Rajesh Ghosh at 05:47, 20 February 2026

2026-02-20T05:47:39Z

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{{Short description|Indian film director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Arivazhagan
| alt = This person
| image = Arivazhagan_Venakatachalam_(cropped).PNG
| image_upright = 0.9
| caption = Arivazhagan in 2022
| birth_place = [[Mettur]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| occupation = Director, screenwriter
| spouse = Heera Selvaraj
| footnotes =
| children =
| known for = ''[[Eeram]]'', ''[[Vallinam]]'', ''[[Aarathu Sinam]]'', ''[[Kuttram 23]]'', ''[[Tamil Rockerz]]'', ''[[Sabdham]]''
}}
'''Arivazhagan''' is an Indian film director in [[Tamil cinema]] known for his 2009 [[thriller film]] ''[[Eeram]]''.<ref name=Manigandan2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/article3428739.ece|title=Shot Cuts - Getting sporty|last=Manigandan|first=K. R.|date=17 May 2012|work=[[The Hindu]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328013905/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/article3428739.ece|archive-date=28 March 2014}}</ref>

==Career==
Arivazhagan is a gold medalist from the [[M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute]]. He went on to assist [[S. Shankar|Shankar]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://filmyfocus.com/celebs/arivazhagan-venkatachalam|title =
Arivazhagan Venkatachalam}}</ref>

In 2009, he made his directorial debut with ''[[Eeram]]'', which was produced by Shankar's production house, [[S Pictures]].<ref name="Manigandan2012" /> The film, with an unusual theme and plot, went on to become a huge hit. Arivazhagan's second film was ''[[Vallinam]]'', which was produced by V. Ravichandran.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/news-interviews/Atul-Kulkarni-joins-Vallinam-team/articleshow/13120226.cms?referral=PM|title=Atul Kulkarni joins Vallinam team|last=Suganth|first=M|date=14 May 2012|work=The Times of India}}</ref> The film was a very bold attempt, as sports dramas were made less frequently in [[Tamil cinema]]. Like ''Eeram'', it too went on to become a sleeper hit at the box-office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/will-shankar-agree-to-produce-the-sequel-of-eeram/articleshow/76382239.cms|title = Will Shankar agree to produce the sequel of 'Eeram'?}}</ref>

His third directorial, ''[[Kuttram 23]]'', was received fairly lesser than his first two films, however, the theme and [[Arun Vijay]]'s performance were highly praised. It was a profitable venture. He then remade ''[[Memories (2013 film)|Memories]]'' in Tamil as ''[[Aarathu Sinam]]'', with [[Arulnithi]]. It was fairly successful at the box-office. He reunited with Arun Vijay, again, for the web series, ''[[Tamil Rockerz]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2022/08/27/tamil-rockerz-series-informative-but-emotionally-unsatisfying.html|title =Tamil Rockerz series: Informative, but emotionally unsatisfying}}</ref>

Arivazhagan began scripting ''Borrder'' starring [[Arun Vijay]], [[Regina Cassandra]] and Stefy Patel in 2018, with the film initially developing under the title of ''Zindabad''. Production was completed in 2021, following delays caused by the COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/director-arivazhagan-pens-an-emotional-note-as-arun-vijays-borrder-delayed-for-more-than-3-years/articleshow/111833586.cms|title = Director Arivazhagan pens an emotional note as Arun Vijay's 'Borrder' delayed for more than 3 years}}</ref> Despite having scheduled release dates in November 2021, October 2022 and February 2023, the film has repeatedly been postponed owing to financial issues faced by the production studio, All In Pictures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/border-release-of-arun-vijay-starrer-postponed/articleshow/87647872.cms|title = ‘Border': Release of Arun Vijay starrer postponed?}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%;"
! Year
! Title
! Notes
! Ref
|-
| 2009
| ''[[Eeram]]''
|
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-eeram/20090911.htm|title = Eeram is brilliant}}</ref>
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Vallinam]]''
|
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/vallinam/vallinam-review.html|title =VALLINAM MOVIE REVIEW}}</ref>
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Aarathu Sinam]]''
| Remake of ''[[Memories (2013 film)|Memories]]''
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/i-didnt-want-the-film-to-look-like-a-remake-arivazhagan/articleshow/51106980.cms|title =I didn't want the film to look like a remake: Arivazhagan}}</ref>
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Kuttram 23]]''
|
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/kuttram-23/movie-review/57454304.cms|title =Kuttram 23}}</ref>
|-
| 2022
|''[[Tamil Rockerz (web series)|Tamil Rockerz]]''
| Web series on [[SonyLIV]]
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arun Vijay to star in Arivazhagan's web series 'Tamil Rockerz' |url=https://www.dtnext.in/cinema/2022/07/02/arun-vijay-to-star-in-arivazhagans-web-series-tamil-rockerz |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703120237/https://www.dtnext.in/cinema/2022/07/02/arun-vijay-to-star-in-arivazhagans-web-series-tamil-rockerz |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=DT next |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2025 || ''[[Sabdham (film)|Sabdham]]''
|
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/sabdham/movie-review/118623172.cms|title =Sabdham}}</ref>
|-
|TBA
|{{Pending film|Borrder}}
|Delayed
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-07-18 |title=Director Arivazhagan pens an emotional note as Arun Vijay's 'Borrder' delayed for more than 3 years |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/director-arivazhagan-pens-an-emotional-note-as-arun-vijays-borrder-delayed-for-more-than-3-years/articleshow/111833586.cms |access-date=2024-12-10 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|3942648}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venkatachalam, Arivazhagan}}
[[Category:Film directors from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil film directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:People from Salem district]]
[[Category:Tamil screenwriters]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

{{India-film-director-stub}}

Arivazhagan - Revision history

Rajesh Ghosh at 05:47, 20 February 2026