| Balaji K. Kumar | |
| Occupation: | Film Director |
| Nationality: | Indian American |
| Years Active: | 2013–present |
Balaji K. Kumar is an Indian film director. His first film as a director in Tamil cinema was Vidiyum Munn (2013), a neo-noir crime thriller. Upon release, it received critical acclaim from both the critics and audience, alike. Then he started his career as story board artist for advertising firms like Ogilvy & Mather, JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi.
Balaji K. Kumar studied cinematography at UCLA. He directed various advertisements for European and American companies. He directed the English-language film Twelve Twisted Tricks (2003) and the film's trailer premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.[1] The trailer won Best Trailer – No Movie award since the film was not released. His next film was 9 Lives of Mara (2007), which received many awards.[2] He then debuted in Tamil with Vidiyum Munn (2013). The film released to critical acclaim despite being a box office failure. A critic wrote that "Director Balaji undoubtedly is at the top of his game".[3] According to Balaji Kumar, "We have made Vidiyum Munn like a new generation film for a matured audience. The film deals with an universal issue".[4] After working on scripts, he returned after ten years with Kolai (2023), which is a based on a real incident that took place in New York in 1923.[5]
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 9 Lives of Mara | English | [6] |
| 2013 | Vidiyum Munn | Tamil | Inspired by London to Brighton |
| 2023 | Kolai | Tamil | |