Happy Women's Day: Women directors who changed the face of Tamil cinema

It is a fact that there is a dearth of women directors in Tamil cinema, which robs the audience of the opportunities to watch more female narratives on screen. However, there are few strong women who have made a mark in the male-dominant industry. These women, against all odds, have told their stories. Here's a look at some of the women directors of K'town.

TP Rajalakshmi: Rajalakshmi is a pioneer of many things in Tamil cinema. She was the first woman actress in Tamil and Telugu film industries. Later, she also became the first woman in the south to become a director and producer. She directed films Miss Kamala (1936) and Madurai Veeran (1939). Apart from her contribution to cinema, the icon also was a crusader for many social causes like women empowerment, the abolition of Sati, and a lot more. The British government had arrested her many times for her actions.

Suhasini: Suhasini, the wife of iconic director Mani Ratnam, is better known as an actor who has won several awards including the National Award for her performance in the film Sindhu Bairavi. Suhasini turned director for the film Indira, which is about the female protagonist's struggle in bringing peace to her village. The film won the Tamil Nadu State Jury Award.

Lakshmy Ramakrishnan: Lakshmy Ramakrishnan is one of the notable women directors in the current scenario. Like many other women filmmakers, she also started out as an actor and quickly became a commendable director. She has directed film like Arohanam and Ammani, which had strong women characters.

V Priya: After working as an assistant director to Mani Ratnam, V Priya went on to make quality commercial films like Kanda Naal Mudhal and Kannamoochi Yenada. Later, she worked on the docudrama called Herova? Zerova?

Sudha Kongara: It is safe to say that Sudha is the most successful woman director in Tamil currently. Sudha Kongara, has worked with Mani Ratnam as his assistant. Her debut movie Irudhi Suttru (called Saala Khadoos in Hindi) became a superhit in both the industries. Sudha is now doing a film with actor Suriya which will have music by GV Prakash.

JS Nandhini: Nandhini is prevalently known for the film Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru, which had actor Ajmal and Manjari in the lead roles. The comedy-drama opened to a decent response.

Madhumitha: Vallamai Tharayo, the film directed by Madhumitha, went on to win Tamil Nadu State Award For Best Family Film for the year 2008. The film told the story of a self-dependent woman (Chaya Singh) forcefully married to the hero (Parthiban). Madhumitha later made films like Kola Kolaya Mundhirika and Moone Moonu Varthai.

Aishwarya Dhanush: Aishwarya Dhanush turned a lot of heads with her debut venture 3, which also featured the world famous song Kolaveri Di. The film, though received mixed reviews, turned out to be a decent hit at the box office. However, her next film Vai Raja Vai didn't do well as expected.