Gems of Tamilnadu

K. Balachander (Tamil: கே. பாலசந்தர்; born July 9, 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or writer. In his career, he has mainly contributed to the Tamil film industry and is credited with having introduced hundreds of actors and technicians in Tamil Cinema including Kamal Hassan, Rajinikanth, Prakash Raj and Vivek. He also owns a production house named Kavithalaya Productions. Besides Tamil cinema, he has directed films in Telugu, Hindi and Kannada languages and occasionally worked as an actor and in television as well.

Balachander has won multiple National Film Awards and numerous Filmfare Awards. He was honored with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award in 1987, and is also a recipient of the ANR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. In 2011, Balachander was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema for his contribution to arts. He also holds an Honorary doctorate. He is popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Sikaram (English: (lit.) The top director) in Kollywood.

Early life

K. Balachander was born on 9 July 1930 in a Tamil Brahmin family to Saraswati and Dhandapani at Nannilam, Thanjavur District. He completed his B. Sc., (Zoology) in 1949 at Annamalai University. While working in the Accountant General’s Office as a Superintendent in the 1960s, he came to prominence as an amateur playwright with his dynamic plays like Major Chandrakanth, Server Sundaram, Neerkumizhi, Mezhuguvarthi, Naanal and Navagraham. The plays, which were produced and directed by him, were an instant success and enjoyed both popular and critical acclaim. He always directs films in such a way that it should convey a message to the society in some form or other.

Career

K. Balachander is known among actors as a tough taskmaster, K. Balachander was able to extract from these actors some of their finest acting performances for his films. He was capable to infuse from these actors some of their finest acting performances for his films. Anterior to his intimacy in Indian cinema, he worked as a school teacher in Muthupet, Tiruvarur District, and as a playwright.

It was M. G. Ramachandran who had asked him to write dialogues for the film Dheiva Thaai. His famed films were Tamil productions such as Apoorva Raagangal (1975), which deals with a father-son relationship and inter-generational romance that culminates in a complex quandary. Avargal (1977), which follows the life of a divorcee as she traverses various relationships in reverse, from divorce, to marriage, to falling in love. Varumayin Niram Sigappu (1980), a drama that charts the travails and conflict of being unemployed in a bombastic and harsh city. 47 Natkal (1981), which traces the adversities of a newly-wed Indian woman living with an scurrilous, expatriate husband in a Parisian suburb; and Sindhu Bhairavi (1985), about the intellectual collision and subsequent romance between an lofty Carnatic musician and his ardent female critic. Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981, Hindi), about cross-cultural romance in India, for which he received two Filmfare nominations - for direction and best story.

His Telugu films Maro Charithra and Rudraveena are notably among the best movies ever made in Telugu film Industry. He directed the story about a woman breadwinner taking care of her family in several languages, the Tamil film Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974), the Telugu film Anthuleni Katha (1976), and produced the Kannada film Benkiyalli Aralida Hoovu (1983).

His later films include Parthale Paravasam (2001) and Poi (2006). To him goes the credit for discovering new talent in acting, direction, and other technical areas, many of whom have made a mark in their respective fields. Rajnikanth, a discovery of Balachandar and Kamal Hassan, whom he moulded into a great actor, prove this.

His serials, Kai Alavu Manasu, Rayil Sneham, Kadhal Pagadai, Premi, Jannal Anni and others have been successful. "This medium helps to reach out to the public. That's why I am into making serials," says Balachandar. He strongly feels that the three different medium of entertainment — theatre, cinema and television are bound to co-exist. One cannot destroy the other and at any given time the public will see what it wants.

After nearly 40 years, and as a homage to his dear friend Nagesh, KB recently returned (and was "Reborn" as he himself claims) to theatre through the play Pournami, Starring Renuka and Poovilangu Mohan among others, the story is about a homemaker whose husband gets caught in Pakistan under the suspicion of being a terorist.