Year Ender 2023: South Indian Directors Who Made Headlines This Year

This year witnessed an array of directors, both for their remarkable successes and unexpected controversies. Here's a roundup of ten directors who grabbed headlines in 2023, for reasons both positive and negative:

1. Sandeep Reddy Vanga

- Made waves with his movie "Animal," receiving mixed reactions. The film's impact reached the legislative halls, sparking discussions in the Rajya Sabha, touted as a film that is disease for society. However, the movie stood as a beloved film for few movie buffs, grossing nearly 600 crores.

2. Rajamouli

- Elevated the Telugu film industry globally with "RRR," winning an Oscar for the song "Naatu Naatu," marking a significant achievement for Indian cinema.

3. Linguswamy

-Director Linguswamy made headlines during this year's Sankranthi releases by stirring controversy with his outspoken comments regarding the clash between Kollywood and Tollywood. Linguswamy warned the Tollywood industry regarding theater allocation for Tamil films. This statement amid his struggle to deliver a successful movie added fuel to the ongoing discussions about the dynamics between the Tamil and Telugu film industries.

4. Prasanth Neel

- Directed the blockbuster "Salaar," adding another feather to his cap post the success of "KGF."

5. Atlee

- Entered Bollywood directing SRK in "Jawan," an action thriller amassing ₹1,148 crore worldwide. This marked Atlee's debut in Hindi cinema and was produced by Red Chillies Entertainment.

6. Lokesh Kanagaraj

- Faced criticism with "LEO," which courted controversy from its initial single release ‘Naa Ready' song. The film attracted various controversies despite Lokesh's previous success with LCU.

7. Shankar

- Faced challenges in 2023. His much-anticipated "Indian 2" teaser received mixed reactions, and his project with Ram Charan encountered delays, impacting his year.

8. Nelson Dilipkumar

- Hit the headlines for directing the blockbuster "Jailer," showcasing Rajinikanth in an unprecedented role, earning immense success.

-by Vishnupriya