“He was a filmmaker like no other. His style of working and directing was completely different from any other directors I have worked with,” remembered Bollywood actor-turned-MP Hema Malini who lamented the passing away of octogenarian film director, screenwriter and producer K Balachander.
The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee legend who directed 82 films and worked in 102, passed away at private health facility in Alwarpet after a week-long battle with renal complications around 7 pm on Tuesday.
“He was a great disciplinarian and was stickler for time on the sets,” remembered the Dream Girl. “He had a very sensitive real world understanding of characters from his stories and would painstakingly explains every little detail. Though he spoke largely in English, he would often lapse into Tamil, aware that I spoke the language.” She remembered how she had immediately agreed to do Ek Nai Paheli based on Balchander's Tamil classic Apoorva Raagangal. “It was handled in such a mature and sensitive manner that I was bowled when I watched the original.”
Others like critically acclaimed film-maker and actor Anant Mahadevan too expressed deep grief and shock Balchander's demise. “Not many know Balachander Sir had made Hindi films as early on as 1965 (Oonche Log). He made other films like Aaina (1977) starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz but it wasn't until he remade his Telugu blockbuster hit Maro Charithra (1979) into an even bigger one in Hindi -Ek Duje Ke Liye (EDKL) two years later that he became a known name to Bollywood audiences.”
Mahadevan then worked with an ad agency Bombay Publicity which was handling publicity for EDKL. “That's how I met Balachander and Kamal Hassan for the first time for the pres conference at Mumbai's Sun & Sand. The media here who were used to the showmanship of filmmakers like Manmohan Desai and Subhash Ghai did not seem to take him too seriously,” he remembered and added, “That was only till the EDKL released and set the box office on fire.”
Mahadevan acted in the filmmaker's still-to-release crime drama Papanasam which also has Kamal Hassan playing the lead. “In my interaction with Kamal I have seen how much he adored and idolised Balachander who had discovered him. When Kamal who acted in over 35 of his films offered a role to his mentor as a mark of respect in Uthama Villain life indeed came full circle. I was offered a role in the film but couldn't accept it due to prior commitments.”
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