K S Sethumadhavan : RIP

 

I filled up an online form to vote in favor of K S Sethumadhavan for Dada Saheb Phalke award. My pal Srini had on his own taken the job to get KS this award. Probably, the bosses might confer on him posthumously.

I met him during the time he was doing the film based on MT’s story. To tell the truth, I was awestruck that this man had directed MGR’s Naalai Nammathe ( remake of Yaadon ki Baarat) and my all time fav Chatakari  I took a great liking to KS as I found him to be a very puritan man who did not crack any jokes and one who followed the principle that opportunities will come knocking on your door and one need not be part of any lobby. Yet another revelation was that he was the least romantic person. I have asked him about many scenes in Julie and he just smiled.

Usually film directors are boisterous – extroverts and witty but tis man who has a library of films that are very sensual and themes that are touchy is just the opposite. I then covered his Tamil film Marupakkam shooting. It got the best film in Tamil section and best screenplay in the National awards- a First for Tamil filmdom. This was a rare honor to Tamil cinema. It was not celebrated in a befitting way by the Directors association. In fact, I remember that a Malayali jury member was accused of be partisan in selecting Marupakkam over a film by a  Tamizh director. Even Malayalam film industry ignored it – usually  happens to most Malayalis in Chennai. A decade later ,  Priyadarshan directed Kanchivaramm got best Tamil film in the National category and things were better as I think he and Prakashraj did get to attend some functions . I tink it was more of Priyan’s and Prakahraj PR. In Marupakkam, you had two guys who don’t chase media- KS and lead actor Sivakumar.

Next was Kamal’s Nammavar ( most of it was in Vahuni studios). Here too , I think Kamal had a riff with producer  Reddy of Vahuni over this film and swore than he would not step into Vahuni Studios in his life time. South Screen awards then conducted that year by my colleague Sudhangan ( Tamilan Express Editor) put Vahuni studios as the venue and awarded Kamal Haasan the Best Actor.  Kamal does not send  a proxy to pick up the award and so it was a no show.

Later, I got a call from KS and he invited me to see his Telugu film Stri at a special show in Film Chamber. He kept it at 9 AM ( when scribes like us think of waking up). Anyway, I made it. Saw the film and took the literature and told him that I would get in touch if I needed any clarification. I was introduced to another only viewer in the theater and e was NFDC GM from Mumbai. Few days later, I get a call from KS and says sheepishly – If you have not published the write-up ; pls don’t. NFDC will do it from their side. I burst out laughing as I get calls asking when the write up would come and here a man says don’t publish. KS said “ First time I ever asked help from a journalist to give me publicity and look what happened,”. This is my last write up on KS. RIP