Chennai (Commonwealth Union)_ Renowned Indian art director and Padma Shri awardee Thota Tharani has been conferred with France’s prestigious Chevalier Award, one of the highest recognitions in the field of arts and literature. This honor places him alongside celebrated Indian personalities such as Sivaji Ganesan, Balamuralikrishna, Kamal Haasan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Kalki Koechlin, who have previously received the same distinction.
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With a career spanning more than forty years, Tharani has played a major role in shaping the visual language of Indian cinema. Known for his attention to detail and creative vision, he has worked closely with leading filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and Shankar. His skilled art projects have earned him two National Film Awards, four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, three Nandi Awards, and many other honors. The Chevalier title is one of the three ranks in the Order of Arts and Letters, positioned below Commandeur and Officier.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin congratulated Tharani on social media, expressing pride in the artist’s international recognition. He highlighted that Tharani’s portrait of social reformer E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar) now adorns Oxford University. “The French government’s announcement honoring Thiru Thota Tharani, who painted the Periyar portrait displayed at Oxford, brings immense joy to us all,” Stalin wrote in Tamil. He added that Tharani, an alumnus of the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, joins a distinguished line of Indian icons such as Satyajit Ray, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Kamal Haasan. “This is a proud moment for Tamil Nadu and for India’s artistic community,” the Chief Minister remarked, extending his warm wishes.
The French Ambassador will present the Chevalier Award to Tharani on November 13 at the Alliance Française of Madras in Chennai. Over his illustrious career, Tharani has contributed to landmark films like Nayakan, Thalapathi, Indian, Sivaji, Dasavatharam, and Ponniyin Selvan I & II. He continues to remain active in cinema, working recently on Kuberaa and Hari Hara Veera Mallu.
