20 years ago GV committed suicide - Flashback about Mani Ratnam's brother

On May 3, 2003 , Kollywood woke up to the news that GV of GV Films who produced films like Nayakan, Anjali and Thalapathy committed suicide. 20 years has gone by and today we are celebrating the film Ponniyin Selvan 2 crossing the Rs 300 crores collection worldwide. How many people know that GV is the brother of Mani Ratnam and that he was the producer of top films – Nayakan, Thalapathy, Anjali, Mounam Ragam and Agni Natchithram, all which made Mani a cult figure ? To connect to today’s generation , one has to headline this travel down memory lane with a Mani Ratnam connect. GV Films office was in Alwarpet , residential area which housed Kamal, Hema Malini, Vyjayanthimala, K Balchander and many more. This where I landed up 30 years back by taking one bedroom portion of a house. Most of the shooting houses were in this area. Me and GV got on well as I found a big relief in communicating in English with him. He told me about his coming from CA to films and how his brother followed him. GV’s father Venus Govind Ratnam was a big time producer and after a few flops, he was in debt. Unable to pay the debts, he committed suicide. GV however committed suicide for not being able to pay the debts but due to an insult meted out to him by a financier.. Some unknown matters related to GV, I wish to put on record. Nayakan the Kamal= Mani classic was a flop film !, Gentleman Kunjumon who used to buy GV films Kerala distribution lost Rs 50,000 . It was in 1987. Even Thalapthy starring Rajinikanth was just break even for GV and he told exhibitors that he would not pay rentals and run it to reach 100 days. The film stopped running after 80 days. Only a few hardcore Rajini fans who are also theatre owners ran it to empty houses and put out 100 day poster. GV apart from production was also a financier. He took finance from Marwari seth mostly Jains and then gave it for a higher amount. In turn he kept with him the distribution rights as a guarantee . I remember an interesting incident. Sitting in his office, a call came from Rajinikanth. GV told him – Come as usual to the bar and I will arrange. He told me that Rajini wants to meet the visiting cricket team Captain ( think it was England team). I was wondering how GV would pull it off and expected him to talk to somebody in Cricket Association. Next day, I asked him about it. He said that not only Rajini got to meet the Captin but also bought drinks for entire team. I stood dumbfounded. He laughed and said that he knew that team was staying in Taj Hotel and they would come in the night for a drink. As he was regular at the bar, he got across to the team with help of the staff. To my knowledge, I don’t think that GV took the extreme step as he could not pay financier Anbu Chezhiyan, as it is widely believed. GV had only close to Rs 2 crore that he owed and that he could have paid up. It is said that after several postponements, Anbu had threatened him to send his hench men and fearing a physical humiliation, he took the exteme step as Anbu wanted the property of 60 acres in ECR be given as collateral. He knew that the property would be gone forever. It was on his wife and children’s name. His office building and preview theatre were with the bank. The preview theatre was bought in an auction by Priydarshan and as part of a divorce settlement is with his ex wife Lizzy. Many ask the question as to why Mani Ratnam did not pay GV debt ? Truth was that Mani had joined hands with a Sriram and floated Aalayam films and started making films on his own. GV and Mani started distancing from each other and no sooner there was a talk that all Mani Ratnam films that GV produced were loss as the cost of production did not match the market viability. No one better than GV would know this. GV’s brother Srinivasan also a CA was partner of Mani’s Madras Talkies that Mani floated after Aalayam went bust .. Srinivasan name figures in film credits of Guru , Iruvar etc. Srinivasan died while trekking at Kulu Manali. It was after GV’s death/ Next was Rajinikanth who is blamed for not chipping in. Truth is that when GV went to give an invitation of his son ( I think). Rajini had heard about GV’s problems and asked him as to whether it was true. GV brushed it aside and said that it was nothing that he could not handle. Many think that the Micheal Jackson show that GV backed and had to be cancelled was his undoing. The show was fully insured and after it got cancelled, a court case was in progress. GV was banking on this show to make a comeback and this put him back badly. He was not the Mr Cool and I could see him pop pills sitting in his office. At first, he floated Sujatha Films named after his wife and then GV Films and then made it into a private limited company. I asked him why ?. He said laughingly – I will not be responsible for any debts.