// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Thankar Bachan say to the baker? "Knead" to know you.

Thankar Bachan
Thankar Bachan
	Bachan in 2016
Born	Thangaraj; 5 May 1961 (age 65); Pathirakottai, South Arcot District (now Cuddalore), Tamil Nadu, India
Occupations	Cinematographer; director; actor; producer; novelist;
Years active	1990–present

Thankar Bachan, alternatively Thangar Bachan, is an Indian film director and actor, cinematographer and novelist. He has served as a jury member in the National Film Awards.^[1]

Early life

Thankar Bachan was born 5 May 1961 in Pathirakottai, a village near Panruti, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.^[2] ^{[citation needed]}

Career

Bachan started his career as a cinematographer in his debut film Malai Charal. He was known for his work in Mogamul and Bharathi. He made his directorial debut in Azhagi.

Apart from his work in films, he occasionally wrote literary works. His novels include Onbathu Roobai Nottu and Ammavin Kai Pesi, both of which he later adapted into films that he directed himself.

Thangar Bachan was known for his contribution in portraying North Tamil Nadu villages, which were not depicted in Tamil cinema properly. His story plots were set mostly in Panruti and surrounding villages. After Bharathiraja, villages were best portrayed in Thangar Bachan movies. Bharathiraja himself declared that after him Bachan directs the best village films.^[3]

He was the Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate for the Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Indian general election, in which he came in third place and lost.^[4]^[5]

Filmography

As director

Year	Title	Notes
2002	Azhagi
2002	Solla Marandha Kadhai
2004	Thendral
2005	Chidambarathil Oru Appasamy	Also producer
2007	Pallikkoodam	Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
2007	Onbadhu Roobai Nottu
2012	Ammavin Kaipesi	Also producer
2017	Kalavaadiya Pozhuthugal
2023	Karumegangal Kalaigindrana

As cinematographer only

Year	Title	Notes
1990	Malai Charal
1992	Madhumathi
1993	Dharma Seelan
1993	Rajadhi Raja Raja Kulothunga Raja Marthanda Raja Gambeera Kathavaraya Krishna Kamarajan
1994	Malappuram Haji Mahanaya Joji	Malayalam film
1995	Veettai Paaru Naattai Paaru
1996	Vaanmathi
	Vaazhga Jananayagam
	Karuvelam Pookkal
	Kadhal Kottai
1997	Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga
1998	Kaadhale Nimmadhi
	Sirf Tum	Hindi film
	Marumalarchi
1999	Kannedhirey Thondrinal
	Kanave Kalaiyadhe
	Kallazhagar
	Unnudan
2000	Bharathi
	Kannukku Kannaga
	James Pandu
2001	Kutti
2001	Pandavar Bhoomi
2007	Periyar

As actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	Chidambarathil Oru Appasamy	Elangovan
2007	Pallikkoodam	Kumarasamy
2012	Ammavin Kaipesi	Prasad
2018	Merlin
2023	Karumegangal Kalaigindrana	Public prosecutor	Cameo appearance

As presenter

Peranbum Perungobamum (2025)

Bibliography

Novels

Onbathu Roobai Nottu novel, 1996.^[6]
Ammavin Kai Pesi, 2009^[7]

Short story collections

Vellai Maadu, 1993
Kodi Munthiri, 2002
Isaikaatha Isaithattu, 2006
Thangar Bachan Kathaigal^[8]
Solla Thonuthu- A collection of 50 articles published in Tamil Hindu daily news paper- 2015

Awards

1993 – Lilli Deivasigamani Memorial Award for Best Short Story Collection (Vellai Maadu)
1996 – Tamil Nadu Government's Award for Best Novel (Onbathu Rubai Nottu)^[9]
1996 – Agni Akshara Award for Best Novel (Onbathu Rubai Nottu)
1996 – Thiruppur Tamil Sangam Award for Best Novel (Onbathu Rubai Nottu)
1997 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Cinematographer (Film – Kaalamellam Kadhal Vazhga)
1998 – "Kalaimamani" Award – awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu for Contributions in Tamil cinema^[10]
2002 – GV SICA Award for Best Director (Film – Azhagi)
2005 – Jaya TV Award for Best Actor (Film – Chidambarathil Oru Appasamy)
2007 – Tamil Nadu State Raja Sando Award for Contribution in Film direction^[11]
2007 – Santhome Communication Award for Best Director (Film – Onbadhu Roobai Nottu)^[12]
2007 – Sathyan Memorial Film Award for Best Director (Tamil) (Film – Pallikoodam)^[13]
2007 – GV SICA Award for Best Story Dialogues (Film – Pallikoodamm)^[14]
2007 - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director for Pallikoodamm)^[15]
2015 - Best literary Athiththanar Award for "Thankar Bachan Kathaigal" - A Short Story Collection.

References

↑ "Feature Jury" (PDF). www.dff.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
↑ "Director appeals for help to Thane victims". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
↑ "Thangar Bachan - Back with yet another controversy". South Indian Cinema Magazine. 13 June 2010. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014.
↑ Prasad, S. (9 April 2024). "Lok Sabha polls | Fortune teller, who used parakeets to forsee victory for PMK candidate in Cuddalore, lands in trouble". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
↑ R, Nantha Kumar (18 June 2024). "உங்களுக்கெல்லாம் எதுக்கு ஓட்டு? எதுக்கு தேர்தல்? கடலூரில் தோற்ற தங்கர் பச்சான் மக்களிடம் ஆவேசம்". tamil.oneindia.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 1 August 2025.
↑ "onbadhu-roobai-nottu". gsl.lbsnaa.gov.in.
↑ "Thangar pens his thoughts". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
↑ "Thangar Bachan to release his book today". Deccan Chronicle. 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
↑ "Thangar eyes Deepavali release". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
↑ "Tamil Cinema:1999 Year Highlights". Dinakaran. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
↑ "Rajini, Kamal gets TN Govt Awards". Oneindia. Retrieved 23 March 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑ "Chief Minister of Tamilnadu honoured by Santhome Awards". signis.net. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
↑ "Sathyan Memaorial Awards announced". malayalamcinema.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
↑ "GV SICA AWARD TAMIL FILMS 2007". v4entertainersindia.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
↑ "Ayngaran International". www.ayngaran.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.

External links

[1] "Feature Jury" (PDF). www.dff.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2023.

[2] "Director appeals for help to Thane victims". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2020.

[3] "Thangar Bachan - Back with yet another controversy". South Indian Cinema Magazine. 13 June 2010. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014.

[4] Prasad, S. (9 April 2024). "Lok Sabha polls | Fortune teller, who used parakeets to forsee victory for PMK candidate in Cuddalore, lands in trouble". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 November 2024.

[5] R, Nantha Kumar (18 June 2024). "உங்களுக்கெல்லாம் எதுக்கு ஓட்டு? எதுக்கு தேர்தல்? கடலூரில் தோற்ற தங்கர் பச்சான் மக்களிடம் ஆவேசம்". tamil.oneindia.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 1 August 2025.

[6] "onbadhu-roobai-nottu". gsl.lbsnaa.gov.in.

[7] "Thangar pens his thoughts". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

[8] "Thangar Bachan to release his book today". Deccan Chronicle. 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

[9] "Thangar eyes Deepavali release". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[10] "Tamil Cinema:1999 Year Highlights". Dinakaran. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[11] "Rajini, Kamal gets TN Govt Awards". Oneindia. Retrieved 23 March 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)

[12] "Chief Minister of Tamilnadu honoured by Santhome Awards". signis.net. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[13] "Sathyan Memaorial Awards announced". malayalamcinema.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[14] "GV SICA AWARD TAMIL FILMS 2007". v4entertainersindia.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[15] "Ayngaran International". www.ayngaran.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.

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v t e Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director
1967–1980	C. N. Shanmugam (1967) Krishnan–Panju (1968) P. Neelakantan (1969) P. Madhavan (1970) — (1971) — (1972) — (1973) — (1974) — (1975) — (1976) Bharathiraja (1977) Durai (1978) S. P. Muthuraman (1979) K. Balachander (1980)
1981–2000	Bharathiraja (1981) Muktha Srinivasan (1982) — (1983) — (1984) — (1985) — (1986) — (1987) P. R. Devaraj (1988) K. Balachander (1989) Vikraman (1990) P. Vasu (1991) Mani Ratnam (1992) Shankar (1993) K. S. Ravikumar (1994) Vasanth (1995) Agathiyan (1996) Vikraman & Cheran (1997) R. Parthiban (1998) Bala (1999) Vikraman (2000)
2001–2020	Susi Ganesan (2001) Mani Ratnam (2002) Karu Palaniappan (2003) Cheran (2004) Shankar (2005) Thirumurugan (2006) Thangar Bachan (2007) Radha Mohan (2008) Vasanthabalan (2009) Prabhu Solomon (2010) A. L. Vijay (2011) Balaji Sakthivel (2012) Ram (2013) N. Ragavan (2014) Sudha Kongara (2015) Lokesh Kanakaraj (2016) Pushkar-Gayathri (2017) Mari Selvaraj (2018) R. Parthiban (2019) Sudha Kongara (2020)
2021–present	T. J. Gnanavel (2021) Gautham Ramachandran (2022)

v t e Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Cinematographer
1968–1980	P. N. Sundaram (1968) Marcus Bartley (1969) Amirtham (1970) — (1971) — (1972) — (1973) — (1974) — (1975) — (1976) Babu (1977–78) A. Somasundaram, Nallusamy / Gnanasekar, Tiwary (1978–79) B. S. Lokanath (1979–80) Ashok Kumar (1980–81)
1981–2000	B. Kannan (1981–82) Soumendu Roy (1982–83) — (1984) — (1985) — (1986) — (1987) Ajayan Vincent (1988) Ashok Kumar (1989) Abdul Rahman (1990) Raghunatha Reddy (1991) Santosh Sivan (1992) M. C. Shekar (1993) Jeeva (1994) Santosh Sivan (1995) Arthur A. Wilson (1996) Thangar Bachan (1997) Annadurai (1998) Ilavarasu (1999) Ananda Kuttan (2000)
2001–present	R. Rathnavelu (2001) Arjun Jena (2002) N. K. Ekambaram (2003) B. Kannan (2004) R. D. Rajasekhar (2005) Ravi Varman (2006) Nirav Shah (2007) Arthur A. Wilson (2008) Manoj Paramahamsa (2009) Santosh Sivan / V. Manikandan (2010) Balasubramaniem (2011) M. Sukumar (2012) Siddharth (2013) Nirav Shah (2014) Ramji (2015) Balasubramaniem (2016) P. Chelladurai (2017) R. Velraj (2018) Theni Eswar (2019) N K Ekambaram (2020) Richard M. Nathan (2021) Arthur A. Wilson (2022)