‘KB would always build stories from the climax’

December 25, 2014 02:40 am | Updated November 17, 2021 11:09 am IST - CHENNAI:

“K. Balachander never liked conventions and always nudged everyone to consciously subvert it,” says Babu, who co-wrote dialogues of K. Balachander’s 100th film, Paarthale Paravasam , with his friend Gopu.

Mr. Balachander, he says, would always build his stories from the climax. “He would always start from the climax. He would then construct the story, work his way from the back.”

Mr. Babu had started as a music composer for plays before becoming a part of Mr. Balachander’s creative team. “Even the last time I saw him, he was talking about the play Sethu Vandiruken that I wrote based on his idea. It is almost ready,” he said.

Mr. Babu had collaborated with him on a number of teleserials as well. When asked how the film-maker had been able to straddle three worlds — theatre, cinema and television — with ease, Mr. Babu says that for the veteran, they were never three different things. “For him, what was important was the plot. If the plot couldn’t be stretched, he would make a movie. If sub-plots could be written, he would make a teleserial. If there were limitations, he would write a play. But the plot was his base,” he adds.

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