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Vijay Thesingu Rajendar, also known as T. R., is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, musician, cinematographer, film distributor and politician who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. He lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Rajendar is known for being able to speak in rhyming sentences spontaneously and incessant rapping.

Family

T. Rajendar is married to former actress Usha Rajendar. They have two sons, Silambarasan and Kuralarasan, and one daughter, Ilakiya. His wife has served as the producer for some of his films, such as Kadhal Azhivathillai (2002), starring Silambarasan.

Film career

Rajendar started off in the Tamil film industry making successful films which included him as an actor, playback singer, dancer and scriptwriter. He gained popularity through his one-of-a-kind style of acting. He normally serves as, but not limited to director, actor, songwriter, art director, production manager and playback singer. During the 1980s, all his movies were blockbusters, running for years and the songs were also well appreciated. He is known for introducing new faces in his movies, and many of the actresses who debuted in his movies have been successful in South Cinema, including Amala, Nalini, Jyothi, Jeevitha and Mumtaj.

After some years, Rajendar's films started to decline in popularity because his films became too predictable, tending to follow the same storyline and oratory style of repetitious dialogues with little if any meaning. For example, his films always contain a sentimental scene involving the hero's younger sister in distress, coupled with the same rhyming rhetoric and gestures.

Rajendar recently started his own web TV channel called 'Kural TV' (Voice TV). Originally he wanted to start a 24-hour TV channel but could not, due to problems arising while securing a license. The channel, apart from broadcasting his movies and speeches, tends to echo sentiments towards the plight of Tamils (especially women) in Sri Lanka. He previously owned a magazine called Usha.

Rajendar had started talking with "common" people through Skype and discussing latest politics in the recent years. Rajendar also distributes films under his home banner "Simbu cine arts". His latest film distribution, as of mid-2011 is his son Silambarasan's film Vaanam, which will be distributed in the Chennai and Madurai region.

Since early 2008, Rajendar has been slowly working on the production of a film titled Oru Thalai Kadhal, a tale based on a village singer, in which he stars in the lead role. In 2011, he released a first look poster for the film and revealed that three heroines from Mumbai would star alongside him. He provided an update in 2014, that the film was still under production and that it was sixty-five percent complete. He has also revealed that he was working on a script to launch his second son, Kuralarasan, as a lead actor.

Political career

Rajendar founded the Thayaga Marumalarchi Kazhagam party in 1991 after he had been expelled from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. In 1996, after Vaiko's departure from the DMK and the formation of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rajendar's TMK merged with the DMK. Rajendar left the DMK again in 2004, to form the All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Before expulsion, he was the propaganda secretary of DMK and was elected from Park Town constituency in the 1996 Assembly polls. He further supported the AIADMK in the 2006 Assembly elections. After those 2006 elections, the DMK came back to power and he was made vice-chairman of the Small Savings Scheme. He subsequently quit the post.

Filmography

As film director, producer, writer, actor, cinematographer, music director and lyricist

Year	Title	Credited as							Role	Notes	Ref.
		Director	Producer	Writer	Actor	Cinematographer	Music director	Lyricist
1980	Oru Thalai Ragam						Songs		Hindi-singing student	Cameo appearance; uncredited as director
	Vasantha Azhaippugal									Cameo appearance
1981	Rail Payanangalil								Train passenger	Cameo appearance in song "Vasantham Paadi Vara"
1982	Nenjil Oru Raagam								Geetha's brother
	Raagam Thedum Pallavi								Actor, Foreign director (voice)	Cameo appearance
1983	Uyirullavarai Usha
	Thangaikkor Geetham								Soolakaruppan	Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil
1984	Uravai Kaatha Kili
1985	Unakkaga Oru Roja			Screenplay					—
1986	Mythili Ennai Kaathali								Manickam
1987	Oru Thayin Sabhatham			Screenplay					Rajkumar
	Pookkal Vidum Thudhu			Screenplay					—
1988	En Thangai Kalyani								Velu
1989	Samsara Sangeetham
1991	Shanti Enathu Shanti
1992	Enga Veetu Velan								—
1993	Sabash Babu			Screenplay					Veluchamy
	Pettredutha Pillai								—
1994	Oru Vasantha Geetham
1995	Thai Thangai Paasam
1999	Monisha En Monalisa								Kaadhaldasan
2001	Sonnal Thaan Kathala								T. R.
2002	Kadhal Virus								Himself	Guest appearance
	Kadhal Azhivathillai								Vakkeel Dada
2006	Vallavan								Himself	Guest appearance in song "Yammadi Aathadi"
2007	Veerasamy								Veerasamy
2011	Vaanam		Distributor						—
2013	Arya Surya								Himself	Guest appearance in song "Thagadu Thagadu"
2015	Vaalu		Distributor						—
2016	Idhu Namma Aalu								—
2017	Kavan								Mayilvaganan
	Vizhithiru								Himself	Guest appearance in song "Papparappa"
2016	Idhu Namma Aalu								—
2021	Maaligai								—
2022	Kadamaiyai Sei		Distributor						—

As composer and lyricist

This list is of films that T. Rajender only worked as a music director and lyricist.

As playback singer

Television

• Super Kudumbam - Sun TV
• Arattai Arangam - Sun TV
• Nyayam Endrum Solven - Vijay TV

References

1. TR to stay away from polls Archived 17 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine, IndiaGlitz, 26 March 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
2. ^ Anantharam, Chitra Deepa (27 March 2017) I am the pioneer of kuthu: T Rajendherr Archived 12 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. The Hindu
3. "Simbu poses with father T Rajender at a hospital in America, see photo". The Indian Express. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
4. Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) . Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. British Film Institute and Oxford University Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-19-563579-5.
5. "Simbu's parents T Rajendar and Usha on his marriage: We are looking for a suitable girl for him". 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
6. "Simbu-kuralarasan-ilakiya-family-photo". 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
7. "JUST IN : Finally STR Getting Married ?? Here's What the Actor Has to Say !! | Chennai Memes". 26 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
8. ^ "Rajender gets ready with 'Oru thalai kadhal'". Tamilchannel.com. 26 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
9. "His virtual world: Actor T. Rajendar launches a web television". The Hindu. 7 March 2009. Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
10. "என்னால் பத்திரிகையை நிர்வகிக்க முடியவில்லை!". Kalki (in Tamil). 16 August 1998. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
11. "TR buys 'Vaanam' rights – Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
12. "Vijaya T. Rajendar inspired by Ameer – Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz.com. 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
13. "Director Vijaya T. Rajendar – Interview – Behindwoods.com – Director Vijaya T. Rajendar Veerasamy Sonnal Thaan Kathala Kadhal Azhivathillai Monisha En Monalisa images tamil picture gallery images". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
14. "T Rajendar's Oru Thalai Kadhal start rolling from today". Kollyinsider.com. 16 February 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
15. "Vijaya T Rajendar". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
16. "Two heroines for T Rajendar in 'Oru Thalai Kadhal' – Only Kollywood". Onlykollywood.com. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
17. ""Oru Thalai Kadhal" is a romantic entertainer". IndiaGlitz.com. 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
18. "Tamil film artiste launches new party". Sify. 26 April 2004. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007.
19. Subramanian, T. S. (7 October 2005). "Another actor in politics". Frontline. The Hindu Group. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
20. Subramanian, T. S. (30 July 2004). "The celluloid connection". Frontline. The Hindu Group. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
21. 1991 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India Archived 7 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine accessed 19 April 2009
22. "T. Rajendar rejoins DMK". Thehindu.com. 28 December 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
23. Eenadu (13 April 2024). "రాజకీయ తెరపై తారల తళుకులు.. తమిళనాట పరిస్థితి ఇలా." (in Telugu). Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
24. "ஒரு தலை ராகமும்... டி.ராஜேந்தர் எனும் காந்தமும்!". Ananda Vikatan. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021.
25. சாஸ்திரி, நளினி (21 June 1981). "ரயில் பயணங்களில்". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 18. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
26. Mannath, Malini (19 November 1993). "Project son!". The Indian Express. p. 6. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
27. "Arya Surya shoot wrapped up". Times of India. 15 January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
28. "Maaligai - Official Teaser | Andrea Jeremiah | KS Ravi Kumar | Dil Sathya | Shanti Telefilms". YouTube. 25 June 2019.
29. ஜெயமன்மதன் (15 June 1986). "பூக்களை பறிக்காதீர்கள்". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 17. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
30. "Love triangle". The Indian Express. 4 December 1987. p. 5. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
31. "En Aasai Thangachi/Tamizhselvan/Krishna/Poovarasan". The Hindu. 16 August 1996. Archived from the original on 20 December 1996.
32. "T Rajendar Sings for Raj Bahaddur". Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
33. "Coolie promo: A swaggy Rajinikanth steals the spotlight". India Today. 12 December 2024. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
34. "Vijay TV to launch five 'blockbusters' weeklies". Indian Television Dot Com. 10 October 2003. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.

External links

• T. Rajendar at IMDb
• Interview with TR

• Tamil male actors
• Tamil film score composers
• Living people
• Tamil film directors
• Tamil film poets
• Film directors from Tamil Nadu
• Tamil film cinematographers
• Tamil playback singers
• Tamil Nadu MLAs 1996–2001
• People from Mayiladuthurai district
• Annamalai University alumni
• Male actors in Tamil cinema
• Indian actor-politicians
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians
• Tamil screenwriters
• Screenwriters from Tamil Nadu
• 21st-century Indian singers
• Male actors from Tamil Nadu
• 20th-century Indian male actors
• 21st-century Indian male actors
• 20th-century Indian composers
• 21st-century Indian composers
• Musicians from Tamil Nadu
• Film producers from Tamil Nadu
• Indian film distributors
• Indian male film actors
• 1955 births