Dharani (director)

Dharani, born V. C. Ramani, is a former Indian film director and screenwriter who worked mainly in Tamil cinema and directed one Telugu film. He is best remembered for a run of three action hits, Dhill in 2001, Dhool in 2003 and Ghilli in 2004. He studied English literature at Loyola College, learned editing at a film institute, earned a diploma in film technology and assisted six directors before directing. His first film, Ethirum Pudhirum, starring Mammootty, was loosely based on the forest brigand Veerappan and was released in 1999 after political controversy; it won second place for Best Film at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. After the Telugu film Bangaram with Pawan Kalyan he directed Kuruvi in 2008, which became a sleeper hit, and in 2011 he remade the Hindi film Dabangg in Tamil as Osthe. A Telugu sports film, Merupu, was shelved and he has not directed since.