SilasCorrie at 09:52, 17 February 2026

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{{Short description|Pioneer film institute in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{COI|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox university
| name = M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute
| motto =
| image =
| established = {{start date and age|1945}} (as Adyar Film Institute)
| type = [[Film school]]
| director =
| endowment =
| staff =
| faculty =
| president = [[Trotsky Marudu]]
| principal = J. V. Mohanakrishnan
| provost =
| undergrad =
| postgrad =
| city = C.I.T. Campus, [[Tharamani]], [[Chennai]] – 600113
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| country = [[India]]
| campus = Urban
| colors =
| mascot =
| athletics =
| academic_affiliations = [[The Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University]]
| free_label =
| free =
| website = https://www.filminstitute.tn.gov.in/en
}}
The '''M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute''', popularly known earlier as '''Madras Film Institute''', is Asia's first-ever film and television training institute. Established in 1945 as '''Adyar Film Institute''', it is one of the pioneer film institutes in India.<ref>[http://www.tn.gov.in/results/mgrinstitute/2012/prospectus.pdf One among the Pioneer film institutes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319144122/http://www.tn.gov.in/results/mgrinstitute/2012/prospectus.pdf |date=2013-03-19 }}</ref> It is in [[Tharamani]], [[Chennai]], and is run by the Department of Information and Public Relations, [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=tnd/>

The diplomas are approved by [[All India Council for Technical Education]] (AICTE), while the certificates are awarded by the Department of Technical Education, [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="tnd">{{Cite web |url=http://www.tndipr.gov.in/television-traininginstitute.aspx |title=Courses Offered |access-date=19 February 2013 |archive-date=7 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207032011/http://www.tndipr.gov.in/television-traininginstitute.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=CAREER GUIDE: Shooting for the stars |url=http://www.hindu.com/edu/2010/11/01/stories/2010110150170700.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108132619/http://www.hindu.com/edu/2010/11/01/stories/2010110150170700.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 November 2010 |date=1 November 2010 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=22 February 2013}}</ref>

The incumbent president of the Institute is [[Trotsky Marudu]], who was appointed by the Government on 11 November 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Arun |date=2024-11-11 |title=திரைப்பட பயிற்சி நிறுவன தலைவர் ட்ராட்ஸ்கி மருது நியமனம்: தமிழ்நாடு அரசு உத்தரவு |url=https://www.dinakaran.com/director-filmtraininginstitute-trotskymaruthu-appointment-governmentoftamilnadu-order/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Dinakaran |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
The institute was established in 1945 as '''Adyar Film Institute''' and was a part of the Central Polytechnic. In 1965, it moved into its present campus in the Tharamani area of Chennai. At the time, the campus was spread over 54 acres, which has reduced over the following decades, due to rapid urbanisation. Parts of land were given to the [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras|IIT Madras]] and many IT companies, bringing it down to the present 10 acres.

M.G.R. Film City is situated in Taramani. It is an Indian Film and TV Training Institute run by Tamil Nadu State Government under Information and Public relation.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

In 2006, it was renamed M.G.R. Film and Television Training Institute, after former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu [[M. G. Ramachandran]] (1917–1987), who was a prominent actor in [[Tamil cinema]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Modernisation of Government printing presses under way: Minister |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/29/stories/2006082908710400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113052155/http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/29/stories/2006082908710400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 November 2007 |date= 29 August 2006 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=22 February 2013}}</ref>

In 1994, the government started [[MGR Film City]] to make more filmmaking facilities in the city. On 16 October 1997, [[Queen Elizabeth II]] visited MGR Film City and watched the filming of [[Kamal Haasan]]'s Tamil movie ''[[Marudhanayagam]]''.<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/revents/01/19970110.htm Queen Elizabeth's Visit to MGR Film City] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031231084148/http://www.hindu.com/revents/01/19970110.htm |date=2003-12-31 }}</ref> The acting course that started in 1971, at the behest of M.G.R., was discontinued in 2002.<ref name="hindu09">{{cite news |date=12 June 2009 |title=MGR Film and TV Institute losing land to urbanisation |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-06-12/chennai/28188192_1_land-iit-budget-discussion |url-status=dead |access-date=22 February 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411034530/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-06-12/chennai/28188192_1_land-iit-budget-discussion |archive-date=11 April 2013}}</ref> Talks to revive the course have been on for many years.<ref name=hindumgr09>{{cite news |title=New dreams for MGR Film Institute |url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/05/stories/2009070558850200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709163006/http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/05/stories/2009070558850200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 July 2009 |date=5 July 2009 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=22 February 2013}}</ref>

==Courses==
It offers four-year bachelor's degree courses
{{Numbered list|Bachelor of Visual Arts ([[Cinematography]])|Bachelor of Visual Arts ([[Digital Intermediate]])|Bachelor of Visual Arts ([[Audio engineer |Audiography]])|Bachelor of Visual Arts ([[Film director|Direction]] and [[Screenwriter|Screenplay Writing]])|Bachelor of Visual Arts ([[Film editing|Film Editing]])|Bachelor of Visual Arts ([[Animation]] and [[Visual Effects]])
}} Screenplay and Direction, Cinematography, Sound Recording and Sound Engineering, Film Editing and Film Processing, and functions of the government. Only 14 students are admitted in each course.

==Notable alumni==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! Artist
! Category
! Notes
|-
|[[K. S. Prasad]]
|[[Cinematographer]]
|
|-

|[[Mankada Ravi Varma]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Ashok Kumar (cinematographer)|Ashok Kumar]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[P. S. Nivas]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Keyaar]]
|[[Film director]]
|
|-

|[[Aabavanan]]
|Film director
|
|-

|[[R. V. Udayakumar|RV.Udayakumar]]
|Film director
|
|-

|[[Rajinikanth]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[Hema Chaudhary]]
|[[Actress]]
|
|-

|[[G. V. Narayana Rao]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[Mohan Babu]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[K. Natraj]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[Ramki]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[C. Rudhraiya]]
|Screenwriter, Film director
|
|-

|[[K. Rajeshwar]]
| Screenwriter, Film director
|
|-

|[[Jose (actor)|Jose]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[Maniyanpilla Raju]]
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

| [[Rajendra Prasad (actor)|Rajendra Prasad]]
| [[Actor]]
|
|-

| Sujatha Vijaykumar
| [[Film producer|Producer]]
|
|-

| Chakrapani (actor)|Chakrapani
| [[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[Sudhakar (actor)|Sudhakar]]
| [[Actor]]
|
|-

|[[Chiranjeevi]]<ref>{{cite web|title=താങ്കള്‍ വലിയ എഴുത്തുകാരനാകുമെന്ന് പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചില്| author=Adam Ayub|access-date=12 September 2025|url= https://www.mediaoneonline.com/mediaone-shelf/column/wide-angle-part-22-241386|publisher=Media one}}</ref>
|[[Actor]]
|
|-

| [[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]]
| [[Actor]]
|
|-

| [[Sreenivasan]]
| [[Actor]]
|
|-

| [[P. C. Sreeram]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Suhasini Maniratnam]]
| [[Actress]]
|
|-

| [[Raghuvaran]]
| [[Actor]]
|
|-

| [[Archana (actress)|Archana]]
| Actor
|
|-

| [[Yugi Sethu]]
| Film director
|
|-

| [[R. V. Udayakumar]]
| Film director
|
|-

|[[Rajiv Menon]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

|G. P. Krishna
| Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Ayananka Bose]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[V. Manikandan]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Boopathy Pandian]]
|Director
|
|-

|[[Sakthi Saravanan]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Anand Raj]]
| Actor
|
|-

| [[Shiva Rajkumar]]
| Actor
|
|-

| [[S. Saravanan]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[M. V. Panneerselvam]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Raveendran]]
| Actor
|
|-

| [[Kumar Bangarappa]]
| Actor
|
|-

| [[Ajayan (director)|Ajayan]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[N. Harikumar]]
| Sound editor
|
|-

| [[U. K. Senthil Kumar]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Jeeva (director)|Jeeva]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[S. Saravanan]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[M. V. Panneerselvam]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Vijay Milton]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[R. Rathnavelu]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Saravanan (actor)|Saravanan]]
| Actor
|
|-

| E. Ezhilbabu
| Cinematographer<br>Cameraman, ISRO, Ahmedabad
|
|-

| [[Alberrt Antoni]]
| Film director
|
|-

| [[Vaidy S.]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| R. Diwakaran
| Cinematographer
|
|-

|P. V. Sunilkumar
|Cinematographer, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO
|
|-

| Chandru Manickavasagam
| Writer, Film director
|
|-

|[[R. T. Neason]]
|Director
|
|-

|[[N. K. Ekambaram]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Siva (director)|Siva]]
| Director
|
|-

| [[Vetri (cinematographer)|Vetri]]
| Cinematographer
|
|-

| [[Nandha Durairaj]]
| Actor
|
|-

|[[Mohan Raja]]
|Film director
|
|-

|[[Bhaskar (director)|Bommarillu Baskar]]
|Film Director
|
|-

|[[Azhagam Perumal]]
|Director, Actor
|
|-

|[[P. S. Vinod]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Arivazhagan Venkatachalam]]
|Director
|
|-

|[[M. Anbazhagan]]
|Director
|
|-

| [[Narain (actor)|Narain]]
| Cinematographer, Actor
|
|-

| E. Krishnasamy
| Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Manoj Paramahamsa]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Gnanam Subramanian
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Arul Sakthi Jayam
|Underwater DOP/ Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Mahesh Narayanan]]
|[[Film editor]], [[Screenwriter|Screenplay writer]]
|
|-

|[[Manush Nandan]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|K. G. Venkatesh
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Sooraj Nallusamy
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Magesh Raj
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|E.Subamohan
|Cameraman, Tamilnadu Films Division.
|
|-

|Sampath Alwar
|Sound Engineer, Sound Designer
|
|-

|[[Vishnu Govind]]
|[[sound engineer]], [[sound designer]]
|
|-

|Vijay Ulaganath
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Dinesh Krishnan
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Sujith Sarang]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Anbusathiyan R.
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Richard Prasad
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|[[Srihari]]
| Actor
|
|-

|[[Bakkiyaraj Kannan]]
| Director
|[[Gopi Krishna (film editor)|Gopi Krishna]]
|[[Editor]]
|J. Dharmendra
|[[Television Presenter]], [[Actor]]
|
|-
|Thirukkumaran Ganesan
|Screenplay Writer, Director

|Kavin Raj
|Cinematographer
|
|-

|Suriya Pradhaman
|[[Editor]]

| Sistla VMK
|Cinematographer

|-
| Prasanna venkatesh D
|
|-|B.Sakthidoss
|Cinematographer
|
|-
|Adam Ayub<ref>https://www.mediaoneonline.com/user-31663</ref><ref>https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/latest-news/2021/09/14/exclusive-interview-with-malayalam-serial-cinema-director-actor-writer-adam-ayub.html</ref>
|Actor
|
|-
|Ganesh K Babu
|Director
|}

==See also==
* [[Film and Television Institute of India]]
* [[Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts|Bhartendu Natya Academy]]
* [[Cinema of India]]
* [[:Category:Film and Television Institute of India alumni|Film and Television Institute of India alumni]]
* [[Film school]]
* [[Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute]]
* [[Government Film and Television Institute]]
* [[State Institute of Film and Television]]
* [[Jyoti Chitraban Film and Television Institute]]
* [[Biju Pattnaik Film and Television Institute of Odisha]]
* [[K. R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tndipr.gov.in/television-traininginstitute.aspx M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207032011/http://www.tndipr.gov.in/television-traininginstitute.aspx |date=7 February 2013 }} at [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] website
* [https://www.filminstitute.tn.gov.in/ta
* [https://www.filminstitute.tn.gov.in/en
{{Film schools in India}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Film schools in India]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1945]]
[[Category:1945 establishments in India]]
[[Category:State agencies of Tamil Nadu]]

M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute - Revision history

SilasCorrie at 09:52, 17 February 2026