S.V. Sankaran, a veteran of Tamil stage, who was associated with Cho’s Viveka Fine Arts for 50 years, is no more. SVS, as he was called, adopted theatre as his full-time calling after retirement from LIC, which he served with distinction. A picture of simplicity, SVS was visibly moved when Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award on him in July, 2018. “I owe it all to Cho,” he said, an acknowledgement he had made several times before.
Sankaran was deprived of normal mobility, due to an attack of polio when he was a child. That did not prevent him from making strides in academics. Drama attracted him and Sankaran joined Triplicane Fine Arts.
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Before long he was acting in stage plays and in their TV versions. S.Ve. Shekher, nephew, made use of SVS’s experience but it was Cho, who utilised his potential, giving him roles in almost all his plays. He was also the troupe’s ace prompter and eventually became Cho’s reliable production manager, overseeing stage performances.
When Cho decided to present serials in Doordarshan, Sankaran was the assistant director as a result of his knowledge of those stage plays. Some of Cho’s famous stage plays adapted for TV included ‘Vandhe Mataram,’ ‘Uravugal Illayadi Pappa’ and ‘Saraswatiyin Selvan.’
When T.V. Varadharajen’s United Visuals got Cho’s consent to stage ‘Endru Thaniyum Indha Sundhandira Dhagam,’ it was Sankaran, who was designated as the coordinator.
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The attempt was a huge success with the troupe staging nearly 100 performances. In an interview, SVS recalled how Cho created a new scene when he found that the all-rounder had given away his role to another actor. Such was the rapport the two shared. SVS often mentioned that his appearance in 250 radio plays and the marathon stint as Cho’s manager were his major achievements. He was generous with his contribution to noble causes and served as a mentor/guide to many people across various walks of life including multiple NGOs, recalls his son Aravind.
“He never complained about his physical inability or stopped working because of that,” he observes. Among those who paid tribute to the strong and silent contributor were theatre stalwarts and young brigade, which he encouraged by attending their plays and giving valuable feedback.