We are looking for K.Sukumaran, who was associate director of ‘Nair Pidicha Pulivaal', the movie that T. E. Vasudevan produced and which recently celebrated its golden jubilee. “He lives on the road opposite Dream Hotel at Vytilla. It's called Menon Complex.” This was what J J Kuttikkat, chairman of Jaycey Foundation, which organised the function had told us.
Spartan abode
It's a nondescript, but clean building. We climb up to the second floor to Room No. 206. “Come in,' says a voice, which showed breeding. The spartan room has two cots, a table and chair and an attached bathroom. A light green land phone (dead?) rests on the table, sharing space with files, papers and a few books. The frail gentleman who ushers us in is K Sukumaran, who has been living in this lodge for the past few years. After his stint as assistant director and on the editing table, he produced and directed a handful of Malayalam films. The hit song, ‘Chandrakalabham charthi urangum theeram… sung by both Madhuri and Yesudas is from his film, ‘Kottaram Vilkanundu', produced and directed by him. This lilting melody has music and lyrics by the magic duo, Vayalar-Devarajan.
Bachelorhood
Sukumaran, who briefly called himself Suku, hardly smiles. He gives you a quizzical look, meaning, “Why me, why now?” perhaps. And then comes his comment/explanation for that look: “Nobody knows I live here. I left Chennai a couple of years ago, when my production bombed,” said the man whose oeuvre included a movie called ‘Snehikkan Oru Pennu', (scripted by Thoppil Bhasi). But Sukumaran forgot to fall in love or get married. He was married to cinema for far too long.
Among his papers and files in plastic kits and a lone suitcase, is the script of a serial, written by P. Bhaskaran, which he goes over lovingly, something that his close friend gave him, to be made into a serial and he never did. (see box). Sukumaran is not garrulous, as most people in his state are. You have to persuade him to open up and speak about those ‘good old days', patiently.
The movie bug bit him when he was a teenager, in his ‘tharavad', Kochattil, at Thrissur.
“My uncle, G. K. Bhaskar was a film editor. He was the editor of movies like ‘Sakkubhai' (1939) and ‘Shakunthala' (1940) in which M. S. Subbulaksmi acted. After my SSLC, I took a train to Chennai. For many years, I learnt and did film editing with him and M. S. Mani, the Malayali film editor who was very popular in South Indian cinema. He was also my guru,” says Sukumaran.
He moved from editing to the film set later, as assistant director. He assisted many Tamil film directors. ‘Engal Selvi' in which he worked, had script by Murasoli Maran. He became associate director in producer T. E. Vasudevan's ‘Nair Pidicha Pulival', as assistant director and worked on his other movies too, and with P. Bhaskaran. “I used to prepare the charts. It had to be meticulously done and Vasu Sir would be on the set from the first day to the last. This chart would have everything written on it, the days, places where shooting would take place and every scene that was to be picturised within the stipulated period. So, I learnt everything about cinema there was to learn,” says Sukumaran who wears only white khadi, both dhoti and shirt. “This has been my attire since 1957,” he says. When we tell him that ‘Chandrakalabham…', the song from his movie is all over the net on several sites, he smiles and says he is not familiar with the computer and makes a point to ask his nephew to show it to him on his laptop.
Chandrakalabham....
And then he really laughs, for the first time and narrates how the song got written: “We were at S. K. Nair's flat, both Vayalar Rama Varma and me, to pen the songs for ‘Kottaram Vilkanundu'. For three days, only the first line, ‘Chandra kalabham charthi urangum theeram…' was written. He would be high and would also make me high. He just slept, doing nothing. After three days I went to Devarajan and told him the lyricist will have to be changed as no work was getting done. But Devarajan would not hear of it. You will have to change the music composer also then, he said. I kept quiet. The next day, when I went to the flat, the entire song was ready.”
Getting nostalgic, Sukumaran reminisced how though Sheela was pregnant, she acted without any hitches in his first independently directed film, ‘Ananthashayanam' (1972).
Prem Nazir, Bahadur, who coproduced the film with him, Jayabharathy, Sujatha and Chandramohan had acted in it. He made a Malayalam serial for Asianet in the early 90s called ‘Manassariyum Yantharm', starring Nedumudi Venu, Sukumari and the young Krishna. “I went to Chennai to remake the serial for Sun TV and that cost me dear. Bad luck spelt heavy losses and I came back to Kerala.”
Once you turn producer, nobody will call you to direct a film, says the man who once called the shots in sets where greats like Prem Nazir, Sheela and others like ace cameraman Melly Irani worked for him. His siblings and nieces and nephews care for him, but he prefers to live independently. The Chalachitra Parishad pension of Rs.1000 is not enough to cover even the rent.
“My friends are all gone, P.Bhaskaran, P. N. Menon, Thikkurissi, Jagathy N. K. Achari. Like a megaserial with 82 episodes done, there are no TRP ratings for me now,” he jokes, about his age and life. By the way, we found out that the phone works. (No: 2319414).
