T. J. Gnanavel
Indian film director and screenwriter
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T. J. Gnanavel is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in the Tamil film industry.
T. J. Gnanavel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 April |
| Occupations | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Notable work | Jai Bhim (2021) |
Early life and career
Gnanavel graduated from Loyola College, Chennai. He holds a PhD in Tamil literature,[1] and worked as a journalist before his cinematic career.[2]
Gnanavel made his debut as a dialogue writer for Raththa Sarithiram (2010) and Payanam (2011) before working as an assistant director.[3][4] In 2017, he made his directorial debut with the comedy Kootathil Oruthan about an ordinary man, starring Ashok Selvan and Priya Anand, which released to average reviews.[4][5] He received critical acclaim for his next film Jai Bhim (2021), which was based on a case handled by Justice K. Chandru. Gnanavel had interviewed Chandru before he handled the case while working for Ananda Vikatan.[1] He later directed Vettaiyan (2024) starring Rajinikanth, and in the same year began working on Dosa King starring Mohanlal.[2] However, that project ended up in development hell, and in 2026 Gnanavel was announced to be directing a separate film starring Suriya.[6]
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
As film director
As dialogue writer
| Year | Film | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Raththa Sarithiram | Wrote for Tamil version | [3] |
| 2011 | Payanam | [4] | |
| 2012 | Dhoni | [8] | |
| 2014 | Un Samayal Arayil | [9] |
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