It has been the greatest honor and my absolute pleasure to have served as the creative director for the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022. Recollecting the last few weeks, I honestly have no words to say – only thank you. And my gratitude goes out to all those involved,
Beginning with our Hon. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M.K.Stalin, thank you for bringing such a prestigious global event to our state and giving me this monumental opportunity.
I am grateful to Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, MLA of Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency for envisioning this event at the scale it is today. Your vision, your support and strength to follow through has made this 44th edition what it is.
To the ministers, V Meyyanathan of Youth Welfare and Sports development,
Dr. M Mathiventhan of Tourism, and E.V Velu of the Public works Dept whose
support and presence has been key, my gratitude.
To the Chief secretary Irai Anbu, thank you for your enthusiasm and diligence. It was with your help in the scripting and R&D process that our Tamizh Mann acts became as such a grand success.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Apoorva IAS for being with me every step of the way.
The government Officials, Darrius Ahmed IAS, Jaya Seelan IAS, Karthikeyan IAS and Innocent Divya IAS, thank you for the tremendous support.
To the Commissioner of Police and the entire police department, thank you for giving us a secure and safe environment and your support, day and night through the entire event.
A big thank you to my team and all those involved, for shaping the event to what it is today.
Renaissance events, thank you for being there right from the start. You guys are the show. Special thanks to the power couple, Ragini and Umesh!
The Legendary Shiamak Davar, what can I say that hasn’t been said already. You and your
talented team have been the sweetest and most supportive throughout. Thank you for
everything!
To Vibhore and Creative Factory, thank you for your magic. Your visuals blew everyone’s minds and brought a wow factor that we could not have imagined!
On Cue, thank you for pushing us where we needed and running the show so spectacularly!
Becket J. Tundatil and his entire lighting crew, thank you for making the show vibrant and a sight for the eyes.
Navneeth Sundar, thank you for your quick and timely work. You are a true talent and there’s more waiting for you in the future!
Mukundan Raman, thank you for giving your all into this. Your effort and research has shaped
our opening and closing ceremony acts.
My gratitude to Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan sir alias Tamizh Mann, for lending his voice and
breathing life into our script.
To my future directors team, Parvathi Sridharan, Rakesh P, Vardini Shankarnarayn, Manoranjan D’Sami, Balasubramaniam and Maria Antony – you have been my support and strength through this journey. Thank you!
My home team, Mayil Vaganan, Guber, Sabarish and team, thank you for helping out in every way possible.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Isai Puyal A.R.Rahman sir for composing our “Chess anthem” and also being an absolute star in it. I’m glad to have worked with Aditi Shankar, Brinda Master, DOP Rathnavelu sir, art director Kiran sir and editor Praveen Antony who helped put together the music video.
This has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime for me and I’m glad to have done my part for the state; for the nation through this international event. It has been the most exhilarating experience. As a filmmaker, I am super honored and glad to have had and shared this experience. Thanks to everyone once again.
And finally my dear friends, fans, press, media and social media influencers, thank you for the lovely messages and all the positivity and encouragement you have brought.
Love and good vibes, Vignesh Shivan