Sukumar is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Sukumar worked as a mathematics and physics lecturer for nearly six years before pursuing a career in cinema. He started his career as a writer and assisted Mohan and V. V. Vinayak. Sukumar made his directorial debut with Aarya (2004). The massive critical and commercial triumph of the film marked the beginning of a very successful collaborative streak with actor Allu Arjun and composer Devi Sri Prasad. Sukumar won the Filmfare and Nandi Awards for his work in Aarya. His other notable films include Aarya 2 (2009), 100% Love (2011), 1: Nenokkadine (2014), Rangasthalam (2018) and the Pushpa film series. Sukumar is known for his complex, multi-layered screenplays which earned him the reputation of being an intelligent screenwriter. He is also known for infusing grey shades and physical handicaps in the character sketches of the protagonists in his films. Under the banner Sukumar Writings, he made his debut as a film producer with Kumari 21F (2015). In 2014, he received the K. V. Reddy Memorial award for his contributions to Telugu cinema.