K. Balachander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
K. Balachander
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President Pratibha Patil presenting Dadasaheb Phalke Award to K. Balachander
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| Born |
Kailasam Balachander
9 July 1930 Nannilam, Madras Presidency, British India
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| Died | 23 December 2014 (aged 84) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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| Occupation | Playwright, film director, film producer, screenwriter, actor |
| Years active | 1964–2014 |
| Spouse(s) |
Rajam
(m. 1956) |
| Children | 3, including Bala Kailasam |
| Awards |
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Kailasam Balachander (born July 9, 1930 – died December 23, 2014) was a famous Indian filmmaker and writer. He mostly worked in Tamil cinema. People knew him for his special way of making movies. He often chose unusual topics and showed real-life issues.
Balachander's films often featured women as strong and important characters. People called him Iyakkunar Sigaram, which means "Director Paramount". His movies usually focused on interesting relationships and social topics. He started his film journey in 1964 as a writer. Then, he became a director with his film Neerkumizhi in 1965.
Over 50 years, he worked on nearly 100 films as a writer or director. This made him one of India's most active filmmakers. He helped many actors become famous. Some of these include Nagesh, Sujatha, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Sridevi, and Prakash Raj.
Balachander won many awards for his work. He received nine National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare Awards South. He was also given the Padma Shri in 1987, which is a high honor in India. Later, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's top award in cinema.
He also had his own film company called Kavithalaya Productions. Besides Tamil, he made films in Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. Towards the end of his career, he directed TV shows and even acted in a few films.
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Early Life and His Start
K. Balachander was born in 1930 in a place called Nannilam in India. He said he started watching movies when he was just eight years old. He loved films by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, a big star at that time.
When he was twelve, he became very interested in theatre and plays. This led him to act, write, and direct plays as a hobby. He continued his love for theatre even while studying Zoology at Annamalai University. He often took part in stage plays.
After finishing college in 1949, he worked as a school teacher. In 1950, he moved to Chennai and joined an office. There, he joined an amateur drama group. Soon, he started his own group. He became well-known for his play Major Chandrakanth, which he first wrote in English. He later rewrote it in Tamil, and it became very popular.
Balachander's acting group included future film stars like Major Sundarrajan, Nagesh, and Sowcar Janaki. These actors later appeared in hundreds of films. He also wrote other successful plays like Server Sundaram and Neerkumizhi.
His Film Career Begins
Starting in Films: The 1960s
While working at his office, Balachander was asked to write dialogues for the film Dheiva Thaai in 1964. At first, he wasn't sure, as he loved theatre more. But his friends convinced him to try.
Later, a famous producer bought the rights to his play Server Sundaram. They made it into a film with Nagesh as the lead. The movie was a big hit and won awards. Around this time, another of his plays, Major Chandrakanth, was made into a Hindi film called Oonche Log, which also won a National Film Award.
Balachander then directed his first film, Neerkumizhi (1965), based on his own play. The actors in the film were from his theatre group. He continued to direct films based on his plays, like Naanal and Major Chandrakanth. In 1967, he made Bama Vijayam, a funny family movie that was very successful. He even remade it in Telugu. In 1969, his film Iru Kodugal won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.
Creative Films of the 1970s
In the 1970s, Balachander started making more realistic movies. These films often explored family and social issues. In 1973, he directed Arangetram. He also made his first Hindi film, Aaina, in 1977, which was a remake of Arangetram.
He made Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974), a film about a working woman who supports her family. It showed the challenges faced by young women. He also gave a big break to Sridevi, who was a child actress, by casting her as the heroine in Moondru Mudichu.
His film Aboorva Raagangal (1975) told an original story about love between different generations. This movie was important because it marked the acting debut of Rajinikanth, who later became a huge star. The film was praised even though its theme was new and different. It won three National Film Awards.
During this time, he often worked with Kamal Haasan as the main actor. In 1976, he made Manmadha Leelai, about a man who has many relationships. This film was considered very modern for its time. He also remade Aval Oru Thodar Kathai in Telugu as Anthuleni Katha, which was also very popular.
His film Avargal (1977) showed the life of a divorced woman. Varumayin Niram Sigappu (1980) was about the struggles of being unemployed in a big city. 47 Natkal (1981) told the story of an Indian woman facing difficulties with her husband in Paris. This film helped launch the career of actor Chiranjeevi.
Bollywood Success and Tamil Films: 1981-1999
Balachander returned to Hindi films with Ek Duuje Ke Liye in 1981. This film was a remake of his own Telugu movie Maro Charitra. Kamal Haasan played the lead role again. The movie was a big success and received good reviews. Balachander won an award for Best Screenplay for this film.
He also made Sindhu Bhairavi (1985). This film was about a talented Carnatic musician and a critic who fall in love. Balachander worked with many different music directors throughout his career. Actors like Gemini Ganeshan, Sowcar Janaki, Nagesh, Rajinikanth, and Kamal Haasan often appeared in his films.
Later Years and Television
In his later years, Balachander directed films like Parthale Paravasam (2001) and Poi (2006).
From the late 1980s to the late 1990s, Balachander also started making many TV shows. These included Kai Alavu Manasu and Rail Sneham. Just like his films, most of his TV shows focused on women and showed them as strong and independent. He said that TV helped him reach more people. In 2009, after 40 years, Balachander returned to theatre with a play called Pournami.
His Family Life
In 1956, Balachander married Rajam. They had two sons, Kailasam and Prasanna, and a daughter, Pushpa Kandaswamy. His daughter is now in charge of their film production company, Kavithalaya Productions. His elder son, Bala Kailasam, passed away in 2014 at the age of 54. He had led a TV production company and created memorable TV series.
His Passing
After a surgery in November 2014, Balachander was admitted to a hospital in Chennai in December. He was suffering from a fever and an infection. Sadly, he passed away on December 23, 2014, due to complications from the infection and other health issues related to his age. He was honored with a state funeral the next day.
His Unique Style and Impact
Balachander is seen as one of the greatest directors India has ever had. His ideas were fresh and original. He often explored complex topics through his art. He was also famous for introducing many new actors to the film industry. He helped over 100 actors start their careers in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films.
He had long working relationships with senior actors like Gemini Ganesan and Nagesh. Even if he didn't discover them, he played a big part in their successful careers.
Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, two of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema, are often called "products" of Balachander. He worked with them in many films during the 1970s. Balachander chose Rajinikanth for a role in Apoorva Raagangal (1975) because he saw "something special about him."
He also introduced many famous actresses like Sridevi, Jayapradha, and Sujatha. Supporting actors like Nassar and Vivek also got their start with him. Prakash Raj was relaunched in Tamil cinema through Balachander's film Duet (1995). Balachander also launched the famous music director A.R. Rahman in the film Roja, which his company produced.
When most films were action-packed, Balachander made movies about social issues. He often focused on women as the main characters. He showed women as strong, smart, and independent. Balachander said that he got many ideas for his films from the poet Subramaniya Bharathi, whom he admired since childhood.
Filmography
Documentary
A documentary is being made about K. Balachander. Ravisubramaniyan was chosen to create this documentary. It is planned to be released on July 9, 2020, which would have been the veteran filmmaker's 90th birthday.
See also
In Spanish: K. Balachander para niños
