Suhasini Mani Ratnam

Director, Producer / Head, Organizing Committee Chennai International Film Festival

Suhasini Mani Ratnam is a well-renowned film actor, director, writer and producer.

Beginning from when she was the first ever girl student to graduate as a cinematographer from South India, she has had an illustrious and inspiring career.

As an actress, she has acted in more than 350 films in 4 different languages. She has been conferred with several honours for her performances, ranging from the President's award to many State awards; she has also won 7 Filmfare, 8 Cinema Express and 8 Film Fans Association Awards.

Amongst the many notable works to her credit is Vanaprasthanam, Theerthadanam, Sindhu Bhairavi, Nanjathai Killade, Ganesh Vasanth, Punnagai Panjavaranam and more.

She has co-written several prominent films such as Roja, Thiruda Thiruda, Iruvar, Dil Se Guru and T Raavana. Her feature film Indira, the first Indian film to be released in 8 cities in Japan, won her the Best Director's Award at the International Film Festival at Belarus.

She has been heading the organizing committee of the Chennai International Film Festival since 2010 and continues to do so. Suhasini has also been appointed as the Honorary Consul for Luxembourg by the President of India in 2014.

In 2009, she started a trust called NAAM foundation, which works on empowering single women in Tamil Nadu; it currently has 200 single women from Chennai and 63 from Virudhunagar as beneficiaries.