Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Farewell " CAPTAIN "

With Shri.P.N.Sundaram

P.N.Sundaram, well known Cinematographer - Director and President of Southern Indian Cinematographers Association passed away yesterday ( March 22, 2010) at Chennai. Till his last days he was healthy and active. For SICA his absence is a great loss as he was one of the much respected Trade union activists in the film industry who always fought for the workers rights. His words of wisdom carried much weight in the day to day activites of SICA and FEFSI.

He was also a great technician and his skill with the camera was well known in the film industry. For a long time he worked along with veteran Cinematographer - Director A. Vincent, and during that time he captured on film many innovative shots. Once he described to me how he walked on the catwalk with the Arriflex camera and then got into the seat of crane to take a one continuous fluid shot for the Tamil film "NENJIL OOR AALAYAM". He tasted success as a Director of hit films in Malayalam - AYODHYA, KOLILAKKAM, KAKKA etc. It was in his film KOLILAKKAM that actor Jayan lost his life while acting in a helicopter stunt scene.

More than that he was a humanist who was friendly to the core to all people from the lowest to the topmost in the film industry. He was always found cracking jokes and making people around him very cheerful and enthusiastic. I had many occassions to interact with him and experienced his sagely advice solving various problems connected with Malayalam Cinematographers Union.


At Cinema India Expo Seminar

There were Two Captains in the Tamil film Industry - Senior Captain P.N.Sundaram and Captain Vijayakanth!

Our Senior Captain P.N.Sundaram, with heaving heart and tearful eyes, I bid you Farewell with A 21 Gun Salute!