M. Night Shyamalan

Manoj Nelliyattu "M. Night" Shyamalan (ˈʃæməlɑːn; Maṉōj Nelliyāṭṭu Śyāmaḷaṉ; மனோஜ் நெல்லியட்டு ஷியாமளன்; മനോജ് നെല്ലിയാട്ട് ശ്യാമളന്‍ ˈʃɑːməlɑːn; born 6 August 1970) is an Indian American film director, screenwriter, author, producer, and actor known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots and surprise endings. His most well-received films include the supernatural horror thriller The Sixth Sense (1999), the superhero drama thriller Unbreakable (2000), and the science fiction thriller Signs (2002). Afterwards, Shyamalan's career declined as he released a series of financially-successful yet poorly-received films, including the historical drama-horror film The Village (2004), the fantasy film Lady in the Water (2006), his disaster film The Happening (2008), the film adaptation of The Last Airbender (2010), and the science fiction film After Earth (2013). Following the financial failure of After Earth, Shyalaman's career was revived with the release of the found footage horror The Visit (2015) and the psychological horror Split (2016), the latter of which is set in the same universe as his previous film Unbreakable. He is also known for producing Devil (2010), as well as being instrumental in the creation of the Fox science fiction series Wayward Pines. Shyamalan is also known for filming and setting his films in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was raised. Most of his commercially successful films were co-produced and released by the Walt Disney Studios' Touchstone and Hollywood film imprints. In 2008, Shyamalan was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India.