni''. Not only is his story narrative unique, his writing of the various characters are also well fleshed out and detailed".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-05-10 |title='Magamuni' movie review: Arya headlines this offbeat, non-commercial revenge saga that gets many things right - The Hindu |newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/magamuni-movie-review-arya-headlines-this-offbeat-non-commercial-revenge-saga-that-gets-many-things-right/article29342214.ece |access-date=2024-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510054733/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/magamuni-movie-review-arya-headlines-this-offbeat-non-commercial-revenge-saga-that-gets-many-things-right/article29342214.ece |archive-date=2024-05-10 |last1=Ramanujam |first1=Srinivasa }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/magamuni/movie-review/70985448.cms|title=Magamuni Movie Review : A worthy follow-up to Santhakumar's debut film, Mouna Guru|work= The Times of India|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2019-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909095114/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/magamuni/movie-review/70985448.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> Unlike his previous two films, he turned producer with ''Rasavathi'' (2024),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newstodaynet.com/2024/04/30/santhakumar-plans-big-in-rasavathi-the-alchemist/|title=Santhakumar plans big in Rasavathi - The Alchemist|first=N. T.|last=Bureau|date=30 April 2024|access-date=14 May 2024|archive-date=14 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514225311/https://newstodaynet.com/2024/04/30/santhakumar-plans-big-in-rasavathi-the-alchemist/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2022/Nov/04/santhakumars-next-with-arjun-das-to-be-a-multi-genre-film-36260.html|title=Santhakumar's next with Arjun Das to be a multi-genre film|first=Chandhini|last=R|date=4 November 2022|website=Cinema Express|access-date=14 May 2024|archive-date=14 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514225345/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2022/Nov/04/santhakumars-next-with-arjun-das-to-be-a-multi-genre-film-36260.html|url-status=live}}</ref> which was not well received with a critic noting that "To call the film’s pacing slow is an understatement and it’s understandable given the wafer-thin plot, which the director tries to accentuate by adding more characters that in turn lead to more scenes".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-05-12 |title='Rasavathi' movie review: This predictable revenge drama dearly misses Santhakumar's Midas touch |newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/rasavathi-movie-review-this-predictable-revenge-drama-dearly-misses-santhakumars-midas-touch/article68160849.ece |access-date=2024-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512183641/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/rasavathi-movie-review-this-predictable-revenge-drama-dearly-misses-santhakumars-midas-touch/article68160849.ece |archive-date=2024-05-12 |last1=Rajendran |first1=Gopinath }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/rasavathi/movie-review/109984609.cms|title=Rasavathi Movie Review : A few compelling characters trapped in a non-compelling film|work= The Times of India|access-date=2024-05-15|archive-date=2024-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510000313/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/rasavathi/movie-review/109984609.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Personal life == <ref name="I">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-am-not-into-the-business-of-commercialising-cinema-magamuni-director-santhakumar-5982630/|title=I am not into the business of commercialising cinema: Magamuni director Santhakumar|date=10 September 2019|url-access=subscription|work=The Indian Express|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916130928/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/i-am-not-into-the-business-of-commercialising-cinema-magamuni-director-santhakumar-5982630/|archive-date=16 September 2019|first1=S.|last1=Subhakeerthana|first2=Antara|last2=Chakraborthy}}</ref> He studied at American College, Madurai.<ref name="H2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/my-stories-emerge-from-my-travels-says-director-santhakumar/article29320311.ece|title='My stories emerge from my travels,' says director Santhakumar|first=A.|last=Shrikumar|newspaper=The Hindu |date=2 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511014250/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/my-stories-emerge-from-my-travels-says-director-santhakumar/article29320311.ece|archive-date=11 May 2024}}</ref> Between films, Santhakumar likes to do solo traveling for soul searching and writing.<ref name="H2"/>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |+ List of Santhakumar film credits |- ! rowspan="2" scope="col"| Year ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Credited as ! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" scope="col" | Notes |- ! Director ! Writer ! Producer |- | 2011 || ''Mounaguru'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} ||{{no}}|| |- | 2019 || ''Magamuni'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} ||{{no}} | |- | 2024 || ''Rasavathi'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links== *{{IMDb name|1421683}}
Category:Tamil film directors