The Tamil film industry mourns the demise of three veteran talents within a span of two weeks. The word tribute is a tad uptight. How about a celebration?
Vietnam Veedu Sundaram opened the bridge from drama to cinema with his classical English adaptations. His commercial scripts for MGR also saw box office success but it is in Vietnam Veedu (1970), Gynana Oli and Gauravam (1973) he could combine drama and tragedy with the able acting from Sivaji Ganesan. His writing was serious, the jokes were character-driven and the narrative was kept simple.
Jyothilakshmi, to the current generation, would be this elderly dancer who grooved with Rajinikanth in Muthu (1995) to Rahman’s Kokku saiva kokku, but her journey began in black & white! Her item numbers lacked technique but had a brazen boldness that carried the moment through. Both Jyothilakshmi and her sister Jayamalini were staple inclusions to the Telugu and Tamil cinema of the 70s and early 80s till Silk Smitha stormed the screen.
The 80s saw one writer take over the box office. If core competency can be divided into many things, he would be epitome of that. Panchu Arunachalam put his writing skill to good use for both songs and screenplay. His people skills made him a successful producer, his sense of what worked in a film made him a director. An all time favourite MGR-Saroja Devi song, Ponnezhil poothathu pudhuvaanil from Kalangarai Vilakkam (1965), has the male and female answering one another in a different set of words for the same meter. Panchu sir, as he is fondly called, began his career in one era (mid 60s) and found stupendous creative surge and success in another (late 70s to early 90s).
He found a mutually lucrative association with AVM and those years saw two stars — Rajini & Kamal battling it out at the box office. In every alternate film, Panchu sir turned the tables for both of them with his screen writing. Action hero Rajini found roles in Aarilirundhu Arubadhu Varai (1979) and Engeyo Ketta Kural (1982). Acting hero Kamal saw his biggest commercial film (then) to touch `1 crore in Sakalakalaavallavan (1982). But if there is one single contribution from Panchu sir that takes the crown, it’s Ilayaraaja! Annakili (1976) and the many films that followed with their names as lyricist and music director have songs that will live beyond their time.
An online poll says Kadhalin Dheepam Ondru Yetrinaaley Yenn Nenjil from Thambikku Yendha Ooru (1984), a song Panchu sir wrote for Rajinikanth, tops the list of songs from his combination with Ilayaraja. But there is an earlier Kadhal Dheepam Ondru Nenjiley Yetri Vaithean that he wrote for Kamal in Kalyanaraman (1979).
Similar lines, one lyricist, one music director and two iconic heroes...what fun Panchu Arunachalam must have had making his movies!
(Sujatha is a columnist with The New Indian Express)