Vikram Kumar – South Indian film director of ‘Yavarum Nalam’ and ‘24’ fame

Vikram Kumar is a well-known film director associated with Tamil and Telugu cinema, who shot to fame with Tamil-Hindi bilingual 13B/Yavarum Nalam released in 2009 starring Madhavan, Neetu Chandra and Poonam Dhillon in lead roles. He has tasted success through Suriya starrer Tamil movie 24 (2016) and high expensive Telugu film, Manam (2014). Hello, Ishq, Alai, Ishtam etc are other releases. He made his directorial debut with non-feature English film, Silent Scream in 1998 which won him National Film Award for Best Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film. Vikram is married to sound engineer Srinidhi Venkatesh, best known for her association with A. R. Rahman since late 2000s.

Vikram Kumar was born in Thrissur, Kerala in 1975. After completing his graduation at Chennai, he joined as an assistant director to Priyadarshan in 1997. He worked with the acclaimed director Chandralekha, followed by Doli Saja Ke Rakhna and Hera Pheri. In 1998 he made a film Silent Scream which won him National Film Award. After three years, he turned a full-fledged director through Telugu flick- Ishtam. His first two releases – Ishtam and Alai (debut Tamil flick) were flops. However the success of his horror bilingual Yavarum Nalam gave him a major break. Though born as a Malayali, he is yet to work in Malayalam industry, and till now has done movies in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Vikram Kumar – Some interesting and less-known facts

Vikram Kumar at his marriage ceremony with sound engineer Srinidhi Venkatesh

1. He joined film industry as an assistant director of Priyadarshan in the 1990s and later launched his daughter Kalyani Priyadarshan to cine world through his Telugu flick, Hello (2017).

2. Through his debut film Ishtam, he launched Shriya Saran and Charan in Telugu cinema, and also the Telugu debut of top Bollywood actress of 1980s, Poonam Dhillion in a character role.

3. He received Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu for 2014 film, Manam, which marked Amitabh Bachchan’s debut in Telugu cinema, though it was a cameo role. The film also featured three generation of actors of illustrious Akkikeni family. Akkineni Akhil marked his screen debut too.

4. In a career spanning to more than two decades, he has directed only 8 movies till 2019.