Respect, camaraderie and bonhomie prevailed on the stage at the inauguration of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s four-day drama festival, third this year, to commemorate BVB’s diamond jubilee and the late K. Balachander’s birth anniversary. The Iyakkunar Sigaram K. Balachander Award was conferred on TBKS Mouli and BVB’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre Art was given to veteran S.V. Sankaran. Instituted by ‘Kavithalaya’ Krishnan, the Balachander award is given every year to a personality, who has made significant contribution to Tamil theatre. The golden moment was extended for the recipients as friends and well-wishers lined up to express their deep reverence and love. Crazy Creations, United Visuals and Augusto were among those, who used the opportunity to honour the veterans.
K. Balachander
As the Master of Ceremonies T.V. Varadharajen mentioned, it is noteworthy that the BVB, a cultural organisation and not a sabha, is organising a string of drama festivals. Prompted by the secretary K. Ramaswamy, Varadharajen revealed that the BVB auditorium was a favourite of KB. This was the venue where the climax of Apoorva Ragangal was shot. “And it was at the other end of the hall that Rajinikanth stood watching Srividya’s the concert. That way, we can say that the Superstar made his debut here,” he said with the houseful audience erupting in applause.
Rising graph
In his welcome address, N. Ravi, Chairman of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra, observed that the theatre graph, which showed signs of sagging a few years ago, had picked up with new players joining the veterans; and sabhas, including the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, are supporting theatre. He mentioned Nalli Kuppuswamy as the man behind the latest series. The industrialist could not be present on the occasion as he was held up in Bengaluru.
Paying rich tribute to the awardees, Mr. Ravi said that through his versatility Mouli has left his imprint on theatre, cinema and television. His flourishing film career in both Tamil and Telugu was proof of his brilliance, he added. And he opened the door to many talents such as Visu and P.C. Sriram. Through his dedicated behind-the scene service spanning many decades, Sankaran endeared himself to leading theatre groups, he said.
“To me, this award is higher than the Dadasaheb Phalke honour, which my mentor received,” said Mouli raising ripples of cheer. “KB was the inspiration and role model for all of us. Imagine, he was making films when stalwarts such as Sivaji Ganesan and MGR were ruling the roost. He scored with a humble cast and a modest budget. I knew him, when he was riding the crest of wave and I had no cinema ambition. I was one of his ardent admirers and he never missed my plays. He would discuss his scripts and films with me. I was bold with my views and would even criticise them. The enormity of this equation hit me when I started making films and he was continuing with his giant strides. I could only marvel at his tolerance for my impertinence,” said Mouli.
“I was not happy with the way my first film, Ivargal Vithiyasamanavargal , had shaped up and didn’t invite KB for the show. I explained it when I ran into him at an event. ‘I saw the film and you know what, I liked it,’ he responded. The magnanimity left me speechless. So this award is the biggest that I could ever get,” said Mouli.
For S.V. Sankaran the recognition is the first of its kind. “After 50 years of association, I’m in the limelight,” said Sankaran, who was Cho’s right hand. “He was an actor’s delight. Such was his prompting skill,” Varadharajen had said introducing Sankaran. He was Viveka Fine Arts Club’s father figure, managing its affairs, right from the props to choosing actors for roles, grooming newcomers, conducting rehearsals and tackling emergency situations. “I was a strict manager and Ambi therefore called me Hitler on a Wheelchair,” recalled Sankaran. “That actually was the first title I received,” he added tongue-in-cheek.
Employed with LIC, Sankaran did not let his passion affect his work. He retired with a commendable service record, getting raises and promotions on merit. “I owe it to my late wife, Bala, who held the fort all those years. From office I would head for rehearsal or the venue and reach home late in the evening. She took care of everything so that I didn’t have to worry about the home front,” he reminisced.
“When Viveka folded up I thought my drama association was over. But a new innings began when Cho asked me to guide United Visuals, who revived ‘Enru Thaniyum...’ And now I’m a member of their team,” said Sankaran, who is the younger brother of S.V. Venkatraman, father of S.Ve. Shekher. The comedy veteran and his brothers were on stage to felicitate their uncle. Shekher didn’t fail to wrap a shawl round Mouli, his long-time friend.
The ceremony was followed by ‘Ponniyin Selvan,’ Tamil play by TVK Cultural Academy. ‘Maaviran Marudanayagam,’ ‘Tirunavukkarasar’ and ‘Maharishi Ramanar’ were the other plays staged during the festival.
