*Ponkumaran wins best director award at SIIMA*
Director Ponkumaran has won the best director (Kannada) award at the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) for the flick Yajamana which released in 2019.
Ponkumaran, a native of Tamil Nadu, has thanked his mentors, directors K Bhagyaraj and KS Ravikumar for his success.
Yajamana is about how a village which uses traditional oil overcomes a big mafia scam. Darshan, Rashmika Mandanna and Tanya Hope played the lead roles in the flick. The film emerged as a blockbuster and ran over 100-days across Karnataka.
Ponkumaran made his debut as a director with Vishnuvardhana (2011) which earned him the SIIMA Best Debut Director award.
Though Ponkumaran predominantly works in Kannada film industry, he has also directed Chaarulatha which had Priyamani in the lead role. The movie was released in Tamil and Kannada. Ponkumaran also wrote the story of Rajinikanth starrer Lingaa directed by K S Ravikumar.
Ponkumaran is all set to direct a new movie with leading actors. The flick will be bankrolled by B Vinod Jain under Jaguar Studios banner. The production house has already produced films including Mirugaa. An official announcement about this project is expected to be made soon.