Vignesh Shivan (born 18 September 1985) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and lyricist, known for his works in Tamil cinema. He made his directorial debut with Podaa Podi (2012), starring Silambarasan, after years of production delays. His breakthrough came with Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015), starring Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, which established him as a successful filmmaker. He continued his success with Thaanaa Serndha Koottam (2018), featuring Suriya.

Vignesh studied at Santhome Higher Secondary School and Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai. He has also worked as a lyricist, appeared in a cameo role in Velaiyilla Pattathari (2014), and produced acclaimed films like Pebbles (2021) and Rocky (2021) under his banner Rowdy Pictures, co-founded with actress Nayanthara.

In his personal life, Vignesh Shivan began dating Nayanthara after collaborating on Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. The couple got engaged in 2021 and married on 9 June 2022 at Mahabalipuram. They welcomed twin boys via surrogacy on 26 September 2022. Their relationship and Nayanthara’s career were chronicled in the Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale (2024), further cementing their prominence in Indian cinema.