Praveen Gandhi

Praveen Gandhi is an Indian film director, and actor known for his works in Tamil cinema.
Career.
Praveen Gandhi was first given the opportunity to become a film maker by producer K. T. Kunjumon with "Ratchagan" (1997), who noted that in the director he saw "a young man who is very talented and full of ideas who was willing to work hard". The film was launched in January 1996 but filming only commenced the following year in January 1997, with an established cast and crew including Telugu actor Nagarjuna, Miss Universe pageant winner Sushmita Sen, Girish Karnad and A. R. Rahman. The film was shot all over India including locations in Manali, Mumbai, Goa, Ooty, Rajasthan and Delhi, with Kunjumon making a claim during filming stages that the film would become India's most costly production.
Praveen Gandhi returned in 1999 with the romantic film, "Jodi", featuring Prashanth and Simran. He released the film under the name Praveenkanth, his original name, after being known as Praveen Gandhi in his first venture. The director also played a cameo role in the film portraying an eloping youngster who assists Prashanth. The film opened to positive reviews and became a box office success, with a reviewer noting "the director's light-veined screenplay keeps the movie moving at a good pace".
In 2000, Praveen Gandhi considered making a film titled "Apoorvan" with Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles, but the project did not materialise. "Jodi"'s success prompted director to collaborate with Prashanth and Simran again in a project called "Star" (2001), but Simran soon dropped out and the film failed to replicate the success of "Jodi". Portraying a full length supporting role, Praveen Gandhi won negative reviews for his acting and direction with a critic noting it was a "ruinously shoddy script" and "the director’s attempt to enter into the acting arena, and play one of the crucial characters in the film adds insult to injury". Another reviewer described that "the messy screenplay in the second half ruins the story that admittedly has enough potential for romance, laughs, sentiments and action".
In 2003, he began working on a film titled "Thullal", in which he would play the central character and despite being launched amidst much fanfare, it's theatrical release saw a delay. The film eventually opened in July 2007 to unanimously poor reviews, with a critic labelling the film as "torture", adding that the director has a "misplaced sense of self importance in his very first film as a hero". Despite the failure of the film, he announced two further acting ventures "Muktha" then "Vilasam TN 03 6999", though neither film were completed or released. Another directorial venture planned in 2009, "Adayalam" with Ragini, also failed to materialize.
Early life and education.
Pajula was born in Käru, Virumaa, the son of August Pajula and Amanda Alber. Between 1931 and 1942 he studied at Käru and Salla Primary School and Väike-Maarja Gymnasium. He studied at the Institute of Theology of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church) between 1949 and 1959. In 1960/61 he went for further training at the University of Göttingen in West Germany.
Ministry.
He was ordained priest on May 24, 1950 by Archbishop Jaan Kiivit Sr. in St. Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn. Between 1949 and 1950 and again between 1954 and 1957, he served as pastor of the parishes of Illuka and Iisaku. In 1950 he transferred to Kursi, Jõgeva County to become pastor of the parish church. Between 1954 and 1956 he was also responsible for the Alexander's Cathedral and in 1957 he became pastor of St. John's Church, Tallinn, where he remained till 1987.
Archbishop.
On June 11, 1987, the Church council elected Pajula Archbishop and Primate. He was consecrated on November 15, 1987 by John Vikström Archbishop of Turku and Finland and co-consecrated by Karl-Gunnar Grape Bishop of Skara; Olav Christian Lindegaard Bishop of Haderslev; Fredrik Grønningsæter Bishop of Sør-Hålogaland; Jan Michalko General Bishop of the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church; Dieter Knall Bishop of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria; and Gyula Nagy Bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary. He retired on June 29, 1994. He was the first President of the Estonian Council of Churches in 1989-1993 and member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches 1983–1992.