Thota Tharani

Thota Tharani Biography

Thota Tharani is an art director who works in south Indian movies as well as Bollywood. His noted works include Tamil movies such as – Anjali, Thalapathi, Bombay, Kathal desam, Khushi, Sachein, Padayappa, Dasavathaaram, Sivaji, Kanthaswamy, Gentleman, Thiruda thiruda, Chandramukhi, Mudalvan, Jean, Kathalan, Nayakan and Indian. Dam 999 is his English project. His noted Hindi projects include – Nayak and Jism and he has also served as the art director of Malayalam blockbuster, Abhimanyu. He received National awards twice for the Tamil movies – Nayakan and Indian. He works on paintings, murals, paper collages, wooden montages, and installations at sets. He has worked in more than 100 movies which include three international projects as well. Now he has started to work on a book based on arts and colours.

Thota Tharani was born on December 16, 1949 in Chennai. He started his career at the age of 12 assisting his father. He holds a Diploma in Mural Painting and he took it in the year 1971. He was was offered a Fellowship from the Government of France to study Print-making. He has also learnt the art from Royal College of Arts, London and New Delhi. Through his creativity he has given new life to many sets of noted movies. His talent in magnificent and larger than life sets has been well appreciated and honoured. His sets for movies like Muthalvan, Thiruda thiruda and Mudalvan were well appreciated. He makes a small sketch on paper prior to designing sets as he believes paper sketches on inch graph paper makes work easy and the same sketch can easily be projected too. He carries the job of both art director as well as production designer.

He received Filmfare Award for Best Art Director – South for Telugu movie, Choodalani Vundi and Tamil movie, Sivaji: The boss. He also received Vijay Award for Best Art Director for Sivaji and a nomination for Kanthaswamy as well.

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Updated: January 25, 2014