Atlee was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and developed a passion for cinema early in life. He began his career as an assistant director to Shankar on films like Enthiran (2010) and Nanban (2012), which gave him valuable industry experience. His directorial debut Raja Rani (2013) was a romantic drama that became a huge success and established him as a promising filmmaker.
He went on to direct major commercial hits with Vijay, including Theri (2016), Mersal (2017), and Bigil (2019), each breaking box office records. In 2023, Atlee made his Bollywood debut with Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, which became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Known for his ability to blend mass appeal with emotional storytelling, Atlee has become one of the most bankable directors in Indian cinema.