T. Rajendar
Thesingu Rajendar, better known as T. Rajendar, Vijaya T. Rajendar or T. R., is an Indian film actor, director, composer, screenwriter, songwriter, cinematographer, producer, playback singer and distributor who works primarily in Tamil film industry. He is also a politician in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Family
T. Rajendar is married to former actress Usha rajendar. They have two sons, Silambarasan and Kuralarasan, and one daughter, Ilakiya. His wife has served as the producer for some of his films, such as Kadhal Azhivathillai.Film career
Rajendar started off in the Kollywood industry making successful films which included him as an actor, playback singer, dancer and scriptwriter. He gained popularity through his one-of-a-kind style of acting. He normally serves as, but not limited to director, actor, songwriter, art director, production manager and playback singer. During the 1980s, all his movies were blockbusters, running for years and the songs were also well appreciated. He is known for introducing new faces in his movies, and many of the actresses who debuted in his movies have been successful in South Cinema, including Amala, Nalini, Jyothi, Jeevitha, and Mumtaj.After some years, Rajendar's films started to decline in popularity because his films became too predictable, tending to follow the same storyline and oratory style of repetitious dialogues with little if any meaning. For example, his films always contain a sentimental scene involving the hero's younger sister in distress, coupled with the same rhyming rhetoric and gestures.
Rajendar recently started his own web TV channel called 'Kural TV'. Originally he wanted to start a 24-hour TV channel but could not, due to problems arising while securing a license. The channel, apart from broadcasting his movies and speeches, tends to echo sentiments towards the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Rajendar had started talking with "common" people through Skype and discussing latest politics in the recent years. Rajendar also distributes films under his home banner "Simbu cine arts". His latest film distribution, as of mid-2011 is his son Silambarasan's film Vaanam, which will be distributed in the Chennai and Madurai region.
Since early 2008, Rajendar has been slowly working on the production of a film titled Oru Thalai Kadhal, a tale based on a village singer, in which he stars in the lead role. In 2011, he released a first look poster for the film and revealed that three heroines from Mumbai would star alongside him. He provided an update in 2014, that the film was still under production and that it was sixty-five percent complete. He has also revealed that he was working on a script to launch his second son, Kuralarasan, as a lead actor.
Political career
Rajendar founded the All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party in April 2004 after he had been expelled from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party. Before expulsion, he was the propaganda secretary of DMK and was elected from Park Town constituency in the 1996 Assembly polls. He further supported the AIADMK in the 2006 Assembly elections. After those 2006 elections, the DMK came back to power and he was made vice-chairman of the Small Savings Scheme. He subsequently quit the post.Filmography
;As playback singer| Year | Song | Film | Composer | Notes |
| 2017 | "Happy New Year" | Kavan | Hiphop Tamizha | |
| 2016 | "Damakutalaan" | Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga | C. Sathya | |
| 2016 | "Raangu" | Theri | G. V. Prakash Kumar | |
| 2016 | "Maaman Waiting" | Idhu Namma Aalu | Kuralarasan | |
| 2015 | "Papparappa" | Vizhithiru | Sathyan | |
| 2014 | "Chai Chai" | Raj Bahadur | Jeevankrupa | Kannada |
| 2014 | "Tharumaru" | Vaalu | S. Thaman | |
| 2013 | "Thagaru Thagaru" | Arya Surya | Srikanth Deva | |
| 2012 | "Yamma Yamma" | Thiruthani | Perarasu | |
| 2011 | "Kalasala kalasala" | Osthi | S. Thaman | |
| 2011 | "Chennai Gaana" | Puli Vesham | Srikanth Deva | |
| 2007 | "Gun Ganapathi" | Oram Po | G. V. Prakash Kumar | |
| 2007 | "Marakka Mudiyala" "Sollalaiye Kadhal" "Varaanpaaru" "Vechuriken" | Veerasamy | Vijaya T. Rajendar | |
| 2006 | "Ammadi Athadi" | Vallavan | Yuvan Shankar Raja | |
| 2002 | "Vetrinadai", "Roopamani", Nambinorai | Sri Bannari Amman | T. Rajender | |
| 2001 | "Kaadhalikka Theriyuma" "Vela Vela" | Sonnal Thaan Kaadhala | Vijaya T. Rajendar | |
| 1999 | "Nambaathe" | Monisha En Monalisa | T. Rajender | |
| 1986 | "Ada Ponnana" "En Aasai Mythiliye" | Mythili Ennai Kaathali | Vijaya T. Rajendar | |
| 1984 | "Adangoppan Mavane" | Uravai Kaatha Kili | Vijaya T. Rajendar | |
| 1983 | "Thatti Paarthen" | Thangaikor Geetham | Vijaya T. Rajendar |
;Distributor
- Vaanam
- Vaalu