Basavaraj at 16:34, 19 May 2025

2025-05-19T16:34:35Z

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{{Short description|Indian film director (1947–2014)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2010}}
{{Indian name|Rudraiah|Chockalingam}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rudraiah
| image = C.RudhraiyaImg.jpg
| imagesize =
| birth_name = Rudraiah Chockalingam
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|7|25|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|11|18|1947|7|25|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| birth_place = [[Attur, Salem|Attur]], [[Salem district]],<br/>[[Madras Province]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[Tamil Nadu]], India)
| occupation = Director, producer
| yearsactive = 1978–1980
| spouse =
| father = Chockalingam
| othername = Arumugam (Arukutty)|
}}

'''Rudraiah Chockalingam''' ({{circa|25 July 1947}} – 18 November 2014) was an Indian [[film director]] most known for directing the film, ''[[Aval Appadithan]]'' (1978) which starred [[Kamal Haasan]], [[Rajinikanth]] and [[Sripriya]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tamilscreen.com/rudraiah-director-news/|title='அவள் அப்படித்தான்' படத்தின் இயக்குநர் ருத்ரையா காலமானார்...! - Tamilscreen|website=tamilscreen.com|access-date=19 November 2014|archive-date=21 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121192322/http://tamilscreen.com/rudraiah-director-news/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-14/aval-appadithaan-rudraiyya-passes-away.html|title=A milestone director for Rajini - Kamal passes away ...|language=ta|website=www.behindwoods.com}}</ref><ref name=Cr>{{cite news |last1=Rangan |first1=Baradwaj |title=C Rudraiah - Lights, camera, conversation...Two-film wonder |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/lights-camera-conversationtwofilm-wonder/article6643881.ece |access-date=28 October 2020 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=28 November 2020}}</ref>

== Early life ==
He was born the son of Chockalingam on 25 July 1947 in [[Attur, Salem|Attur]], a town in [[Salem district]], present-day [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-11-20 |title=கடலில் கலந்த புதுப்புனல் |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/opinion/columns/23368-.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Hindu Tamil Thisai |language=ta}}</ref>

==Career==
He graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]] in economics from [[St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli]] and went on to pursue a diploma in film direction from [[Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu]], [[Chennai]]. His directorial debut ''Aval Appadithan'' 'made an impact at the time of its release because its story and dialogues were different from many other [[Tamil language|Tamil]] films. The photography throughout the film emphasises moods by using shadows, and close-up shots are used extensively. [[Jump cut]]s are also common throughout the film. ''Aval Appadithan'' is considered as a [[milestone]] in Tamil film history. Indian filmmaker [[Mrinal Sen]] remarked that the film "was far ahead of the times". Rudraiah's second film, ''[[Gramathu Athiyayam]]'' (1980) was a rural tale set in a rustic Tamil village.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rudraiah |first1=Ganga |title=Rudraiah, my father |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/Rudraiah-my-father/article16657273.ece |access-date=28 October 2020 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=19 November 2016}}</ref> In 1978, he began a project ''Yaaro Paarkirargal'', based on a novel by Sujatha featuring Kamal Haasan, Seema and Saritha despite a song being recorded, it was shelved.<ref>{{cite news|title=ருத்ரைய்யா டைரக்ஷனில் யாரோ பார்க்கிறார்கள்|newspaper=Anna|language=ta|url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP372-6-23-3-115|date=11 February 1979|access-date=19 May 2025|via=[[Endangered Archives Programme]]}}</ref>

Despite the success of his first film, Rudraiah found it difficult to continue making films as a result of the changing style of the film industry and the audience's preference for star-driven projects.<ref name="br">{{cite web|url=https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/lights-camera-conversation-two-film-wonder/|title=Lights, Camera, Conversation… "Two-film wonder"|date=28 November 2014}}</ref> In 1982, he began a venture titled ''Raja Ennai Mannithuvidu'' featuring [[Kamal Haasan]], [[Chandrahasan]], [[Sujatha (actress)|Sujatha]] and [[Sumalatha]], which dealt with conflicts between two brothers. The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and was 40% complete, when Kamal Haasan pulled out citing he wanted to work on scripts with more star value, and the film eventually was thereafter shelved. The songs recorded for the film by [[Ilaiyaraaja]] were later used in other ventures.<ref name="br"/>

Rudraiah then announced another film titled ''Unmayai Thedi'' which also failed to materialise, before he began work on the road movie, ''TXT7'' in 1988. Written by [[Sujatha (writer)|Sujatha]], the team signed on [[Raghuvaran]] to play the lead role of a taxi driver and [[L. Vaidyanathan]] to compose music. However financial problems meant that the film was soon after indefinitely postponed. The failure for his own productions to take off meant that by 1990, Rudraiah was open to directing films for other producers and began work on a tragic love story titled ''Kadalpurathil'' featuring [[Archana (actress)|Archana]]. Soon after production began, the makers decided to change the lead actress and create it as a television film instead, and it was later premièred on [[Doordarshan]].<ref name="br"/>

==Death==
Rudraiah died in Chennai on 18 November 2014 at the age of 67 after an illness.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/tamil-film-director-rudraiyaa-passes-away/article6613655.ece|title=Tamil film director Rudhraiah passes away|date=19 November 2014|work=The Hindu}}</ref>

==Filmography==
*''[[Aval Appadithan]]'' (1978)
*''[[Gramathu Athiyayam]]'' (1980)

==References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0788152|C.Rudhraiya}}
*[https://www.thehindu.com/thread/reflections/article9357726.ece An Outsider who saw within] - Ganga Rudraiah (The Hindu, 2016 Nov 19)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudraiah, C.}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Salem district]]
[[Category:St Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli alumni]]
[[Category:Artists from Tiruchirappalli]]
[[Category:M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute alumni]]
[[Category:Film directors from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil film directors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian people]]

C. Rudraiah - Revision history

Basavaraj at 16:34, 19 May 2025