The movie industry lost another veteran on October 20th. Director Sridhar, 75, who died after a brief illness, is one of the best-loved storytellers Tamil cinema ever had.
Sridhar’s contribution to the creative field kicked off through theatre. Even during his school days, Sridhar, along with some of his friends, wrote and staged a number of interesting plays. Born in a small village in Chinglepet district, Sridhar finished schooling in the St. Joseph’s Convent and managed to work for the Co-operative department for a very short period. All the while, his heart was in drama and theatre. Soon, unable to contain his interest, Sridhar took a life-altering decision and gave up his day job. Finally free of the nagging responsibilites of his job, he was absolutely prepared to give his best shot in his best-loved creative medium. Apparently, Rathapasam, one of his scripts impressed drama veteran T.K. Shanmugam profoundly. The unassuming senior offered to stage it across India engaging his troupe. Proving his judgment right, the poignant script earned wide acclaim in theatre; later, it took shape on the big screen too.
Then, establishing himself as a skilful writer, Sridhar stepped into direction in 1950 with Kalyana Parisu. The relevant storyline, its pragmatic situations and an equally fitting ending brought huge recognition to the film and appreciation for its crew. In fact, many audiences who were not happy with the film’s tragic ending openly showed their dissatisfaction whenever Sridhar met them in public. Such was the film’s reach!
Kalyana Parisu’s success encouraged Sridhar to start his own production company. Thenilavu, starring Gemini Ganesan and Vyjayanthimala Bali, was the debut production of the fledgling company Chithralaya Pictures. The maiden venture itself was a success. Many notable productions such as Kadhalikka Neramillai, Venniraadai, Nenjil Or Aalayam, and Ilamai Oonjaladugiradhu followed. Sridhar also had a remarkable eye to spot talent. The casting in all his films provides the best proof to his innate ability. Many sensational heroines of those times such as Jayalalitha and Nirmala were his discoveries. During the shooting of Ilamai Oonjaladugiradhu, Sridhar could see the multi-tasking creative ability in the film’s hero Kamal Haasan and offered him an opportunity to direct a film for his own banner. Kamal was barely 25 then.
An evident personification of all good qualities, Sridhar was a focussed performer. He treated his assistants with due respect and offered them ample creative liberty. His shooting spots did not demonstrate any work stress or pressure; they throbbed with a positive energy and friendly vibes. To many in the industry, he is a role model in so many ways. And for all those contemporaries who struggle to figure out the secret of success in movie-making, Sridhar’s films and his themes are great milestones to be followed.
Galatta.com salutes the legend and deeply condoles his sudden and tragic demise!
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