Arun Kumar (born 21 September 1986), known mononymously as Atlee, is an Indian director who makes Tamil-language films.[1] A former assistant director under S. Shankar on the films Enthiran (2010) and Nanban (2012), he is best known for his directorial debut, Raja Rani, produced by Fox Star Studios, for which he was awarded the Vijay Award for Best Debut Director. His next ventures as a director, screenplay and writer for Theri (2016), Mersal (2017) and Bigil (2019), all featured actor Vijay. He will be making his Hindi debut with the upcoming film Jawan starring Shah Rukh Khan scheduled for release in 2023.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Raja Rani | Yes | Yes | No | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Theri | Yes | Yes | No | Tamil | |
| 2017 | Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae | No | No | Yes | Tamil | [10] |
| 2017 | Mersal | Yes | Yes | No | Tamil | co-writer: V. Vijayendra Prasad |
| 2019 | Bigil | Yes | Yes | No | Tamil | third collaboration with Vijay |
| 2020 | Andhaghaaram | No | No | Yes | Tamil | |
| 2023 | Jawan | Yes | Yes | No | Hindi | Filming[11] |
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Nanban | In the song "Asku Laska" | |
| 2019 | Bigil | In the song "Singapenney" |
| Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raja Rani | Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 2013 | Best Dialogue Writer | Won | [12] |
| Edison Awards | Best Debut Director | Won | ||
| 8th Vijay Awards | Best Debut Director | Won | [13] | |
| Best Story, Screenplay Writer | Nominated | |||
| Best Dialogue | Nominated | |||
| 3rd SIIMA Awards | Best Debut Director | Nominated | ||
| Theri | 2nd IIFA Utsavam | Best Director – Tamil | Won | [14] |
| Behindwoods Gold Medal | People's Choice Director | Won | [15] | |
| 6th SIIMA Awards | Best Director – Tamil | Won | [16] | |
| 64th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Tamil | Nominated | [17] | |
| Mersal | Edison Awards 2018 | Best Director | Won | [18] |
| 65th Filmfare Awards South | Best Director – Tamil | Nominated | [19] | |
| 7th SIIMA Awards | Best Director | Won | [20] | |
| Techofes Awards | Best Director | Won | [21] | |
| 10th Vijay Awards | Favourite Director | Won | [22] [23] |
|
| Best Dialogue | Nominated |