Murugadoss, commonly known with his stage name initials as A. R. Murugadoss, is a notable and recognised Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, whose works in the cinema down South India have been successful and honoured, while few of them also having been remade into Hindi films to the country"s widespread audience.

Early Life of A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss was born on September 25, 1977, in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. He completed his schooling from the Government Higher Secondary School, and later did his graduation in Bachelors of Arts in Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirapalli. During his college days, he was active in cultural events, particularly in mimicry and drawing. He subsequently became a cinephile, watching up to seven films a week in his hometown and started writing jokes as well. After Ananda Vikatan published them, he began to think of becoming a story writer. At Bharathidasan University, he began writing sketch comedies and acting in them. Post college, he tried to join the Madras Film Institute, but was rejected. Nevertheless, Murugadoss stayed in Chennai in multiple functions, starting his film career initially as an assistant director.

Career of A. R. Murugadoss
First, A. R. Murugadoss became an assistant writer to P. Kalaimani, and wrote dialogues for the Tamil film "Madurai Meenakshi". He was an assistant at "Ratchagan" (1997), for half of the film and continued as assistant script director for the Telugu film "Kalusukundam Ra". Murugadoss then worked with S. J. Surya in the film "Kushi". S. J. Surya recommended Murugadoss to Ajith Kumar for directing his debut film, "Dheena". His next directed films were "Ramana", "Ghajini" and "Stalin". His fifth film was "Ghajini", the Hindi remake of his same-titled 2005 film, marking the director"s Bollywood debut and collaborating with Aamir Khan. It released on December 25, 2008, and became the first Indian film to gross over 100 Crores INR, proving a humongous success and being declared an "All-time Blockbuster" at the box office. Murugadoss`s next Tamil film was "7aum Arivu", which released in Diwali 2011. Murugadoss signed a deal with Fox Star Studios to produce two Tamil films.

In 2012, he directed the action thriller "Thuppakki", starring Vijay and produced by S. Dhanu. It released in Diwali 2012, to mostly positive reviews and became a huge commercial success. "Thuppakki" touched the 100 Crore (US$15 million) mark at the box office in merely 12 days. He also directed the Hindi remake of the film, "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty", collaborating with Akshay Kumar. It also grossed over Rs. 100 Crores (US$15 million) at the box office. In 2014, he was the writer and producer for the fantasy film "Maan Karate", starring Sivakarthikeyan. It was directed by his former assistant Thirukumaran, and became a "hit" at the box office. He also produced Tamil films "Vatthikuchi" and "Raja Rani", both released in 2013.

In 2014, Murugadoss directed the drama thriller "Kaththi", starring Vijay and produced by Ayngaran International. Released in Diwali 2014, the film won mostly positive reviews and was a huge commercial success. "Kaththi" was a critically acclaimed film that showcased many issues faced by farmers. The movie entered the 100 Crore (US$15 million) elite club at the box office, in just 11 days. In 2015, he co-produced Tamil action film "10 Endrathukulla", along with Fox Start Studios. Directed by Vijay Milton, the film opened to mixed reviews.

A. R. Murugadoss" next directorial venture is Hindi film "Akira", an action drama produced by him and Fox Star Studios. A remake of Tamil film "Mouna Guru", it will feature actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead roles and is slated for a 2016 release. He will also direct his second Telugu film after "Stalin" with Mahesh Babu.

Awards and Honours received by A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss and his film ventures have been recognised with the following awards.


•Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Dialogue Writer for "Ramana" (2002)
•Stardust Award for Hottest New Filmmaker for "Ghajini" (2008)
•Apsara Award for Best Director for "Ghajini" (2008)
•Vijay Award for Favourite Director for "Thuppakki" (2012)
•Vijay Award for Favourite Director for "Kaththi" (2014)
•Filmfare Award for Best Director - Tamil for "Kaththi" (2014)

Personal Life of A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss" initials "AR" denote his father`s name Arunasalam. They were added after Murugadoss signed his first film "Dheena" (2001). Murugadoss currently resides in Virugambakkam, Chennai. His brother Dileepan made his acting debut with the 2013 Tamil film "Vatthikuchi", produced by Murugadoss.

Filmography of A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss has written, directed and produced the following films enlisted along with their respective years of release.