THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kulathoor Bhaskaran Nair, 83, who produced classic Malayalam movies like Swayamvaram and Kodiyettam died due to age-related illness here on Monday. One of the founders of the film society movement in Kerala, he was the managing director of the Chitralekha Film Society, which brought world cinema to the state.After his graduation in rural services from the Gandhigram Rural University, Madurai in 1960, he completed his post-graduation in advertising and public relations from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in Mumbai (then Bombay).
He then joined the state industries department, only to quit to form Chitralekha with director Adoor Gopalakrish-nan. The society not only acted as a catalyst for many similar film clubs, it changed the Malayalis’ perception about cinema.Adoor told TNIE that it was his idea and Bhaskaran Nair’s organisational skills that culminated in the formation of Chitralekha. Even though the duo had studied in Gandhigram at the same time, their friendship blossomed after they returned to Thiruvananthapuram.
“While studying at the Pune Film Institute, my idea was to start a film society that would travel all over Kerala. Chitralekha was launched in 1965. We did lots of documentaries for Films Division of India and other commissioned work before taking up Swayamvaram and Kodiyettam,” said Adoor.Bhaskaran Nair is survived by daughter B Sindhu (lawyer and director, Intimate Homes Pvt Ltd) and son-in-law Vinil S Nair (MD, Intimate Homes Pvt Ltd). The funeral was held at Santhikavadam on Monday at 2pm. His wife, Leelambika had died early.