T. J. Gnanavel

T. J. Gnanavel is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in the Tamil film industry.

Early life and career Gnanavel graduated from Loyola College, Chennai. He holds a PhD in Tamil literature, and worked as a journalist before his cinematic career. In 2017, he made his directorial debut with the comedy Kootathil Oruthan about an ordinary man, starring Ashok Selvan and Priya Anand, which released to average reviews. He received critical acclaim for his next film Jai Bhim (2021), which was based on a case handled by Justice K. Chandru. Gnanavel had interviewed Chandru before he handled the case while working for Ananda Vikatan. However, that project ended up in development hell, and in 2026 Gnanavel was announced to be directing a separate film starring Suriya.

Filmography

As film director

As dialogue writer