After a documentary on veteran director Panchu Arunachalam, producer-writer G. Dhananjayan turns his focus on the legendary director duo Krishnan-Panju. Dhananjayan says, “They are legendary directors who made many landmark films including Parasakthi and Ratha Kanneer. Panju’s family let me know that the 33rd death anniversary of Panju is coming up, and that’s how I got drawn into this project.” He says his team has been working on the project for close to nine months. “The film will celebrate the legends. We have managed to speak with several people associated with the director-duo including Sowcar Janaki, Lakshmi, and many others. The documentary covers their 50-year-old career between 1934 and 1984.”
Dhananjayan shares that the appreciation he received for making the documentary about Panju Arunachalam motivated him to pursue this project. “Panju’s (of the director duo) family watched the film at a festival and was impressed. They requested that I make a film about Krishnan and Panju, and offered to produce it too.” The documentary, The Pioneering Duo (Puthumaigalin Munnodigal), will be released today by Sivakumar at an event that will also see the presence of Suriya. “Sivakumar was introduced to films by Panju, and hence, was happy to come on board.” The film will be screened at the event. “Along with several other industry legends including Mahendiran, Lenin, Bhagyaraj, Lakshmi, and P Vasu, Sivakumar and Suriya will be watching the film,” he says. The event will also be attended by other veterans including AVM Kumaran, Vikraman, M N Rajam, Kutty Padhmini and Mohan Raman.