Renowned director and producer Muktha V. Srinivasan died on Tuesday night in the city. He was 88 years old. The veteran film-maker directed his first film Mudhalaali in 1957. Starring S.S. Rajendran, the film won the national award for the best feature film in Tamil that year.
Through his career in films spanning over six decades, Srinivasan directed several memorable films, including Paanchali , Ninaivil Nindraval , Suryagandhi , Simla Special and Polladhavan and had worked with several notable actors including Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Suryagandhi, which was released in 1973 starring R. Muthuraman and Jayalalithaa, was digitally re-mastered and re-released in 2016 and Srinivasan had spoken about how the former Chief Minister had given one of her best performances in the movie.
Srinivasan, who described himself as a ‘die-hard book lover’ to The Hindu back in 2009, had also authored several non-fiction and fictional works including novels, short story collections and essays.
‘A good orator’
Veteran script writer and playwright Chitralaya Gopu recalled the days when they used to meet regularly to exchange ideas. “We didn’t work together. But we often discussed cinema. He used to be called as Mudhalali Srinivasan during the 1950s after his debut film as a director. He planned his films well and released them on time,” said Mr. Gopu.
He founded the production house, Muktha Films, in 1961 and produced several films with his brother Muktha V. Ramaswamy, including the Kamal Haasan starrer Nayagan directed by Mani Rathnam. He has produced and directed nearly 50 films.
“He was a good orator and spoke fluently in English. I met him only two months ago when three of us, including film director C.V. Rajendran who too recently passed away, were honoured in a function,” recalled Mr. Gopu.
Srinivasan was also remembered by political colleagues as an “old Congressman” who remained a close friend of G.K. Moopanar.
Political stint
Srinivasan left the Congress to join Moopanar’s Tamil Maanila Congress. He was appointed general secretary and contested the 1999 general elections on the party’s ticket from the South Madras constituency, finishing third.
When Moopanar’s son G.K. Vasan merged the TMC with the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Srinivasan returned, and in 2002, was made a vice-president.
Interestingly, “BJP’s State headquarters in T. Nagar is located in a building once owned by Srinivasan,” recalled B.S. Gnanadesikan, senior vice-president of the TMC who was also a TNCC president.
Srinivasan had reportedly, on former Chief Minister and actor M.G. Ramachandran’s insistence, helped with the founding of the Tamil Film Producers Council.
