A. C. Thirulokachandar


Arcot Chengalvaraya Thirulokachandar was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked mainly in Tamil films from the 1950s to 1988. He also directed a few films in Hindi and Telugu. His 1969 Tamil film Deiva Magan was the first South Indian film to be submitted by India in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Career

During the making of the film Kumari in 1952, A.C. Tirulokchandar was working as a junior assistant on the sets and during the shooting of this film became a close friend of M. G. Ramachandran. Producer A. V. Meiyappan noticed his talent and gave A.C. Tirulokchandar his break as the director in 1962 film Veerathirumagan.
With the success of his debut film, he got one more film to direct under AVM Productions which was bilingual made simultaneously as Main Bhi Ladki Hoon in Hindi and as Nannum Oru Penn in Tamil. The latter won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil at 11th National Film Awards and also won Filmfare Award for Best film. With this, he became a permanent fixture as director with AVM. He became like the fifth son of Mr. A. V. Meiyappan and became close friend of A.V.M.Saravanan.
Tirulokchandar directed the fiftieth film produced by AVM banner – Anbe Vaa, a romantic comedy film, in 1966 with M.G. Ramachandran in the lead. He directed the films produced by K. Balaji – Thangai, En Thambi, Thirudan and Engiruntho Vanthaal which were Tamil remakes of blockbuster films in other languages. He was not only adept at directing social dramas like Babu with Sivaji Ganesan in the lead, Ramu with Gemini Ganesan as the hero but also romantic dramas such as Iru Malargal and Anbalippu as well as the romantic comedies Anbe Vaa and Anbe Aaruyire.
He was given the task of directing the first bilingual suspense thriller film from AVM banner in 1967 which was Ave Kallu in Telugu and Adhey Kangal in Tamil. He directed the pair Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa in five films – Deiva Magan, Dharmam Engey, Engirundho Vandhaal, Enga Mama and Avanthan Manidhan. He directed Rajesh Khanna in Babu in 1985 which became a hit. His other acclaimed Tamil films include Thirudan, Aval, Dheerga Sumangali, Vasandatil Oru Naal, Bhadrakali, Anbe Aaruyire and Bharata Vilas. He was known to co-ordinate the colour schemes of the actors' outfits with the sets designed for the film.

Personal life

Tirulokchandar had a daughter and two sons, the younger of whom died of cancer in 2016.

Death

Tirulokchandar died on 15 June 2016 at the age of 86. The reason for death was declared as "age-related issues".

Filmography

YearFilmLanguageNotes
1952KumariTamilAssistant Direction
1960Vijayapuri VeeranTamilStory & Dialogue Writer
1962Paarthaal Pasi TheerumTamilStory & Dialogue Writer
1962VeerathirumaganTamil
1963Naanum Oru PennTamil
1964Main Bhi Ladki HoonHindi
1965Naadi Aada JanmeTelugu
1965Kakkum KarangalTamil
1966Anbe VaaTamilRemake of American film Come September
1966RamuTamil
1967ThangaiTamil
1967Athey KangalTamil
1967Iru MalargalTamil
1967Ave KalluTelugu
1968RamuTeluguRemake of Tamil film of same name
1968En ThambiTamil
1969ThirudanTamilRemake of Adrushtavanthulu
1969Deiva MaganTamil
1969AnbalippuTamilStory and screenplay credits as well
1970Engirundho VandhaalTamilSimultaneously made as Khilona
1970Enga MamaTamilRemake of Brahmachari
1971Pavitra HrudayaluTelugu
1971BabuTamilRemake of Odayil Ninnu; screenplay credits as well
1972Itho Entha DeivamTamil
1972AvalTamil
1972Dharmam EngeyTamil
1973RadhaTamil25th Film
1973SonthamTamil
1973Bharatha VilasTamil
1974Dheerga SumangaliTamil
1975Dr. SivaTamil
1975Anbe AaruyiraeTamil
1975Avanthan ManithanTamilRemake of Kasturi Nivasa
1976Nee Indri NaanillaiTamil
1976BhadrakaliTamil
1977Penn JenmamTamil
1977BhadrakaliTelugu
1978Pilot PremnathTamil
1978Vanakkatukuriya KathaliyeTamil
1980VishwaroopamTamil
1980Kadhal KiligalTamilRemake of Ghar
1981Lorry Driver RajakannuTamil
1982Teri KasamHindi
1982BaawriHindi
1982Vasandhathil Or NaalTamilRemake of Mausam
1985BabuHindi
1985Do Dilon Ki DastaanHindi
1987Kudumbam Oru KoyilTamil
1987Anbulla AppaTamil
1988ShukriyaaHindi