Well-known South Indian film director K Balachander passed away at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai on Tuesday. Born 9 July 1930, Kailsam Balachander is an outstanding film director, screenwriter and producer who worked mainly in Tamil and also Telugu industry.
Well known for his distinct film-making style, the south Indian film industry knows him as a master of unconventional themes and hard-hitting subject matters of contemporary time. His films are well known for its portrayal of women as bold personalities and central characters. His films are usually centred on unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes.
He made such iconic films in Telugu such as Aakali Rajyam and Antuleni Katha.
Balachander’s first film as a director was Neerkumizhi in 1965. In a career that is spread over 45 years, he has contributed to nearly 100 feature films either as a screenwriter or director, thus becoming one of the most prolific film-makers in the country.
Balachander is credited with having introduced and nurtured numerous actors, notably Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Saritha, Prakash Raj and Vivek.
Balachander has won nine National Film Awards and multiple Filmfare Awards. He was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, in 1987, and is a recipient of the ANR National Award and Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in cinema. K. Balachander is revered as one of the best directors India has ever produced. His ideas were original and his subjects were complex ideas expressed via art.
Balachander owns a production house named Kavithalaya Productions which has been producing films since 1981. Apart from Tamil, he has made films in other languages such as Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He has also made a few film appearances and has directed a few TV serials as well.
