| G. Ramachandran | |
| Birth Date: | 1947 or 1948 |
| Death Date: | 2 June 2021 (aged 73) |
| Occupation: | Actor, writer, producer and GR Real Estates's Managing Director (Velappanchavadi). |
| Yearsactive: | 1960–2021 |
G. Ramachandran (1947/1948 – 2 June 2021), also known as GR, was an Indian film producer, actor and writer who worked on Tamil and Kannada films.[1]
Ramachandran made his acting debut in Kalathur Kannamma (1960) as a child artiste. He featured alongside Gemini Ganesan and Savitri, and worked with fellow debutant Kamal Haasan.[2] Ramachandran worked as actor in films including Nattupura Pattu (1996), Ettupatti Rasa (1997), Veera Thalattu (1998), Manu Needhi (2000) and Rajadhi Raja (2009).
In the early 2000s, Ramachandran worked as a film producer and funded Tamil films including Manu Needhi (2000) and Sound Party (2004) under his production banner, GR Gold Films.[2] [3] [4] The production of Sound Party was delayed after actress Prathyusha, who also worked on his first film, committed suicide in February 2002. The film remained unsold and unable to gain a distributor for an extended period of time after the venture had been completed.[5] In May 2004, he began working on his first directorial venture, Nalla Koottani, which was later dropped.[6] He then produced Kasu Irukkanum (2007) and Enga Raasi Nalla Raasi (2009), which starred Ramachandran's son, given the stagename of Vishwa, in the lead roles.[7] [8]
In the 2010s, he prioritised work in the Kannada film industry and produced films such as Hendtheer Darbar (2010) and Super Shastri (2012).[9] Ramachandran then produced Bheeshma (2016) with Kishore in the lead role. The Kannada version of the film went through production delays and a change of title, before getting a low key release.[10] [11] A Tamil version titled Kadhali Kanavillai was also planned but did not have a theatrical release after the censor board refused to certify it as an original Tamil film. Ramachandran later filed a complaint against censor officers Madhiyazhagan and Gangai Amaran for refusing to approve the film.[12]
He died from COVID-19 on 2 June 2021, at age 73. His wife Jameela(First wife) died due to cancer and R. P. Poorani(Second wife), also a film producer, had died following a cardiac arrest weeks earlier. He was survived by three sons and a daughter Headed by Haseena (Daughter), Sulaiman, Siva Kumar, Saamy Kumar.[2]