| | 4 | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi director and producer, born in Nannilam, Thanjavur. Graduated in science from Annamalai University, Madras (1951); employed as a civil servant in the Accountant General’s office until 1964. Worked initially in the Tamil theatre as playwright and director. His best-known plays have been filmed: Server Sundaram by Krishnan-Panju (1964) and Major Chandrakant in Hindi by Phani Majumdar (Oonche Log, 1965) and by himself in Tamil. Film début as scenarist with the MGR film Daivathai (1964). Adapted his own play for his directorial début, Neer Kumizhi. Was employed by the Kalakendra Films unit for some years, before becoming an independent producer with his own company Kavithalaya. Known as the most consistent manufacturer of morality tales usually reinforcing middle-class conservatism, e.g. the joint-family structure (Bhale Kodalu/Bhama Vijayam), widow remarriage (Aval Oru Thodarkathai), the plight of divorced women (Avargal), the dowry problem (Kalyana Agathigal), Gandhian values (Punnagai), miscarriages of justice (Major Chandrakant). His emphasis on the middle class, his sentimentalism and his practice of remaking his hits in other languages recall the L.V. Prasad style. Prasad produced his major Hindi hit, Ek Duuje Ke Liye, remaking his earlier Telugu success Maro Charithra, both starring Kamalahasan. Like Prasad, he created several Tamil stars, e.g. Kamalahasan, Rajnikant, Sujata and S.V. Sekhar. Changed his idiom to make the political dramas Thanneer Thanneer, based on Komal Swaminathan’s play, and his own story Achamillai Achamillai. These films, with Arangetram, telling the story of a girl from a Brahmin family who becomes a prostitute, constitute the closest that Tamil cinema came to contributing to the State-sponsored New Indian Cinema idiom. Arangetram was used by the TN government for its family-planning campaigns. His production company Kavithalaya also produced Mani Rathnam’s Roja and the Rajnikant solos Annamalai (1994) and Muthu (1995). Produced the TV series Rayil Sneham. |