K Subrahmanyam
Posted on August 12, 2005 | Category: Uncategorized
DoB: 20 April 1904
PoB: Papanasam (Thanjavur District)
To call him the Orson Welles of Tamil Cinema would in a way amount to being disrespectful to him simply ’cause Subrahmanyam pre-dated Welles and worked more hurdles that Mr Welles could’ve endured. Sadly, that’s a parallel one has to draw to bring out the sheer courage in the man’s actions. How do you define a Man who stood up against, Child marriage, Casteism, injustice to Women and evil practices of Hinduism through his Films, even if it meant that his community would excommunicate him? Subrahmanyam, the legend goes, was a rebel who redefined movie-making in Tamil at a time when it was the hardest to do. While everyone around him made Movies based on mythology, he was making ones that got banned or got him banned. KS is often invoked as the person who single-handedly established “a Madras-based Tamil film industry”.
Notable Films:
Pandithavan (1957)
Bhakta Chetha (1940)
Thyaga Bhoomi (1939)
Seva Sadhanam (1938)
Bala Yogini (1936)
Anathai Pen (1931)
Trivia:
- Subrahmanyam introduced M S Subbulakshmi (Seva Sadhanam), M K Thiagaraja Bhagavathar (Pavalakodi), S D Subbulakshmi (Pavalakodi), Papanasam Sivan, ‘Baby‘ Saroja (Bala Yogini), the Bharatanatyam trio Lalita, Padmini & Ragini, V N Janaki, B Saroja Devi and K J Mahadevan to the Movie world.
- K Subrahmanyam is also credited with founding the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, the South Indian Film Artistes Association, the Film Institute, Nataka Kazhagam and the Nadaswaram Artists Association.
- In 1942, Subrahmanyam founded ‘Nrithyodaya‘, a school to provide free training in dance and music to deserving poor students.
- ‘Thyaga Bhoomi’ was the only Indian film banned by the colonial government. KS reportedly rushed the reels to towns and villages, so that the film could be viewed by as many as possible, before the Ban order reached there.
- K Subrahmanyam set up Neptune Studios and the Motion Picture Producers’ Combine. Neptune was later to be owned by R M Veerappan (and MGR) as Sathya Studios. MPPC was to become the Gemini Studios. Neptune was built in the place that was occupied earlier by Meenakshi Cine studios.
Quotes:
“Father made handsome profits at the box office but lost it all owing to post-War economic changes. By the mid-1950s, films could no longer be made without black money, the handling of which was unthinkable for a genuine Gandhian. My father gave up film-making and remained a social activist,”
- Krishnaswamy.
“In “Bhakta Cheta,” he spoke against the caste system and untouchability, in `Navina Sarangadhara’ he had people marching against a dictator — dressed in khadi and Gandhi cap! In `Balayogini’ he satirised the westernised Indian.”
- Krishnaswamy.
“Only father’s faith in God stopped him from becoming a Communist.”
- Krishnaswamy.
“The film [Bala Yogini] attacked the caste system, exposed the hypocrisy in the priesthood and pleaded for better treatment of widows. There was a sequence showing a Brahmin widow and her little daughter taking shelter in the household of a low-caste servant who offered to take care of them,”
- Theodore Baskaran.
“I saw Bala Yogini when I was a schoolboy. The film made a deep impression on me. It touched an important social issue concerning middle-class Brahmin families of those days - ill-treatment of widows. The film was really a bold attempt. A widow lived a life of terrible agony. In those days, one could see in every Brahmin family at least one young widow. It was mostly because of the prevalence of child marriage. Marriages were made at a very young age resulting in many young girls becoming widows. When these girls had no option other than living in their parents’ places, they were considered a burden on their fathers and brothers. Their health and well-being came last in the family’s priorities. Director Subrahmanyam through this brave venture succeeded in creating public awareness about the problem.”
- Marxist leader N Sankaraiah
“I WAS only a boy when I saw his films but they influenced me deeply. His films were socially relevant and his messages were powerfully delivered. I can’t say I remember everything about what I saw, but the impact has remained dormant in me, and impelled me to make films with conviction. I salute him!”
- K Balachander
“HE WAS a lawyer who came into cinema with lofty ideals. That was rare in those days too. He had the tenacity of purpose to face every setback. Despite bans and losses, he made the kind of films he thought he should. A great pioneer with a sense of purpose. A man who loved his country and its people. I am inspired by K.Subrahmanyam, who made films with the same integrity with which he lived his life.”
- Kamal Haasan
“He was perhaps the first film-maker to make films on serious social problems without, at the same time, ignoring the entertainment aspect. What the stories and novels of eminent men of the Manikkodi group of writers, such as Va. Ra., and novelists such as Vai. Mu. Kothainayagi, could not achieve was made possible by these films. That is, the creation of awareness.”
- P G Sundararajan (Chitti)
“Father insisted that I should graduate to wielding the camera only after rolling cables, carrying lights, shifting trolleys. He had no time for short cuts or superficial skills. That’s why, though most of his films are lost, his ideals remain.”
- Balakrishnan, Documentarian.
“MY UNCLE K.Subrahmanyam was able to make me do before the camera just what he wanted in both “Balayogini” and “Tyagabhumi”. There was nothing artificial or precocious in the roles. I had to speak simple dialogues and be myself, an innocent child. I think that’s what made it work.”
- ‘Baby’ Saroja.
Source:
Blazing new trails
A progressive film-maker - Frontline.
Salute to a stalwart - The Hindu
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3 Responses to “K Subrahmanyam”
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August 12th, 2005 at 8:25 am
How about Ellis R. Dungan? In fact I THINK he produced Seva Sadhanam! And MGR made his on-screen debut under Dungan’s direction in Sathi Leelavathi!
August 13th, 2005 at 3:58 pm
Good information. I think all Tamils should be able the grasp the roots of our culture and remember the person who helped make this big world a reality. The only one movie of him that I remember (now I know since I read this post) seing is Paditavhan and its a good piece of effort. Hopefully more younger people will watch and learn the beauty and message in old Tamil Cinema/ Movie.
August 27th, 2005 at 4:58 am
Such a pioneer and a man who has contributed so much to the Tamil film industry ! It is a shame there is hardly any mention of him or any acknowledgment of his distinguished services in our media and the film industry. Thanks for the information.