The man who loves cinema

Meet Emanadar Thangaraj, who pulls out all the stops to celebrate films from across the world

Emanadar Thangaraj, General Secretary Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation. Photo: R. Ragu

The man with a streak of sandalwood paste on his brow walks into our office every month with an envelope. He will smile his trademark smile, as if saying, ‘you know what I’m here for’. The envelope will contain a press release for a film festival — he ensures he gives it to us in person. Emanadar Thangaraj has been doing this for years. The general secretary of the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), the 74-year-old is a well-known face in the film circuit in the city.

What started as a conversation over the lunch table in office one day in the late Sixties has gone to define Thangaraj’s identity. He had just joined the Reserve Bank of India as a clerk when, “there was talk of starting a film society in my friends’ circle in office,” he recalls. Thangaraj was beginning to be drawn to theatre — after work, he would watch plays such as Ethir Neechal and Neer Kumizhi for Rs. 2 per ticket.

The idea of a film society excited him. “I joined the Federation of Film Societies of India whose parent body was in Kolkata,” he says. It screened censor-exempted films for its members at small sabhas and theatres. Thus began Thangaraj’s tryst with films. From waking up on a Sunday morning to watch a movie at Pilot theatre, to negotiating for filming rights with agents from around the world at Cannes, Thangaraj has always taken that extra step to watch good cinema and take it to the people.

“

Odi odi parpom (we will run to watch them),” smiles Thangaraj, talking of his days at the International Cine Appreciation Forum that was started in the city with 200 members. It was in the 1980s that he literally brought good cinema to viewers in Madras. With his suitcase in hand, he walked from one consulate to another in Delhi collecting the best movies that various countries wanted to show the rest of the world. “I would spend five days in Delhi and come back with 25 films,” he remembers. But as years went by, the forum began to lose strength. “In September 2001, our secretary suggested we close it,” says Thangaraj. But he wanted to give it one last shot. “In November that year, I spent my LTA to travel to Delhi with my wife,” he adds. He did the rounds of the various consulates and came back to Chennai with a good collection, including some excellent Hungarian films. This altered the course of the forum.

In 2003, they started afresh with the ICAF. Their Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF), a yearly affair, has become one of the most popular film festivals in the country — a feat, which Thangaraj says was possible because of the support of people such as former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and people in the industry such as actors Suhasini and Sarathkumar.

Thangaraj has spent most part of his life planning and organising one film festival or another. He has been to Cannes for five consecutive years — each time, he sat with a notebook, jotting down the names of movies he wanted to screen back home. He learned to deal with the agents at the festival; picked up the tactics to convince them to give him the rights to screen their movies in a faraway city.

And towards the end of every year, the CIFF takes up all his time. His post at the ICAF, however, is honorary. “I draw a pension; my children are all well-settled…I don’t have anything to worry about,” smiles the grandfather of eight. Even today, he goes to office with lunch from home. “I have a passion for good cinema and want to cultivate the same in people,” he says, adding, “I’m fortunate to have had the chance to do so.” So, how many movies has he watched so far? “I don’t keep count,” he smiles. “Perhaps 1,500.”

The 12th Chennai International Film Festival begins today. Movies are being screened at Woodlands, Woodlands Symphony, Casino, Inox-3, and Russian Cultural Centre. Categories include World Cinema, Tamil competition, Indian panorama, Retro of Phillip Noyce, Retro of Krzysztof Zanussi, Dutch Romantic Films, Country Focus France, Country Focus Hungary, German Contemporary Films, Country Focus Iran, and French Contemporary Films. For details, visit www.chennaifilmfest.com.