M. Rajesh

Rajesh was born in Nagercoil.^[1] After studying engineering at National Engineering College in Kovilpatti, he worked as an IT professional in Mumbai for six months before deciding to pursue a career in film.^[2]

Rajesh worked with the production unit Cosmic Blues, and as an assistant on many short films and advertisement films for 1.5 years before shifting to Chennai. He began his feature film career as an assistant director under Ameer Sultan in Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002) and later assisted S. A. Chandrasekhar on a few films including Sukran (2005) and Nenjirukkum Varai (2006). After deciding to turn director, Rajesh opted against imitating Ameer or Chandrasekhar's directing styles but wanted his own style that would appeal to youngsters, and wrote the script of Siva Manasula Sakthi (2009).^[2][3] The film became a commercial success, as did his next two directorial ventures, Boss Engira Bhaskaran (2010) and Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012). All three films were described by Sify as having reinvented "the trend of light-hearted comedy entertainers without big storylines".^[4] Rajesh later wrote the dialogues for Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013), also a success.^[5]

However, his subsequent directorial ventures All in All Azhagu Raja (2013), Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga (2015),^[4] Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru (2016), and Mr. Local (2019) became box-office failures.^[6][7] By the time of Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga's release, he was described by Sify as having lost his "Midas touch", and the website said he "should work on something out of the box to taste the much needed success".^[4] His next venture, Vanakkam Da Mappilei, premiered on Sun NXT in 2021.^[8] In 2022, Rajesh directed "Mirrage", an episode of the anthology thriller series Victim, deviating from his usual comedy films.^[9] He returned to film with Brother, released in 2024.^[10]

Rajesh's films have been heavily criticized for seemingly glorifying stalking, drinking and degrading women. Ashutosh Mohan wrote for Film Companion that Rajesh's initial films appeared harmless: "Why shouldn't wastrels get the good girls? It stopped being funny from All in All Azhaguraja, when it became clear that misogyny, more than comedy, was really Rajesh's thing". Mohan felt the lead characters in Rajesh's films are "paragons of unproductivity" and excel in stalking, "which somehow seems to help them get girls who are otherwise sensible and independent" and lamented that these characterestics may have influenced the lead characters in films not directed by Rajesh, such as Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013), Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal (2014) and Nannbenda (2015). Though Rajesh initially said Mr. Local would not feature any drinking or smoking scene, the film received criticism because of its toxic treatment of the female lead character, body shaming, shaming of transgender people and glorifying other activities not considered socially proper.^[11][12]

Rajesh is married to Shakthi, whom he met while working as an assistant under Chandrashekhar.^[2] Rajesh's father died in 2010.^[13]