Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu (1980) also touched upon class and caste struggles, while Arangetram (1973) had a middle-class Brahmin woman take up prostitution to support her family. A happy ending doesn’t necessarily mean marriage”. In Sindhu Bhairavi, the woman decides to live without a man, while in Avargal (1977), she moves from a break-up to a troubled marriage to finding another romantic relationship in office.īalachander believed “marriage is not the be all and end all. I knew I had to be different, so I chose the area I knew best - middle-class issues.”įilms such as Aval Oru Thodarkathai (1974), Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Moondru Mudichu (1976), and Sindhu Bhairavi (1985) featured strong female characters who challenged prevalent norms in their spheres. They were all male-oriented, male-chauvinistic films. In an interview in 2006, Balachander had said: “At that time, most films were based on heroism. The classic Thaneer Thaneer (1981) deals with the problem of water scarcity, while in Unnal Mudiyum Thambi (1988), a rebellious Brahmin boy gives up his traditional musical profession to become a social activist. Gopalakrishnan, who were part of his stage cast.Īlso read: Remembering Kannadasan, the Tamil lyricist who wrote over 5,000 songs & 4,000 poemsįamily, relationships and, later, socio-economic issues were regular themes in KB’s oeuvre. Soon, Major Chandrakanth and Server Sundaram were adapted for the screen, and then Balachander turned director with Neerkumizhi (1965), a family drama based on his own eponymous play and starring Nagesh, Sowcar Janaki and V. The result was Dheiva Thaai (1964), a drama that went on to become one of the year’s biggest hits, and was later remade in Telugu, starring N.T. Some of his notable plays were Major Chandrakanth, Mezhuguvarthi, Navagraham and Server Sundaram (later a hit film starring Nagesh).Īfter he gained popularity as an amateur playwright, MGR approached him to write the dialogues for a film. Gopalakrishnan watched one of them, and asked him to join his drama troupe.īalachander’s part-time script- and play-writing got him access to the cinema industry. He continued to write and act in plays during his undergraduate studies in zoology at Annamalai University, Chennai.Īfter a short stint as a school teacher, he joined the accountant general’s office in Chennai, where he and a few colleagues set up an amateur theatre group.Įventually, he began staging plays in the Sabha halls of Chennai. As a boy, he and his friends used to stage plays in the veranda of his house.
Kailasam Balachander was born on 9 July 1930 in Nallamangudi in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Ramachandran (MGR), Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan, Balachander, in his 50-year-career, changed the game by prioritising new talent and good stories. In fact, in an era when Tamil cinema was all about melodramatic stories starring big names like M.G. The man who wrote and directed (and later, acted in) more than 100 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi also counted among his protégés Kamal Haasan and Sridevi. Rajinikanth wasn’t the only megastar to have been ‘discovered’ by Balachander. The young man was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, known to the world today as Rajinikanth. Balachander wrote in a Tamil magazine 44 years ago. Just mark my words, he will go on to become a phenomenon,” K. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.New Delhi: “In my forthcoming movie, I am introducing a young man who has fire in his eyes. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world.
The movie is 'Apoorva Raagangal'. Came out in 1975.The movie is 'Kochadaiiyaan'. Came out in 2014.The movie is 'Lingaa'. Came out in 2014.The movie is 'Baasha'. Came out in 1995.It is one of the earliest movies of Rajinikanth's career. The movie is 'Enthiran'. Came out in 2010.
The movie is ' Shivaji'. Came out in 2007.The movie is 'Kabali'. Came out in 2016.The film is 'Darbar' which has one of the most famous Rajinikanth's dialogues - "Police is not a job.we live to protect.we die to serve".The film is 'Petta' and is considered to be one of the best Rajinikanth's movies.Credit: Tamil Cinimea's Youtube Rajinikanth's quiz - Answers