K. S. Ravikumar is an Indian film director, actor, producer and screenwriter who works predominantly in the Tamil film industry.
Wiki/Biography
K. S. Ravikumar was born on Friday, 30 May 1958 (age 65 years; as of 2023) in Vanganoor, Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. His zodiac sign is Gemini. Ravikumar attended Dhanraj Baid Jain College, Jyothi Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Weight (approx.): 80 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father, K. Subramani (deceased), worked hard throughout his life in cycle shops, restaurants etc. to support his family. His mother’s name is Rukmani Ammal Tampatiyar. K. S. Ravikumar has four siblings.
Wife & Children
K. S. Ravikumar is married to Karpagam Ravikumar who is a film producer. The two have three daughters together, Maalica Ravikumar AK, who works as a women’s life coach, entrepreneur and film producer, Janani Ravikumar who is an entrepreneur, and Jasvanthi Ravikumar who is a doctor and producer.
K. S. Ravikumar with his wife Karpagam Ravikumar
K. S. Ravikumar’s daughters Jasvanthi, Maalica and Janani
Relationships/Affairs
Ramya Krishnan is a popular name, especially in the Tamil film industry, surrounding her hits such as Padayappa and Bahubali. During her career, Ramya closely collaborated with the director K. S. Ravikumar, starring in a series of films under his direction. During their collaborations at work, Ramya and K. S. Ravikumar reportedly developed a strong bond that eventually evolved into a romantic involvement. This relationship carried on despite K.S. Ravikumar being married to Karpagam Ravikumar. Rumours were being spread about a possible pregnancy, and tensions escalated when Karpagam Ravikumar supposedly became aware of her husband’s alleged relationship with Ramya. Finding out about the alleged affair reportedly strained their marriage, prompting K.S. Ravikumar to take definitive action. Allegedly, he offered a substantial sum of Rs. 75 lakhs at the time to facilitate the termination of the possible pregnancy and effectively put an end to the relationship. While such rumours were at their peak, both Ramya Krishnan and K. S. Ravikumar vehemently denied the validity of reports surrounding their alleged relationship, pregnancy, and subsequent termination when questioned by the media. K. S. Ravikumar remains married to Karpagam with their three daughters, and Ramya Krishnan is married to Krishna Vamsi (Telugu filmmaker) with whom she has a son.
K. S. Ravikumar with actress Ramya Krishnan
Career
Filmmaker
K. S. Ravikumar is well-known for making films in the masala film genre (a mix of all genres). Ravikumar started his career as an assistant to directors such as Bharathiraja, Vikraman, E. Ramdoss, Nagesh, Ramarajan and K. Rangaraj. He then worked as a co-director to R. B. Choudhary in his production Pudhu Vasantham, whose success led to the producer giving him a chance at his directorial debut. Ravikumar made his debut as a filmmaker with the film Puriyadha Pudhir (1990) which is a remake of the 1989 thriller Tarka, a Kannada film based on The Unexpected Guest, the 1958 Agatha Christie play.
The poster of the film Puriyadha Pudhir (1990) which was K. S. Ravikumar’s debut as a filmmaker
Afterwards, he transitioned his film focus to create a sequence of rural action-packed movies, frequently teaming up with actor R. Sarathkumar. This partnership resulted in blockbusters like Cheran Pandiyan (1991) and Nattamai (1994), which turned him into a much sought-after filmmaker within the Tamil film industry.
Director
Ravikumar frequently opts to work with established actors, reflecting his belief in their commercial viability and their experience. He typically develops his scripts once the lead actor is finalized, making adjustments to the original storyline to align with the actor’s persona. In his collaborations with Rajinikanth, Ravikumar shared how each scene was discussed with the actor during the making of “Padayappa” (1999), with Rajinikanth strategically placing punch dialogues to engage the audience. Working with Kamal Haasan, Ravikumar mentioned that Haasan detailed scenes for urban audiences’ laughter during the creation of “Thenali” (2000) and “Panchatanthiram” (2002), then suggested adding slapstick humour to resonate with rural viewers too. Ravikumar’s frequent collaborator R. Sarathkumar also credited the director for his success, with the duo producing several swiftly shot village action films in the 1990s. Ravikumar’s career as a director includes several notable projects like “Muthu” (1995), an adaptation of Priyadarshan’s Malayalam film “Thenmavin Kombath.” Despite buying the remake rights, he worked on his screenplay, and the film gained “cult classic” status in India and Japan, becoming one of the most profitable Tamil films at the time of release. Following this success, he collaborated with Kamal Haasan for the first time in Avvai Shanmugi (1996), an Indian adaptation of the American comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
K. S. Ravikumar and Kamal Hassan on the set of Avvai Shanmugi (1996)
The film received positive reviews and performed well at the box office. Ravikumar’s career continued to flourish with projects like Padayappa (1999), featuring Rajinikanth and Sivaji Ganesan. The film faced delays due to strikes but was completed within three months and became a blockbuster upon release. He also directed other successful films like Thenali (2000) starring Kamal Haasan and Dasavathaaram (2008), a high-budget venture with Kamal Haasan portraying ten different roles.
Kamal Hassan in a still of the film Dasavathaaram (2008) directed by K. S. Ravikumar
In the subsequent years, Ravikumar directed various films, including Aadhavan (2009) and Manmadan Ambu (2010) with Kamal Haasan. He ventured into Hindi cinema with Policegiri (2013) starring Sanjay Dutt, although the film faced production issues. Ravikumar directed Mudinja Ivana Pudi (2016) and Kotigobba 2 (2016) in Tamil and Kannada languages, both successful. He also directed the Telugu action films Jai Simha (2018) and Ruler (2019) featuring Nandamuri Balakrishna.
Actor
K. S. Ravikumar acted in the film Aayiram Pookkal Malarattum (1986), Raaja Raajathan (1989) and Pudhu Vasantham (1990) where his roles were uncredited. Further, he has acted in Pagaivan (1997), Dosth (2001), Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010), Sigaram Thodu (2014), Thanga Magan (2015), Remo (2016), and Comali (2019). In 2020, he made a notable appearance in the lead role in the film Mathil.
K. S. Ravikumar in a still from the film Mathil (2020)
Writer
K. S. Ravikumar wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogue in the 2014 film Kochadaiyaan: The Legend which was directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth.
Controversies
K. R. Ravi Rathinam vs The Director General Of Police (Case against K. S. Ravikumar and Rajinikanth)
Ravi Rathinam (the petitioner) claimed ownership of the story and was concerned that his work was stolen and used in K. S. Ravikumar’s (respondent) movie ‘Lingaa’. Despite a complaint to authorities, no action was taken. The petitioner invoked Sections of the Information Technology Act and IPC, alleging intellectual property theft. The petitioner, Ravi Rathinam, appeared before the Inspector of Police and explained that he is directing a film named ‘Mullai Vanam 999’ based on Mullai Periyar Dam and Colonel J.Penni Cuick, with supporting evidence of the film’s inauguration. He alleged similarities between his film’s story and the film ‘Lingaa’ produced by the Respondents, requesting a stay on the release of ‘Lingaa’. The petitioner failed to demonstrate any similarity between his story and the Respondent’s. Despite performing pooja for the film ‘Mullai Vanam 999’, shooting had not yet begun, with plans to start in January 2015. The petitioner did not provide the story during the inquiry. The complaint and the writ petition are based on an assumption that the story of ‘Lingaa’ is the same as the petitioner’s story, without establishing any offence. Rajinikanth argued that he is known for his significant contributions to the film industry, including being a veteran actor, producer, director, screenwriter, playback singer, and story writer. The petitioner’s claims regarding his film ‘Mullai Vanam 999’ and alleged similarities to ‘Lingaa’ were denied by Rajinikanth who stated that this petition was an attempt at fame. The petitioner claims that his intellectual property/story ‘Mullai Vanam 999’ was stolen from YouTube by respondents including K. S. Ravikumar and Rajinikanth. However, the respondents deny this claim. K. S. Ravikumar argued that the film ‘Lingaa’ was still in the making and has not been submitted for certification by the Central Board of Film Certification. He emphasized that it was premature to make any claims about the film’s content until it is properly certified. Ravikumar’s counsel referred to legal definitions from the Information Technology Act, arguing that the petitioner’s claims do not constitute a cybercrime. The court concluded that this dispute appears to be a private matter, and the merits of the claims between the parties need to be resolved through proper legal channels such as a civil suit. Therefore, the writ petition was dismissed, and the parties were made responsible for their costs.
K. S. Ravikumar and Rajinikanth on the poster announcing the film ‘Lingaa’
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- K. S. Ravikumar won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film and Best Director in 1994 for his film Nattamai (1994).
- K. S. Ravikumar won the Vijay Award for Best Director and Favourite Director in 2006 for his film Varalaru: History of Godfather (2006).
- K. S. Ravikumar won the ITFA (International Tamil Film Awards) Best Director Award in 2008 for his film Dasavathaaram (2008).
- K. S. Ravikumar received the IIFTC Tourism Impact Award for Outstanding Contribution 2020.
K. S. Ravikumar receiving the IIFTC Tourism Impact Award for Outstanding Contribution 2020
Car Collection
K. S. Ravikumar had a Toyota Sera that was used in the movie Padayappa (1999) and has a Honda Accord.
Facts/Trivia
- Assistant directors have noted Ravikumar’s regular outbursts on set to ensure optimal performance from the production team. K. S. Ravikumar stated in an interview that he has a quick temper that he has failed to tackle.
- K. S. Ravikumar is known as a ‘producer’s delight’ and he attributes this to the fact that he does not exceed the budget and always tries to release the film on time.
- K. S. Ravikumar makes an acting appearance in all of his films, and in an interview stated that the habit may be linked to Alfred Hitchcock’s influence on him.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
