Ace kollywood director K Balachander who was recently honoured with the Dada Sahib Phalke award said that 8 kollywood directors have impressed him with their work. “Vasanth, Bala, Mani Ratnam, Ameer, Samuthirakani, Mysskin, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Vijay are the eight Kollywood filmmakers who had surprised me,” , the veteran director said.

“Vasanth makes films without deviating from my style, Bala stuns everyone with his search for characters, Mani Ratnam is evergreen while Ameer comes out with new ideas. Samuthirakani ‘threatens’ with his screenplay, while Mysskin is an expert in all genres. Gautham Vasudev Menon’s making is so beautiful and Vijay is known for his hard work and soft stories,” , K B added. Though he has taken a  leave from film direction, he is an active critique of all kollywood movies.