# Visu
**Visu** (விசு) was the stage name of **Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan** (மீனாட்சிசுந்தரம் ராமஸ்வாமி விஸ்வநாதன்; 1 July 1945 – 22 March 2020), an Indian screenwriter, director, actor, stage artist, and television talk-show host who worked mainly in [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html). He was a leading figure in Tamil film in the 1980s and 1990s, known for family dramas made on moderate budgets, and later became a familiar television presence through live debate shows[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1945; 22 March 2020 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, at age 74[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/) |
| Full name | Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html) |
| Film entry | Assistant director to K Balachander; first film *Pattina Pravesam* (1977); breakthrough writing the Rajinikanth comedy *Thillu Mullu*[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/) |
| National Awards | *Samsaram Adhu Minsaram* (1986), the first Tamil film to win Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment; *Neenga Nalla Irukkanum* (1992), Best Film on Other Social Issues[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) |
| Television | *Arattai Arangam* on Sun TV and *Visuvin Makkal Arangam* on Jaya TV[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) |
| Output | 58 acting, 30 writing, and 29 directing credits listed on IMDb[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/) |
| Final appearance | *Manal Kayiru 2* (2016), sequel to his 1982 film[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) |
## Theatre beginnings and entry into film
Visu began his career as a theater artist in the 1960s. A theater enthusiast since his school days, he joined Y G Parthasarathy's troupe in 1967 and performed with it until 1973, during which time he began writing scripts for plays[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/jul/09/looking-back-at-the-golden-years-878725.html). Tamil-language accounts add that he wrote story and dialogue for the drama troupe run by his elder brother M. R. Rajamani, and sometimes directed the troupe's plays[6](https://balancinemadiary.blogspot.com/2021/12/blog-post_58.html).
His plays caught the attention of the director K Balachander, who brought him into cinema. Visu entered the industry as a writer and dialogue writer on Balachander's *Pattina Pravesam* (1977), worked as an assistant director, and wrote stories for films including *Sadurangam* and *Avan Aval Adhu*[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/) • [7](https://www.tamilonline.com/thendral/article.aspx?aid=13223). His breakthrough came with the hit [Rajinikanth](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajinikanth) comedy *Thillu Mullu* (1981), for which he wrote the dialogues; Balachander, who rarely used dialogue writers other than himself, entrusted the film to him[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/) • [8](https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/688194-visu-birthday.html).
## Acting and directing career
Visu made his acting debut in *Kudumbam Oru Kadhambam* (1981), a film he scripted and that [S. P. Muthuraman](https://www.edgepedia.org/s-p-muthuraman) directed, adapting it from a play in which Visu had performed[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html). He made his directorial debut with *Kanmani Poonga* and went on to direct films including *Manal Kayiru* (1982) and *Penmani Aval Kanmani*[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html).
**Family dramas.** As a director, Visu was known for message-driven family dramas, helming successes such as *Samsaram Adhu Minsaram*, *Penmani Aval Kanmani*, *Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi*, *Dowry Kalyanam*, *Sakalakaala Sambandhi*, and *Pattukottai Periyappa*[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/). Like his mentor Balachander, he made successful family-friendly films on moderate budgets, and he was usually the primary draw in his own films, rarely relying on stars[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html). Muthuraman recalled that *Samsaram Adhu Minsaram* was made on a notably small budget and that Visu consistently worked to cut costs for producers[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html).
His films centered on the daily concerns of middle-class and joint families. Commentators have described the "Visu padam" (Visu film) as a genre of its own in Tamil cinema: ordinary characters in small houses, clean and relatable humor, and dialogue-heavy scenes staged in everyday spaces such as living rooms and front porches[9](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/features/visu-padam-is-a-genre-in-its-own-right-in-tamil-cinema/).
**Awards.** *Samsaram Adhu Minsaram* (1986) became the first Tamil film to win the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) • [10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/visus-demise-celebs-share-their-memories/articleshow/74776812.cms). The [Government of Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/government-of-tamil-nadu) commissioned his 1992 film *Neenga Nalla Irukkanum*, based on prohibition; it was the last onscreen appearance of the then chief minister [J. Jayalalithaa](https://www.edgepedia.org/j-jayalalithaa) and won Visu his second National Award, for Best Film on Other Social Issues[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html). His 1990 film *Varavu Nalla Uravu* won the [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) state award for Best Writer[11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/tamil-actor-filmmaker-visu-dies-karthi-radhikaa-mourn-the-loss/story-qMQ2Jso9HAbP5V0dodtOxK.html).
**Supporting roles.** In the later part of his career Visu was recognized for supporting roles in films including *Maya Bazar*, *Irratai Roja*, *Arunachalam* (1997, as Rangachari), *Nesam*, *Aravindhan*, and *Middle Class Madhavan* (2001)[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/). His final screen appearance was in *Manal Kayiru 2* (2016), the sequel to his 1982 film, in which he played Naradhar Naidu[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/).
## Television
Visu became a familiar television personality as a host of live debate shows. *Arattai Arangam*, his long-running debate show on Sun TV, took him across Tamil Nadu debating social issues, and he later hosted *Visuvin Makkal Arangam* on Jaya TV[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html). Muthuraman noted that many people benefited from the charity Visu carried out through these talk shows[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html).
## Death
Visu died in Chennai on 22 March 2020 at the age of 74, after kidney-related ailments that had troubled him for about a decade and required regular dialysis[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/) • [4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html). He was survived by his wife and three daughters[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html).
## References
1. [Visu, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127850/)
2. [Anecdotes of an auteur: Tamil cinema pays tribute to veteran director-actor Visu, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2020/Mar/23/anecdotes-of-an-auteur-tamil-cinema-pays-tribute-to-veteran-director-actor-visu-17710.html)
3. [Veteran Tamil director-actor Visu passes away, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/veteran-tamil-director-actor-visu-passes-away-6326920/)
4. [Remembering veteran actor Visu, pioneer of successful family-friendly Tamil films, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2020/mar/23/remembering-veteran-actor-visu-pioneer-of-successful-family-friendly-tamil-films-2120299.html)
5. [Looking back at the golden years, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/jul/09/looking-back-at-the-golden-years-878725.html)
6. [நடிகர் விசு வாழ்க்கை வரலாறு, Balan Cinema Diary](https://balancinemadiary.blogspot.com/2021/12/blog-post_58.html)
7. [அஞ்சலி - விசு, Thendral Tamil Magazine, Tamilonline](https://www.tamilonline.com/thendral/article.aspx?aid=13223)
8. [குடும்பத்துடன் தியேட்டருக்கு வரவைத்த வசூல் சக்கரவர்த்தி விசு, Hindu Tamil Thisai](https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/688194-visu-birthday.html)
9. ['Visu Padam' Is A Genre In Its Own Right In Tamil Cinema, Silverscreen India](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/features/visu-padam-is-a-genre-in-its-own-right-in-tamil-cinema/)
10. [Visu's demise: Celebs share their memories, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/visus-demise-celebs-share-their-memories/articleshow/74776812.cms)
11. [Tamil actor-filmmaker Visu dies, Karthi, Radhikaa mourn the loss, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/tamil-actor-filmmaker-visu-dies-karthi-radhikaa-mourn-the-loss/story-qMQ2Jso9HAbP5V0dodtOxK.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Indian screen actors, 1970s to 1990s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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