THE EYE OF THE SERPENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO TAMIL CINEMA by SUNDARARAJ THEODORE BASKARAN

Author:SUNDARARAJ THEODORE BASKARAN [SUNDARARAJ THEODORE BASKARAN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: westland
Published: 2013-12-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The Filmmakers

K Bagyaraj (born.1953)

Bagyaraj started his career as an assistant director

to G Ramakrishnan and then to Bharathiraaja when the latter was making his first film, At The Age of Sixteen/16 Vayathinile in 1977; Bagyaraj even played a small role in the film. He wrote the dialogues for The East Bound Train/ Kizhake Pogum Rayil (1978), Bharathiraaja’s second film and made his directorial debut with the film Murals Without Walls/Suvarillatha Chithirangal in 1979. Encouraged by its moderate success, he started his own concern, Ammu Productions, and made a series of highly popular films. Most of his films were set in a rural background and the protagonist was invariably cast in an anti-hero mould. He packs his films with all the ingredients typical of a Tamil film entertainment—songs, group dances, fights, eroticism and a story that revolves around marital relationships and has a happy end. Bagyaraj laces his storytelling with ribald humour which is very popular with his audiences.

M G Ramachandran, the matinee idol-turned-chief minister, declared Bagyaraj his heir in the film world. In 1989, a year after MGR’s demise, Bagyaraj founded a political party – M G R Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam; but it folded up less than a year later. In addition to the films he has directed, including a film in Hindi, he has acted in twenty-five films and scripted twenty-six.

Select Filmography

The Sound Of One Hand/Oru Kai Osai (1980), Silent Songs/Mouna Geethangal (1981), Wait Until Dawn/ Vidiyumvarai Kathiru (1981), Those 7 Days/Andha 7 Natkal (1981), Mundhanai Mudichu (1983), Sari Dreams/ Thavanikanavugal (1984), Sundarakandam (1991), Rasukutty (1992).

P Bala (b.1966)

Born in Narayanathevanpatti near Kambam in Tamil Nadu, he grew up, with seven siblings, in Vadipatti and Periyakulam. After his schooling in Theni , Bala joined American college in Madurai for a degree in Tamil literature. While in college, he developed a passion for literature particularly the writings of Jayakanthan and Nanjil Nadan.

Through poet Arivumathi’s recommendation, who was in Chennai, Bala joined Balu Mahendra’s film crew as a set assistant and worked his way up. He joined the team when the director was making the film, Veedu in which he made a cameo appearance as a postman. Balu Mahendra’s team became a school for Bala where he learnt elements of filmmaking. He says of his mentor ‘He is the spark that ignited my passion for cinema’ and talks of him as the major influence in his life. He got his first screen credit as an Assistant Director for the film, Sunset Melody/Sandhyaragam. In the film Flowers of many hues/Vanna Vanna Pookkal , Bala got credited as the co-director.

He made his debut as a director with Sethu in 1999. The film, centering around a mentally deranged character, proved to be a critical and commercial success. He later went on to make memorable films like The Doyen/Pithamagan . He won the National Award for Best Director in 2009 for the film

I am God/Nan Kadavul , about a devotee of the Aghori cult and beggar mafia. One of the reasons why Bala’s film making style

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