A JOURNEY WITH K.V. MAHADEVAN

[Oldposts]

Saravanan,

Thanks for clarifying about Pattikkattu Ponniah.
That is a movie I was told not to watch. So was Ethiroli.

In Ethiroli there is a song
Kunguma Chimizhil Maathulai Muthukkal by TMS and PS. This is the only song worth mentioning. AS you rightly said this is the only film where Balachandar had used KVM. Also the only film where Balachandrar had directed Sivaji Ganesan. Balachander found it difficult to control Sivaji and so gave up using Sivaji anymore. When Sivaji passed away, Balachander said in the SUN TV interview "I had directed only one movie for Sivaji. Had I directed more, perhaps I would have become even a greater director" This reminds me of "The whole world is a stage and man and women are merely its players"-William Shakespeare.

(Balachandar also found it so difficult to write dialogue for Sathya Movies first film Deivathaai where MGR used a thrid person RM Veerappan to alter the dialogues for MGR. That was the only film where Balachander worked with MGR.)

Thaliya Salangaiya is another movie I did not see. Your are right about referring to the source itself - the record. My information comes from a book by Kannadasan "CHinthithen Chanthithen" in which he says Pugazhendhi slected the poems of Kannadasan for this movie. I must have misread selection to be composition of music.

Thanks for all the details.

I think you should visit all the discussion threads to put things aright, as you had assisted on my KVM article. You were my right hand man in giving a helping hand in moments of difficulties. You take much pain and I admire your commitment and dedication. You are a great asset to the TFM Team. I hope the TFM team utilises you to the fullest in the interest of reconstructing the lost details.

May the Almighty give you all the strangth and blessings in your meritorious efforts in assisting the TFM Team.

Manisegaran