Vijay Kumar (director)
Vijay Kumar | |
|---|---|
விஜய் குமார் | |
 | |
| Born | 2 April |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Government College of Engineering, Salem |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2013-present |
Vijay Kumar is an Indian film actor, writer, director and producer. His directorial debut, Uriyadi, a political thriller set in the 1990s, was released in 2016 to high critical acclaim[1][2][3] and was lauded as one of the best political thrillers in Tamil cinema.[4][5] Vijay, who is also the lead actor and background music scorer of the movie,[6] has since been widely appreciated. As of September 2018, Vijay Kumar has begun working on his highly anticipated next project, Uriyadi 2.[7]
Early life
Vijay was born on 2 April in Chennai where he spent his schooling years.[8] He then studied Metallurgical Engineering at the Government College of Engineering, Salem.[9] A software engineer by profession, he quit his decade-long career in reputed companies like IBM, Infosys, Aditi Technologies, etc., to pursue his passion in cinema.[10]
Film career
2009–2013: Career beginnings
Working as a Software Engineer in Chennai, Vijay Kumar found himself spending all his spare time watching and analyzing movies. Filmmaking piqued his interest and he decided to try his hand at it. He made a short film and applied to the Nalaya Iyakunar show in 2009, when it was in its first season.[10][8] He was selected and subsequently screened two short films on the show. Unfortunately, he had to leave it due to personal reasons.[8] Vijay was a Project Lead in Infosys when he quit his job to pursue his passion in filmmaking.[10] He was intent on making a socially responsible film that did not lack in entertainment.
He moved to the United States in 2010 and began writing the script for Uriyadi in early 2011. It was initially titled Vidiyum Varai VinmeengalaaVom (V4). He spent well over a year on the script, sketching more than 2500 shots for its storyboard.[11] As a debutante, he wanted to ensure that everything goes per plan once the film goes on floors and hence created storyboards to make production easier. Once the script was ready, and he felt he had a firm grip on it, he moved back to India in 2013.
2013–present
Back in India, Vijay Kumar started his production house Souvenir Productions in April 2013.[12] He conducted a three-month acting workshop for the actors as almost all of them were debutants.[11][12] Once the pre-production was over, the film went on floors in July 2013 and the shooting was completed in October 2013.[12] The post production was done by August 2014, and the film was sent for Censor screening. After making the suggested cuts, the film was certified 'A'. Vijay then started approaching distributors to release the movie.[10] In 2015, director Nalan Kumarasamy came in as a co-producer to release the movie since he had an idea of launching his own production house.[13][10]
Uriyadi was released in theaters on 27 May 2016.[14] Upon its release, The Hindu had a chat with Vijay and cited that Uriyadi is "A throwback to the 90s".[15] Subsequently, he shared his experience of working with the Uriyadi team with Ananda Vikatan magazine.[16] and also with Manam magazine on why he chose caste politics subject for his first film.[17]
In an exclusive interview with Behindwoods, Vijay mentioned how he learnt how NOT to make a film through the two short films that he made.[18] In another exclusive interview with Indiaglitz, he revealed that the entire footage of Uriyadi was lost during the super storm that flooded his first floor office in Jafferkhanpet on 1 December 2015.[19] G. Dhananjayan of BOFTA arranged for an interaction session between Vijay and the Direction students of the institute, where the former shared his experience in making an independent film and achieving his goal.[20]
Critical response of Uriyadi
Vijay Kumar's Uriyadi turned out to be one of the most celebrated films of recent years, who had made heads turn by giving a raw and realistic film about caste politics and random violence which happen all around us in everyday life.[21] Several film critics and magazines gave positive reviews on Uriyadi and appreciated Vijay to a great extent. The Hindu mentioned that Vijay is a solid filmmaker and that Uriyadi is "a gritty little film by a solid filmmaker".[22] The Times of India lauded that Uriyadi stakes its claim in the list of the best films of the year and gave 4 stars for the movie[23] Fully Filmy mentioned that Uriyadi is "an unmissable masterpiece that deserves our support".[3]
Ananda Vikatan reviewed Uriyadi, calling it a trendsetter for the current film industry and saying it is executed in a very appreciable way.[24] In another review of theirs, a reviewer wrote that Uriyadi is handled very different from other caste based movies and the climax is unique and interesting. Vijay was appreciated for handling direction, production, acting and background score all by himself and executing them neatly.[25] Indiaglitz appreciated Vijay citing that "Youngster Vijay Kumar deserves kudos for delivering a film with random violence as its theme without compromises, that hits you hard on your face".[26] Smile Settai gave a standing ovation after reviewing Uriyadi.[27]
Talking about the movie after its screening at BOFTA, Director Cheran said he looks at Uriyadi as the contribution of Tamil cinema toward positive societal change and lauded Vijay for taking up such a powerful issue in his debut venture.[28] Director Ram noted that Uriyadi is an original film, and appreciated the courage of the director for treating a sensitive issue as the core content of the movie.[29] Also several other directors appreciated Uriyadi and Vijay during the meeting.[30]
Uriyadi completed 35 days in theatre when many other small budget movies find it difficult to hold on to screens for more than a week or two though they have good content.[31]
Uriyadi was screened at the Institute of Politics of the University of Wrocław in Poland and created an awareness about the Indian caste system among its students.[32][33] Official representatives of the university issued a statement saying it educated their students on Indian caste system and its political consequences and that it enabled them to observe various ways of creating political influence. They also commended Vijay Kumar for handling a difficult subject in the movie, its realism and unique way of narration.[34][35]
Uriyadi was one of the four films chosen to be awarded by the TNMEKS, out of 191 Tamil films that released in 2016.[36] TNMEKS, a progressive literary organization, noted that young director Vijay Kumar had a deep understanding of the intricate details of the caste system and that Uriyadi unmasked its cruel nature and shed light on the way caste outfits plot extensively to transform themselves into political parties.[37]
In the media
On World Photography day, in an exclusive interview with The Hindu, legend P.C. Sreeram called Uriyadi one of the new wave Tamil films.[38] While speaking at an event on stage, veteran director Bharathiraja praised Vijay saying "Uriyadi is a beautiful film, made fantastically without any absurdity" and that he was amazed on watching it.[39][40] Indiaglitz noted on Uriyadi's first anniversary, that it has cemented its status as one of the most revered and celebrated movies among people.[41] Vikatan made an observation that being the talk of the town, even after a year after its release, is evidence of Uriyadi's success.[42]
Personal life
When asked about what made him give up a successful career in the IT industry and enter cinema, Vijay said, "Cinema is my only passion. It educates, it entertains, it thrills."[43] He can often be seen voicing his long held belief that has become his signature, "If a film is made for the people, believing in them and with love for them, people will celebrate it".[8][44] His candid and audacious nature has earned him a place among the most respected filmmakers in Tamil cinema.[45]
Vijay's favourite filmmakers are Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers.[43]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Credited as | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director/Writer | Actor | Producer | Background Music | ||
| 2016 | Uriyadi |  |
|
|
|
Awards and nominations
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Uriyadi | Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards[46] | Best Debut Actor | Won |
| 2017 | Uriyadi | SIIMA[47] | Best Debut Actor | Nominated |
| Tentkotta Awards[48] | Most Watched film of a Debutant Filmmaker | Won | ||
| Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards[49] | Best Production | Won | ||
| Tamil Nadu Murpoku Ezhuthalar Kalaingargal Sangam Film Awards[50][51] | Special Award for Production | Won | ||
| Special Award for Writing and Direction | Won | |||
| Radio Mirchi Madurai Awards[52] | Best Director | Won | ||
| SIIMA[47] | Best Debut Director | Nominated | ||
| Filmibeat Tamil Cinema Award[53] | Best Debut Director | Won | ||
| Behindwoods Gold Medals[54] | Direction | Wall of Fame |
References
- ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (28 May 2016). "Uriyadi review: A gritty little film by a solid filmmaker". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ "Uriyadi Movie review". Times of India. 28 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Uriyadi Review: An unmissable masterpiece that deserves our support!". Fullyfilmy.in. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ "Uriyadi director Vijay Kumar spills the beans on his next". Hindustan Times. 8 March 2017.
- ^ "Vijay Kumar stuns audience by his performance in Uriyadi". Awesome Machi. 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Uriyadi Vijay Kumar exclusive interview transcript". Indiaglitz. 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Suriya to produce Uriyadi 2". Friday Cinema. 19 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Uriyadi movie director and technicians interview". Ananda Vikatan. 15 June 2016.
- ^ "About Vijay Kumar". Facebook.
- ^ a b c d e "Uriyadi director Vijay Kumar interview". Behindwoods. 2 June 2016.
- ^ a b "More than 2000 shots created for story board". The Times of India. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Team Uriyadi opens up about the movie". Herotalkies. 16 June 2016.
- ^ "Nalan Kumarasamy turns producer with Uriyadi". Only Kollywood. 26 May 2015.
- ^ Uriyadi IMDb
- ^ "The Hindu Interview". The Hindu. 28 May 2016.
- ^ "Experience of working with Uriyadi team". Ananda Vikatan. 8 June 2016.
- ^ "Caste politics subject for his first film". Manam Magazine. 30 June 2016.
- ^ "Behindwoods Interview". Behindwoods. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
- ^ "Uriyadi Filmmaker Vijay thanks Torrent & Thiruttu VCD". Indiaglitz. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "BOFTA". youtube.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ "Indiaglitz Interview". Indiaglitz. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ "A gritty little film by a solid filmmaker". The Hindu. 28 May 2016.
- ^ "Review by The Times of India". The Times of India. 28 May 2016.
- ^ "Ananda Vikatan Review". Ananda Vikatan. 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Ananda Vikatan Review". Ananda Vikatan. 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Indiaglitz Review". Indiaglitz. 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Smile Settai Review". Smile Settai. 28 May 2016.
- ^ "Director Cheran appreciates Uriyadi". Tamil The Hindu. 1 June 2016.
- ^ "Director Ram on Uriyadi". Galatta Tamil. 2 June 2016.
- ^ "Tamil Film Directors Laud Uriyadi". The Hindu. 1 June 2016.
- ^ "Uriyadi achieves big with people's support". Indiaglitz. 29 June 2016.
- ^ "An international recognition for Uriyadi". Indiaglitz. 23 April 2017.
- ^ "Uriyadi to screen in Poland university". Vikatan. 22 April 2017.
- ^ "'Uriyadi' raises awareness about Indian Caste system among Poland students". Indiaglitz. 31 July 2017.
- ^ "University of Poland students discussed about Uriyadi Tamil film". Vikatan. 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Awards for Joker, Visaranai, Appa, Uriyadi". Filmibeat. 4 September 2017.
- ^ "Joker, Appa, Visaranai, Uriyadi - TNMEKS Cinema Awards". Cinema Vikatan. 3 September 2017.
- ^ "P.C.Sreeram Interview". The Hindu. 19 August 2016.
- ^ "Bharathi Raja praises young director". Puthiya Thalaimurai. 27 June 2017.
- ^ "Director Bharathiraja praises Vijay Kumar's Uriyadi". Behindwoods. 26 June 2017.
- ^ "Uriyadi first year anniversary". Indiaglitz. 27 May 2017.
- ^ "Real violence is scary - One year of Uriyadi". Vikatan. 27 May 2017.
- ^ a b "News18 Tamilnadu interview". News18 Tamilnadu. 16 April 2017.
- ^ "Uriyadi film Intro". Souvenir Productions. 25 May 2016.
- ^ "'Uriyadi' director's bold statement regarding his upcoming films". Indiaglitz Tamil. 8 April 2017.
- ^ "Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards of 2016". Ananda Vikatan. 28 December 2016.
- ^ a b "Nominations list for the SIIMA 2017 announced!". Sify.com.
- ^ "Tentkotta Awards". Tentkotta. 28 April 2017.
- ^ "Norway Tamil Film Festival: Complete list of winners". Times of India. 7 March 2017.
- ^ "Uriyadi gets a new recognition from Tamil literary world". NDTV Tamil. 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Visaranai, Joker, Uriyadi get valuable recognition". Indiaglitz Tamil. 4 September 2017.
- ^ Radio Mirchi Madurai Awards
- ^ "Filmibeat Tamil Cinema Awards of 2016". Filmibeat. 13 January 2017.
- ^ "Behindwoods Gold Medals Wall of Fame". Behindwoods. 12 April 2017.
External links
- Vijay Kumar at IMDb
- Uriyadi at IMDb
- Vijay Kumar on Facebook