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The best 20 directors in Tamil Cinema

There are great directors and great actors. The success of the latter almost always lies in the hands of the former. Directors being compared to the captain of a ship have raised many controversies in the past but consistent performance and hits to their credit have firmly ascertained their credibility and raised expectations in the audience. The following listing of Top 20 directors of 2011 are based on their projects in the past 10 years and those waiting in pipeline.

20. Vasantha Balan

Who knew the reality behind the sales clerks who handed out our clothes and made umpteen visits to the warehouse for a particular shade of sari? Vasantha Balan explored this hard hitting truth with such authenticity that Angadi Theru created havoc for the retail world. Anjali was terrific and Vasantha Balan did not shrink away from taking on the biggies. His period drama Aravaan raises our eyebrows and Vasantha Balan will rise to the challenge, as always.

19. Suseendiran

Who would have thought that a story of a man and his horse can be made with such great flavor? Suseendiran did just that with Azhagar Sasamiyin Kudhirai. On the other hand, his Naan Mahaan Alla had Karthi in a go getter role. The movie had taut screenplay and exposed the evils of city life. He moves from strong village stories rooted in sports to murder in the city with great ease. This dark horse is a winning stallion and you can bet on him, hands down.

18. Jayam Raja

Jayam Raja's forte has been remakes. He is uncrowned King of remakes and when he joined hands with Vijay, we knew we had a winner. Velayutham was this year's one of the major hits and Raja has proved worthy of his title. Although we are yet to see an original storyline from him, we will remain satisfied with his entertaining Take Two's.

17. Hari

Hari has a formula and all his movies follow this formula ardently. Even though, we are well accustomed to this formula, we still have something new and riveting with every release. If Saamy made us think of cops in a different aspect, Singam took police officers to a whole new level. Hari's movies are racy, action packed and supremely entertaining and that formula never fails.

16. Rajesh

After Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao, there is a clear dearth of directors who can direct full length comedy entertainers. Crazy Mohan satisfies our appetite to a great extent but with the entry of Rajesh with SMS, humor moved to the frontlines. He proved that you can make a blockbuster hit like Boss Engira Baskaran, which is a cult of sorts, yet remain commercially viable. When we go for his movies, we are guaranteed fits of laughter and that is just enough.

15. Sasikumar

Subramaniapuram was iconic in terms of music, characters and plot. Nothing about the movie was forgettable and we gave it huge thumbs up. Although Eesan failed to make similar strides, Sasikumar is a talent worth watching out for. He thinks out of the box and strings together humor and reality with finesse.

14. Mysskin

Mysskin's Yudham Sei strapped us to the edge of our seats. From Vaala Meenukum in Chithiram Pesuthadi, he moved to Nandhalala with gusto. He directs both serious and commercial cinema with equal sincerity. He is definitely one of the best directors Tamil Cinema can boast about for years to come.

13. Lingusami

If anybody can make a road trip movie like Paiyaa, romantic and action filled Lingusami can. With Vettai raising expectations, this director has mastered the commercial aspect of movie making. The songs are placed at the right intervals and the movie never loses steam. Run was a landmark movie for Madhavan and Lingusami in establishing themselves and the cash registers kept ringing.

12. KS Ravikumar

There is no other director who can boast of a track record that is better than K.S. Ravikumar. He has directed biggies like Rajni and Kamal consecutively and emerged victorious. In fact he is their preferred director which speaks volumes about his craft. With a clear aim for the audience's palette, KS. Ravikumar has always taken the bull by the horn.

11. Ameer

Ameer is synonymous with Paruthi Veeran. He opened doors to the Madurai slang and people followed him in throngs. Ameer delved the psyche of the prodigal son in Raam with such finesse; there was no doubt about his talent. Paruthi Veeran shattered boundaries and reached for the stars. Although he has strayed into donning the greasepaint, we sincerely hope Aadhi Bagavan with Jayam Ravi is yet another trendsetter.

10. Vetrimaran

Vetrimaran is moving from strength to strength in directing Polladhavan and Aadukalam. Both Dhanush starrers, Aadukalam used rooster fights akin to human psyche. We are envious of our own kin, we plot against our own flesh and blood and when reality strikes we deny it. Vetri Maaran is a firm believer in taut screenplays and there is never a dull moment.

9. AL Vijay

AL Vijay's take on the British rule in India was romantic in Madrasapattinam. Although it resonated with Lagaan, the movie stood on its own legs for the most part. Deiva Thirumagal bought the finesse in Vikram's acting and Baby Sara is etched in our hearts forever. Thandavam will challenge Vikram's acting skill yet again and will be a treat for the audience.

8. KV Anand

Maatraan with Suriya will be one of 2012's top contenders. KV Anand's Ko with Jiva and Ajmal rocked the charts for its racy screenplay and melodious numbers. Yennamo Yedho is permanently etched in our playlists. Not only does KV Anand have a penchant for camera but his direction also is flawless.

7. Venkat Prabhu

Venkat Prabhu defined a genre that is entirely his own - Boys only movies packed with laughs. Mankatha dared to cast Ajith in a negative role and still kept the collections ringing. Chennai 600028 formed a cult for Venkat Prabhu and it kept going through Saroja and Goa. We knew what we were served and lapped it up with satisfaction. We have to wait and watch what is in store for us from his gang of boys for 2012.

6. Selvaraghava

Selva explores the inner core of humans with his honest attempts. That is why his movies are a class apart and we can neither deny the mastermind that he is nor the applause that keeps ringing in the silence of our minds. Mayakkam Enna portrays an aspiring photographer and his undying passion. There are a handful of people who are passionate about what they do and Selva is definitely leading the pack. Irandam Ulagam will be a venture that would make us sit up and think.

5. AR Murugadoss

The man looks like he just passed out of college directs a blockbuster movie that takes him all the way up North. Ghajini with Aamir tops the charts just as easily as Ghajini with Suriya. He brought the glory of Bodhidharmar, one of Tamil Nadu's greatest historical figures to our knowledge. He is not afraid to explore history, science and translate it into a language that the common man can understand. Thuppaki with Vijay will be one of the most anticipated releases of 2012.

4. Bala

Bala's movies take their own sweet time in the making, yet we never complain. When the movie hits the screens, they stay twice that time in our minds. When we pushed Vikram's stellar performance in Pithamagan to the back of our mind, Arya as Rudran exploded and brought Bala to the forefront. The actors transform their physique and the story transforms their performance. Bala's movies are a landmark in Tamil cinema and Eriyum Thanal should be no exception.

3. Gautham Menon

One of the blockbusters of 2010, Vinnaithandi Varuvaayaa, transformed STR. With crispness in each shot and beauty in every frame, Jessi is etched in our hearts forever. Nadunisi Naaygal fell flat with the movie goers but we had to appreciate his daring attitude in attempting to shift genres. 2012 has several interesting projects lined up in his sleeve - Nee thane en ponn vasantham, Yohan and Gautham Menon will prove yet again why he is in the league of major players.

2. Mani Ratnam

Tamil cinema's biggest gem, his Nayagan will be the yardstick with which all movies in the past and future will be compared with. Although Raavanan did not cut through the box office and connect to the audience, we could not deny Vikram's brilliance or the breath-taking shots. Mani Ratnam is a seasoned craftsman who can deliver romantic hits like Alaipayudhey and move on to tackle the Sri Lankan war with poetic justice. Pookadai, hopefully, would be yet another feather to his already crowded hat.

1. Shankar

One of the leading commercial directors in the present who successfully mixes masala entertainers with strong social messages, his dreams have transformed into super hits. He can direct biggies like Rajni, multi starrers like Nanban yet handle newcomers with ease in Boys. Endhiran was a trendsetter in the sci-fi genre and Anniyan introduced multi-personality disorder. Shankar has the most enviable yet consistent track record and 2012 beckons Nanban with great eagerness.