Gautham Vasudev Menon, better known as Gautham Menon, is an Indian film director, story writer, and producer who works predominantly in the Tamil film industry. The director has carved a niche for himself in the industry by directing some of the most critically acclaimed semi-autobiographical and thriller movies. The stalwart director is most noted for directing Vaaranam Aayiram and producing Thanga Meengal under his producing company, Photon Kathas. Both the movies won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Apart from directing some of the biggest blockbuster Tamil movies, Gautham Menon has also directed Telugu and Hindi films, which are mostly the remakes of his own Tamil films.
Menon, known for his unique style of filmmaking, stated that his films are largely inspired by the depth and aesthetics that are showcased in the American movies. In all his movies, Menon makes the characters sport similar kind of haircuts and make them wear urban casual wear. The director claimed that he was very inspired by movies like Nayakan and Dead Poets Society, which eventually led him to change his career path from being an engineer to become a filmmaker. Another significant aspect of his directorial work is that all his movies have a strong depiction of the female characters.