Kollywood’s ten most powerful men.

[Rajkumar_mj]

http://www.behindwoods.com/features/Slideshows/slideshows2/tamil-cinema-powerful-men/tamil-cinema-powerful-men.html


These are the people who dictate terms in the industry, men who are revered and respected through out the country, people who can get almost anyone to work for them anytime, anywhere. The one thing that all the people on this list have is success that is matched by few others in the industry. Their success has put them on a pedestal above the others. There are not many in the industry who would dare to ‘cross the line’ with these people.




Yet, these all powerful men remain as dedicated, hard working and simple as ever which just gives them more credibility amongst their colleagues.

The list take you through the ten most super powerful people in Kollywood as of today. There is no attempt to rank them; they cannot be; they are all influential in their own unique way.

[Rajkumar_mj]

Kamal Haasan

Well, this man’s talents have no parallels. If Rajni is a ‘one man industry’ then Kamal is a ‘one man film institute’. All aspects of film making rolled into one person- Kamal. You buy him and you are assuring quality and success of your film. He is the one whose voice can and has brought about new technologies into the industry. His company, Rajkamal productions is known for its quality of films.

This is one man no one in the film industry can overlook.

Rajnikanth

If the term ‘one man industry’ applies to anyone, then it is this man. He has his own style and his own rules. His films run because he is in them, the people of an entire state swear by his style. His films just cannot fail at the box office. He is the Superstar. Producers dream of getting his dates. Directors would give anything to be in charge of one of his films. He can make studios, units and stars wait for him to arrive.

But the most beautiful aspect is that he doesn’t wield his power and that makes him more powerful.

AVM Productions

Talk about tradition of Tamil cinema and one has to mention AVM productions. It has been around for more than 50 years now and has churned out more hits than any other production house in the south. It has been through a generation of actors from the Sivaji-MGR times to the Vijay-Ajith times. To work with AVM is a matter of pride for any actor. They may not be going through the best of times, but the aura around it still remains.

Coming soon from the stables of AVM will be Superstar’s Sivaji. That may signal the return to the top of the sleeping giant.

Mani Ratnam

This man’s fame is not restricted to Kollywood. He is arguably the best director in India. He stopped directing movies for other production houses a long time back. He does them only for Madras Talkies, his production house. He has worked with almost all big names in Indian cinema. There is not one big star who would decline an opportunity to work with ‘Mani’, even if it a simplest of assignments – like dubbing.

He has almost single handedly shaped the fortunes of actors like Aravind Swamy, Madhavan & Abhishek Bachchan. While working with this man, stars for once, become actors.

Ilayaraja

The maestro, the legend, the king of melody. Talk as much as you want about him and you still wouldn’t have finished. When he scores music, time stops. Where others look ordinary, he looks exceptional. His music is timeless and film makers are willing to give anything to get him score music for them. Considered close to both the political power centers of Tamil Nadu and revered by Superstars, super directors and top production companies,

Ilayaraja can get absolutely anything he wishes in the industry.

[Rajkumar_mj]

Sivaji Productions


One man’s name continues and will continue to live even years after his mortal death. The name of Sivaji Ganesan still commands great respect from all quarters. It is considered a privilege to work for the prestigious production house now controlled by Sivaji’s eldest son Ramkumar. Even Kamal and Rajni would scamper to work for Sivaji productions. Such is the stature of the man after whom the company is named.

The movies that come out of this house spare no expense. The values of cinema too are not compromised. Their 2005 production, Chandramukhi broke all records of Tamil cinema. The legend lives on.

A.R.Rahman
It is unusual for musicians to figure in such a list. But, the quality of Rahman’s music is such that he can raise the expectations of a movie and play a pivotal role in its opening. Big time producers and directors wait for his dates. When he composes, everyone falls in line. When he summons directors to his studio at midnight, they oblige. When he wants the music rights, he gets them.

.When he is fasting for Ramzan, directors wait. Those who work with him once, seldom go to others. His magic holds sway

Kavithalaya


This is another production house which gathers all its mileage from the name of one man. Here it is K.Balachander, one of the all time greatest directors of Tamil cinema. If one is credited with the honor of shaping the careers of two of the biggest Superstars of Tamil cinema - Rajni and Kamal, he definitely has to be powerful enough. There are lots of disputes in the industry that were amicably solved when this man got involved.




It is considered sacrilege in the industry to dishonor him, let alone turn down his offers. The consistency of his production house is well known. It has a few Rajni films like Annamalai and Muthu to its credit and also the influence to summon the superstar for a few more. Sami, Thirumalai are some of the recent hits of this production house.

Oscar Ravichandran


Make a list of all the big movies that are being made or awaiting release in Kollywood and the name Oscar Films will be associated with almost all of them. He is a producer who is not afraid of big budgets if the story justifies it. His production house is held in high esteem by everyone in the industry. His marketing tactics became famous when he converted Anniyan into a blockbuster in two other southern states and took it successfully to Bollywood.


His upcoming ventures include Dasavataaram, Vaaranum Aayiram and Pacchaikkili Mutthucchharam. To add to this, he is also a successful distributor. He is one who will adopt small films, market them well and afford them a good release. The films that he has given the helping hand include Parijatham and Chithiram Pesudhadi. The marketing specialist of Tamil cinema

Shankar

He is a director first, a producer next and successful at both. He is said to be the man with the Midas touch. He has never registered a flop. All stars want to work with him. Turning down an offer from Shankar is unheard of in the industry. He has worked with Kamal and is now directing Superstar’s Sivaji. His company, S Movies has produced just a handful of movies but all of them have struck gold. He is the Godfather of fresh young talent.


Simbudevan, Balaji Shakthivel, G.Vasanthabalan are just a few of the names that have been empowered by him. He is surely one of the most influential persons in the industry.

[Raikkonen]

They left out AM Rathnam...

[Rajkumar_mj]

Now AM rathnam is not powerful. He has lot of debts and struggling to release his Bheema. Hence the reason.

[alwarpet_andavan]

There are atleast two factual errors in this article

[dinesh2002]

great article...but the ARRahman part,i felt the person wrote it more in sarcasm.....

[leosimha]

There are atleast two factual errors in this article

what are those?

[smith]

Ilayaraja & kavithalaya just cannot figure in this list.

Balachander's Poi is in the cans for many months now for want of buyers. It is upto oscar ravi to salvage it now.

As for ilayaraja, he is well past his prime. His film offers are few & are not chart busters anyway.

His reign ended when ARR came on the scene with Roja.

[Thirumaran]

Ilayaraja & kavithalaya just cannot figure in this list.

Balachander's Poi is in the cans for many months now for want of buyers. It is upto oscar ravi to salvage it now.

As for ilayaraja, he is well past his prime. His film offers are few & are not chart busters anyway.

His reign ended when ARR came on the scene with Roja.

I would say yes for Kavithalaya and partly for IR. Also Shivaji Productions. They were never a big power. Though at the moment they may be rich due to CM, that does not make them powerful.