My Unreleased Tamil Films - 2

The film PAADUM VANAMPADI which was the Tamil remake of Mithun Chakraborty's Super hit Hindi film DISCO DANCER, starring new comer Anand Babu ( son of veteran actor Nagesh ) was a very great Musical hit and ran for more than One Hundred days at Chennai and other centres. The Director of the film M. Jayakumar was flooded with many film offers from big production companies. After some failed projects he took up a film named KADHAL VIDUTHALAI. The Puja invitation card can be seen below:

The film starred Ramki, Janakaraj, Nizhalgal Ravi, Vennira Aadai Murthy, Nishanthi, Manorama, Subha etc. and Music by S.A. Rajkumar. The shooting took place in Chennai and Ootty and other locations.

With Director M. Jayakumar

Actress Manorama with the crew

The film shoot went on smoothly without any hitches. The editing and re-recording done and finally the first copy was taken. Unfortunately there was some dispute amongst the producers and the film never got released ever. After a few years I heard that there was a change of title and the film will be released, but that never happened.

The Director Jayakumar never could make any other film and had started a retail business for livelihood.


Another Tamil Film that failed to take off

Director Bhadran wanted me to work in his Tamil film EZHAVATHU SWARAM in which he wanted to introduce Actor Vineedh to Tamil audiences. The Puja was conducted with all pomp and publicity with Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi inaugurating the function. But the film never progressed any further!

My Unreleased Tamil Films - 1

Some time back Actor Devan called me regarding a Tamil film " Puthiya Swarangal" in which he had acted in the main role and was completed in 1991 but was not released. He now wanted to give the film for Telecasting purpose in Tamil Satellite Channels. Unfortunately the film negatives that were stored in the Prasad Film Laboratories at Chennai were damaged beyond repair. I wonder how many such films of the past in different parts of our country are getting lost because of our carelessness. Already a large portion of our film heritage in Black and White films have been lost for ever.Still we do not have a Film archive in South India!

It was the First and only film Directed by Tamil actor Vijayan and produced by Good Knight Films. Being a very popular actor and a favourite of Director Bharathi Raja he had all top technicians lined up for his maiden venture in Directing - Music by Ilaya Raja, Lyrics by Kavinjar Vaali, Gangai Amaran, Editing by V. Lenin etc. The song cassettes released were very popular.

Song Cassette

Details

So much effort was put in the making of film in locations at Chennai and Ootty where Art Director Radhakrishnan had erected some beautiful sets in studio floor and out door locations which were enhanced by glass Matte paintings.

Even though the film was complete and the first copy was taken, for some unknown reason it was not released and still lying in the cans,

Vijayan

Diwali Greeting Card

Below is the Pongal Greeting Card sent in 1991 as part of film publicity, that was 22 years ago!

PUTHIYA SWARANGAL CARD

Yet another Pongal...... All my Best wishes to every one!

Man's Best Friend

I have never had a Pet dog at home until I built a house and settled at Trivandrum. Our Labrador was named as Kittu and I was introduced to the world of unconditional love and affection of dog, described as man's best friend. He became one of our family and was great fun as a puppy and used to like bread slices soaked in milk. When he grew up it was bread and butter. Though a cage was built for him, he spent much of the time inside the home and mostly at the kitchen. It was on 18, December, 2003 that he died due to Distemper infection, leaving us all in great sorrow. Though the veterinary doctor had given anti rabies injection etc we were not aware of vaccines for distemper and he died at an early age of two and half years.

KITTU

In order to overcome the loss, in the next month itself, we bought a similar black Labrador pup and named him Muthu. He got much more affection from all of us and was a much pampered person. He used to eat all sorts of fruits like jack fruit, apples, fish like Tuna or Netholi and snacks like egg puffs, pakoras. Ice cream, squashes and milkshakes are also his favourite items. The joy and the warm welcome he gives whenever return home even after a short trip is unbelievable. He will jump with happiness, bark and express himself, until I pat him down and allow him to lick my cheek. For nearly eight years he was the guardian of our home and love of our life.

Last October, he was having cold and cough and the doctor who treated him asked us to bring him to the hospital at P.M.G. Junction to have blood tests taken. He was found to have some liver problems and medicines were given. After about 15 days he stopped eating any food and doctor was summoned and Muthu was given intravenous glucose drip and many injections. But early in the morning of 31 October 2011, he died peacefully in his sleep. Till the last day he was healthy and walking and we never expected him to die so soon and so suddenly. His sudden departure had left a void in our life but we still feel his presence in every corner of our house.

Three months old

Kittu at 6 Months with son Abhilash

Playing with a bottle

Looking up to me with affection

KITTU and MUTHU

Thank you both for showing me what unconditional love and affection means.

May you Rest in Peace

Like a Meteor she vanished …….

The year : 1972. Location : Kollam Hotel Neela. 
 

Cinematographer Ashok Kumar was on the camera shooting a scene involving Shobana for the film “Chemparathy” being directed by P.N.Menon. After my first film “ Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile” with John Abraham, I was into my second feature film “Ragging” directed by N.N. Pisharady. We started the film with newcomers in the main roles, but on seeing their dismal performances we decided to rope in well known artistes. Hence myself, N.N.Pisharady and Aluva Thampy went to Kollam to contact Sudheer and Rani Chandra and get their dates for our film. That was my first meeting and she was a simple and friendly person. Though she was selected as Miss Kerala, I found her to be a typical Malayalee girl with curly hair and tanned skin with an out going nature. At Neela Hotel Bamboo bar we also had an eventful meeting with veteran Malayalam writer Kakkanadan too along with S.K.Nair playing host.

On the set of "Ragging " she was simple and friendly with every one and didn’t show any airs of stardom and was at ease with other new comers like Balan Nair and Somasundaran. Others in the cast included Vincent, P.J.Antony and Jameela Malik .

On the set of RAGGING

It was only in K.G.George’s film “Swapnadanam” her acting talent rose to its summit. It was such a powerful role and she took all efforts to perform as the director had intended. K.G.George was instrumental in polishing her talent and bringing out the hidden talent in her. Her acting in “Swapnadanam” earned her Kerala State Award for the Best actress in 1975. After that she was flooded with offers to act in many films including well known Tamil production houses.

Rani Chandra and Dr.Mohandas

Mallika, Rani, myself & Dr.Mohandas in SWAPNADANAM

Thirty five years back, on 12 October 1976, after a film career spanning only eight years, Malayalam actress Rani Chandra died in a tragic accident near Bombay Airport on a flight to Madras in an Indian Airlines Caravelle aircraft. Her last film was “Badrakali” (Tamil) in which she starred opposite Siva Kumar, was completed with a similar looking actress enacted Rani’s scenes and released after her death was a huge success.

It was really shocking news to the Malayalam Film Industry that she had left this word at the height of her career blazing a trail, she vanished like a Meteor.

I felt deeply on losing a personal friend and real human being, and on that occasion I wrote the following lines:

NOT EVEN MEMORIES

- (To Rani Chandra)

Through fire you made your exit

That was no trick shot.

All that remained in the end

Ashes, an indistinguishable lot.

Many longed for you

But not in this form.

Among the mourners I spot

One who still loves you.

A fellow traveller,

On a journey in dream,

Oh, a friend sweet and lovable

You sailed through enormous sufferings

A rare one who cared for others

Even if others cared not.

Your absence

None can replace

Not even memories.

An abridged Malayalam translation of this article was published in Metro Vartha on 13 October 2011.

Oops! Our Indian English Spelling

There are numerous occasions where we come across misspelled English words in boldly written sign boards etc in our country. For example in a Juice shop in Trivandrum I saw this list of milk shakes and fruit juices available there. I can understand the spelling mistake of Chocolate - written as Chockolate, may be because of the choking effect after drinking it. But what about " JINGER LAME" ? Will you become lame afterwards? Actually it was meant to be Ginger Lime !

The other day I noticed this blatant spelling mistake written on the side of the out door unit van of Kerala State Film Development Corporation. Film is spelled as " FILIM" and Development as "Devolepment". It is no wonder that any Development of the Film Industry is not taking place at Chitranjali Studios over the many years of its existence.

On the side of the Out door unit Van

Even our TV Channels do turn out to be error prone. See the picture below of CNN IBN Live Channel News Program. Read it carefully - The Government has drafted a policy to shit... what was that? Did Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi write the News headline?

CNN IBN LIVE Channel

Whatever we may be at home we are the best when it comes to English spelling in U.S.A. Just look at the list of Spelling Bee Winners in U.S.A and you will find lot of Indian names. The 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner was Sukanya Roy of South Abington Pennsylvania, a person of Indian Origin ! Sukanya Roy won after spelling the word cymotrichous.

Can you guess what it means...... no way!

I just looked it up in the Dictionary, and the meaning is -
Curly-headed, having wavy hair

Returning to school after 50 years

Recently I was shooting the Malayalam film LITTLE MASTER starring Lal (Siddique) and Lakshmi Gopalaswami, being directed by L.Rajendran in Thiruvavananthapuram . The location was S.M.V. High School which was one of the oldest schools in Thiruvavananthapuram established by the Maharaja Sree Moolam Thirunal and hence the name Sree Moola Vilasam High School.

Shooting at SMV H.S with Lal (Siddique)

During the shooting interval, my friend veteran Art Director and Director Radhakrishnan ( R.K.) paid a visit to meet me. He told me a very fascinating information that he had once been a student at the S.M.V. school 50 years ago and since then nothing had changed much there. The old tiled buildings and even the benches and desks in the classrooms were the very same ones from his times. Those old wooden benches had cast iron frames which were imported from England. He also told me that a portion of the school was formerly used as Police premises and lockup cells were there.

Going back in time he located the class room and the very bench where he sat during his days as a student there.

R.K.in his old seat at school

In his student days he had a leaning towards Communist ideology and became part of the leftist student organisation SF. In his fervour towards the party he had carved the Sickle and Hammer Party symbol on the surface of his bench.

The hand that etched...

Sitting in his old seat and running his fingers over his art work, Radhakrishnan said that he was coming there for the first time, ever since he left the school 50 years ago. It so happened only because I invited him to visit our shooting location. Though he had been living for the past many years in Thiruvananthapuram and passed the school on his way many a times, it never occurred to him to get inside and see the place.

R.K's art work

I am happy that I was instrumental for his reunion with his Alma Mater and was able to record it for posterity.

More about R.K.in THE HINDU newspaper:

" Yahoo" of Indian Cinema - Shammi Kapoor

I saw the Hindi film " JUNGLEE" at a Saturday Night screening for the hostel inmates while studying at the Loyola College, Madras for my graduation in 1963. The screenings were held at the Bertram Hall and the films were pre-censored by the warden for objectionable content. It was love at first sight and I became a fan of the dashing, dancing and dynamic Shammi Kapoor. Though I have studied Hindi at high school level it was not compulsory to get pass marks in that subject and if you just write down the question paper that will earn you 15 marks! Even with such scarce understanding of Hindi we all enjoyed every moment of the film mainly due to Shammi's stylish and electrifying performance and the the fantastic music by Shankar - Jaikishan. Later on we were also treated to another film of Shammi, the hilarious "PROFESSOR" and he became one of my favourite actors.

I was lucky to have worked with him once for the Hindi Television Serial " Stories from the Bible" in 1991 Directed by Jijo Punnoose, produced by Navodaya. I was doing the Pilot episode of the serial which consisted of Noah's Ark and the Tower of Babel. Shammi was cast as Nimrod who built the mighty Tower of Babel. On his arrival he invited us, the crew to his room to get ourselves introduced to each other. There sitting on the bed was a massive man sporting a beard and wearing a necklaces of big polished stones, colorful beads and rudrakshas. He was entirely different from the image etched on my mind many years ago. He was very friendly and even offered us a drink which we politely declined. He asked the Director to give him the script of the next day's shooting so that he can come prepared for the work.

When the time came for his shot and he started the rehearsals, the assistant director began prompting the dialogues as it was the usual practice in the Malayalam film industry. He immediately asked the assistant to stop prompting. He had memorized all the dialogues perfectly and delivered them flawlessly. Such was his dedication to his work that amazed all of us. Even now most of the actors in Malayalam film industry never care to learn their dialogues and think it not at all a part of their acting. They just hear and parrot like mouth their lines. In spite of the hot and humid conditions of the remote location and the dusty atmosphere produced by hundreds of extras engaged in the building activities, he cheerfully endured the shooting.

At the end of the shoot we had this group photo taken and he called all the unit members to join him.

Crew of "Stories from the Bible"

Director Jijo, Shammi and me

Thanks for the short and sweet association we had with you which we will all remember for ever.

Adieu Shammiji!