Pookadai G. Settu

Pookadai G. Settu was born on 14th September 1960 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. His father, Gopal Settu, ran a small textile shop, and his mother, Meenakshi Settu, was a housewife. Since childhood he had a passion for dance and acting. Often, he would run away to the theatre to watch Tamil movies. Having completed his schooling in Madurai, he moved to Chennai. He started his career working in the assistant capacity in a film-producing company. He mixed business acumen with deep love for cinema. By the late 1980s, he had established a formidable network of contacts in the Tamil film world.

In 1992, he established his production house, Pookadai Films, and produced his debut film, "Pudhu Manidhan", a social drama that resonated with the audience. His career breakthrough came in 1999 with the film "Kizhakku Cheemayile", directed by Bharathiraja. Set against a rural backdrop, “Kizhakku Cheemayile” fell into the category of a blockbuster hit. He gave other blockbusters afterwards - Thavamai Thavamirundhu in 2005, Peranmai in 2009, and Komban in 2015. Throughout his lifetime, Settu received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions to the Tamil cinema world. He later received the prestigious Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Producer.