User:Old Madras Market/sandbox

Ashwin Vadamazhai Natarajan (/'uhsh·vn/; born September 30, 1988) is an Indian film director, entrepreneur, producer, and screenwriter. An upcoming prominent figure of the New Indian Cinema era and a pioneer in writing fictional stories and short stories. He is also known for directing and producing many successful commercial advertisements. Ashwin is the recipient of various accolades for his startups and for advertisements (including two Best Director wins), a recognition from the American Advertising Federation (AAF). In 2013, he won the best director award from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing for a Sri Lankan Television commercial.

Ashwin was born in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India and grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He studied Engineering in college. After his college, he decided to pursue his career in media and joined the legendary filmmaker Late Shri Balu Mahendra in his Cinema Pattarai. In 2014, he moved to California and worked in several production houses and made advertising films, commercial productions, feature films and more. After deciding to take his knowledge gained to the Indian Advertising Industry, he came back to Chennai, Tamil Nadu and started directing and producing Advertisements and Corporate Videos. He made his directorial debut with a popular retailer from Chennai - WITCO Bags (2012). He then directed popular commercials and video productions for Apollo Hospitals (2013), Vogue Jewellers (2013), Sri Lankan Cricket Board (2013), Hyundai Motors (2013), Orchid Pharmaceuticals (2013), Dilmah Teas (2014), Bash Brands - UK (2014), DMCC - Dubai (2014), ITC Hotels (2015), Rajalakshmi Institutions (2016), Medopharm (2016) and many more.

After a brief hiatus from filmmaking, where Ashwin went on to be an entrepreneur and started an FMCG startup named - Hearth Global Foods which owned the brands Desi Cha Teas and Old Madras Market. Desi Cha Teas was then successfully bought by an American FMCG corporation and Ashwin still owns a majority stake in the brand Old Madras Market which manufactures FMCG products such as spices, masala, ghee, sugar, beverages, oils, etc. In 2021, Ashwin decided to come back to his passion for filmmaking and has successfully completed the Additional Screenplay writing for a Hollywood project by Lionsgate (USA) which is due for production by 2023 and to be released by 2024.

Ashwin is currently working on several Advertising and feature film projects and is soon to start his debut film as a director and writer by 2023 under one of the prominent film production companies from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.