| 3 | | Tamil director; also worked in other South Indian languages and in Hindi. Born in Chittoor, AP. Started as proofreader for the Telugu newspaper Andhra Prabha. Assistant to Krishnan-Panju in late 40s at AVM. First film, Ammaiyappan, was major Tamil hit. Raja Rani, scripted by Karunanidhi, consolidated the strong bid for a politically interventionist melodrama sponsored by the DMK movement (see DMK Film). Set up Buddha Pics (1956) with Pati Bhakti and introduced a commercially successful formula centred around family plots, often the disintegration of the joint family under the pressures of urbanisation, usually with Ganesan, lyricist Kannadasan and composers Vishwanathan- Ramamurthy. Later also worked at the Newtone Studio in Madras. From the early 60s, concentrated as much on Hindi films as on Tamil, often adapting his own and other directors’ work, e.g. his best-known Hindi film Admi, which borrows from the Ganesan hit Alayamani. Pasamalar was remade as Bhai ahen. Made the bizarre comedy Sadhu Aur Shaitan, featuring the uninhibited duo of Kishore Kumar and Mehmood. Later films include the Jayakantan scripts Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal and Oru Nadigai Nadagam Parkiral representing Tamil actress Laxmi’s best-known work. Many of his film titles, for superstitious reasons, begin with the Tamil syllable ‘Pa’ and show a statue of the Buddha. |
| | 3 | Tamil director; also worked in other South Indian languages and in Hindi. Born in Chittoor, AP. Started as proofreader for the Telugu newspaper Andhra Prabha. Assistant to [[Krishnan-Panju]] in late 40s at [[AVM]]. First film, Ammaiyappan, was major Tamil hit. Raja Rani, scripted by [[Karunanidhi]], consolidated the strong bid for a politically interventionist melodrama sponsored by the DMK movement (see [[DMK Film]]). Set up Buddha Pics (1956) with Pati Bhakti and introduced a commercially successful formula centred around family plots, often the disintegration of the joint family under the pressures of urbanisation, usually with [[Ganesan]], lyricist [[Kannadasan]] and composers Vishwanathan- Ramamurthy. Later also worked at the Newtone Studio in Madras. From the early 60s, concentrated as much on Hindi films as on Tamil, often adapting his own and other directors’ work, e.g. his best-known Hindi film Admi, which borrows from the Ganesan hit Alayamani. [[Pasamalar]] was remade as Bhai ahen. Made the bizarre comedy Sadhu Aur Shaitan, featuring the uninhibited duo of [[Kishore Kumar]] and Mehmood. Later films include the Jayakantan scripts [[Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal]] and [[Oru Nadigai]] [[Nadagam Parkiral]] representing Tamil actress Laxmi’s best-known work. Many of his film titles, for superstitious reasons, begin with the Tamil syllable ‘Pa’ and show a statue of the Buddha. |