M. Manikandan

Biography

M. Manikandanis an Indian film director, writer, producer, and cinematographer who works in Tamil cinema. He began his career as an assistant cinematographer in Tamil films. He made his directorial debut with the short film Wind (2010) and got his breakthrough in feature films like Kaaka Muttai (2015), which won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film. In 2022, he produced the film Kadaisi Vivasayi, for which he received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. In the mid-2000s, he started his film career as an assistant cinematographer in Tamil films. During this time, he co-wrote several scripts for short films. He got his major break with the short film Wind (2010), his directorial debut. The film brought him critical acclaim and was screened in several film festivals. The film caught the attention of Tamil film director Vetrimaaran, who helped him produce Kaaka Muttai (2015), his feature film debut. The film revolves around two slum-dwelling kids whose solitary desire in life is to taste a pizza. The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically in June 2015. At the 62nd National Film Awards, it won two honours – Best Children's Film and Best Child Artist. The film won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 13th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.