Balaji K. Kumar
Balaji K. Kumar | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian American |
| Occupation | Film Director |
| Years active | 2013–present |
Balaji K. Kumar is an Indian film director. His first film as a director in Tamil cinema was Vidiyum Munn (2013), a neo-noir crime thriller. Upon release, it received critical acclaim from both the critics and audience, alike. Then he started his career as story board artist for advertising firms like Ogilvy & Mather, JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi.
Career
Balaji K. Kumar studied cinematography at UCLA. He directed various advertisements for European and American companies. He directed the English-language film Twelve Twisted Tricks (2003) and the film's trailer premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The trailer won Best Trailer – No Movie award since the film was not released. His next film was 9 Lives of Mara (2007), which received many awards. He then debuted in Tamil with Vidiyum Munn (2013). The film released to critical acclaim despite being a box office failure. A critic wrote that "Director Balaji undoubtedly is at the top of his game". According to Balaji Kumar, "We have made Vidiyum Munn like a new generation film for a matured audience. The film deals with an universal issue". After working on scripts, he returned after ten years with Kolai (2023), which is a based on a real incident that took place in New York in 1923.
Filmography
As director
| Year | Film | Cast | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 9 Lives of Mara | Pollyana McIntosh | English | Best film in HP Lovecraft film festival, 2007 |
| 2013 | Vidiyum Munn | Pooja Umashankar, Malavika Manikuttan | Tamil | Inspired by London to Brighton |
| 2023 | Kolai | Vijay Antony, Ritika Singh, Meenakshi Chaudhary | Tamil |
Other films
- Twelve Twisted Tricks - Golden Trailer Award (2003)