Vasantabalan, the National Award-winning Tamil director, was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai on Tuesday after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Vasantabalan who is known for directing Veyil (2006), Angadi Theru (2010) and Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014), announced that he had contracted the disease on social media.
In the post, he wrote, “Dear friends, I have been affected by Covid-19 and admitted to a hospital. And I am unable to attend many of your phone calls. I am surrounded by friends, doctors, relatives who love me and they are the strength of a thousand elephants. I will once again raise again like a 12-legged horse.”
The director started his career as an editing assistant and later became an assistant director to Shankar. Vasantabalan assisted Shankar in Gentleman (1993), Kaadhalan (1994), Indian (1996) and Jeans (1998).
Vasantabalan’s Veyil- starring Pasupathi, Bharathi, Bhavana, Priyanka Nair and Sriya Reddy- was screened in Cannes Film Festival in 2007. The film won the National Award, Tamil Nadu State Award under the best film category and Filmfare Award for best director.
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His film Angaadi Theru, starring Anjali and Mahesh, won the Tamil Nadu State Award Special Prize for best film and best actor female lead.
In an earlier interview with Silverscreen India, Vasantabalan noted that years after Angadi Theru, the Kerala government amended the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act to provide seating facilities for employees. “When the decision was made, some people referred to my movie too, and it felt like a vindication of sorts. In Raman Raghav, Anurag Kashyap inserted a reference to Angadi Theru. So, it is possible to use films as a weapon for change. I believe films should be meaningful; the medium is that powerful,” he had said.
Vasantabalan is awaiting the release of the upcoming film Jail, starring GV Prakash, Abarnathi, Robo Shankar, Radhika Sarathkumar and Yogi Babu in pivotal roles.
நாயகன் pic.twitter.com/h49MwBw9jp
— Vasantabalan (@Vasantabalan1) February 12, 2021
The director and his team launched a yet-to-be-titled film starring Arjun Das in the lead role on February 18. Dushara has been cast opposite Das. The film is produced by the director with his school friends under the banner Urban Boyz Studios. GV Prakash Kumar will be composing music for the film.