Kalaipuli S. Thanu

He has won two National Film Awards, two Cinema Express Awards and one Filmfare Awards South.

• Name — Kalaipuli S. Thanu • Born — 25 June 1958 • Birthplace — North Arcot, Tamil Nadu, India • Occupation — * Producer • distributor • director • Years Active — 1985–present • Spouse — Kala • Children — 3 • Honours — Kalaimamani 2020

Thanu is married to Kala. Their son Kalaprabhu made his directorial debut with Sakkarakatti (2008). Thanu also has a daughter Kavitha.

S. Thanu began his career as a film financier and distributor, before becoming a producer and a partner at Kalaipuli Films with S. Thanu and Soori with Yaar? (1985), being their debut film as producers. He initially started as a publicity designer being responsible for christening Rajinikanth as "Superstar" and creating a 35 feet cutout of him in a theatre. He started his own company V. Creations and went on to produce commercially successful films with Vijayakanth in Cooliekkaran (1987), Nallavan (1988) and Pudhu Padagan (1990). His Vanna Vanna Pookkal (1992) directed by Balu Mahendra won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. He also did in a cameo appearance for a film Magalir Mattum in 1994. Kizhakku Cheemayile (1993) and Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) won the Cinema Express Award for Best Film – Tamil. He has also produced films with Suriya in Kaakha Kaakha (2003), Maayavi (2005) and with Vijay in Sachein (2005), Thuppakki (2012) and Theri (2016). He collaborated with Rajinikanth for the first time for Kabali (2016). He has produced four films for Dhanush such as Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 (2017), Asuran (2019), Karnan (2021) and Naane Varuvean (2022).

Thanu owns Kalaipuli Films and V Creations. The former company was registered as a private company on 8 March 2004, and the CEO of the latter is Thanu's other son Paranthaman.

• Year — Film — Role • 1994 — Magalir Mattum — Thamizhavan

• Year — Film — Director(s) — Notes • 1985 — Yaar? — Sakthi-Kannan • 1987 — Cooliekkaran — Rajasekhar • 1988 — Nallavan — S. P. Muthuraman • 1990 — Pudhu Padagan — S. Thanu — Also director, writer and music composer • 1991 — Thaiyalkaran — S. P. Muthuraman • 1992 — Vanna Vanna Pookkal — Balu Mahendra • 1993 — Kizhakku Cheemayile — Bharathiraja • 1997 — V. I. P. — Sabapathy Dekshinamurthy • 1999 — Mannavaru Chinnavaru — P. N. Ramachandra Rao • Mugam — Gnana Rajasekaran • 2000 — Kandukondain Kandukondain — Rajiv Menon • 2001 — Aalavandhan — Suresh Krissna • 2003 — Punnagai Poove — Sabapathy Dekshinamurthy • Kaakha Kaakha — Gautham Vasudev Menon • 2005 — Maayavi — Singampuli • Sachein — John Mahendran • Thotti Jaya — V. Z. Durai • 2006 — Chennai Kadhal — Vikraman • 2007 — Thirumagan — M. Rathnakumar • 2008 — Sakkarakatti — Kala Prabhu • 2009 — Kanthaswamy — Susi Ganesan • 2012 — Thuppakki — AR Murugadoss • 2014 — Arima Nambi — Anand Shankar • 2016 — Kanithan — T. N. Santosh • Theri — Atlee Kumar • Kabali — Pa. Ranjith • 2017 — Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 — Soundarya Rajinikanth • Indrajith — Kala Prabhu • 2018 — Sketch — Vijay Chandar • 60 Vayadu Maaniram — Radha Mohan • Thuppakki Munai — Dinesh Selvaraj • 2019 — Hippi — Krishna — Telugu film • Asuran — Vetrimaaran • 2021 — Karnan — Mari Selvaraj • Naarappa — Srikanth Addala — Telugu film • 2022 — Naane Varuvean — Selvaraghavan • 2024 — Max — Vijay Karthikeyaa — Kannada film • 2026 — Vetrimaaran • TBA — Mysskin

• 1996 - Delhi Diary (Tamil dubbed) • 1996 - Siraichaalai (Tamil dubbed) • 2004 - Gharshana (Telugu) • 2010 - Milaga • 2010 - Thottupaar • 2011 - Pathinaaru • 2011 - Maaveeran (Tamil dubbed) • 2011 - Urumi • 2014 - Ner Ethir • 2014 - Yennamo Yedho • 2015 - Thakka Thakka • 2015 - Vellaiya Irukiravan Poi Solla Maatan • 2016 - Meendum Oru Kadhal Kadhai • 2016 - Parandhu Sella Vaa • 2017 - Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 • 2019 - Lucifer (Tamil dubbed) • 2019 - Kurukshetra (Tamil dubbed) • 2021 - Maraikayar: Arabikadalin Singam (Tamil version) • 2022 - Andhagan • 2022 - Iravin Nizhal