Nithyaharitham , a voluminous edition spread across 976 pages on the life and filmography of evergreen star Prem Nazir, was brought out by Prem Nazir Foundation here on Sunday night.
Actors Mammootty and Mohanlal released the volume put together by lensman R. Gopalakrishnan, who said the work was begun as a 125-page souvenir but gradually grew in depth and dimension as fresh material — especially hitherto unknown prints and stills from over 40 films of Nazir in Tamil — emerged as he went about gathering material for the work.
Lyricist Sreekumaran Thampy, Nazir’s contemporary who directed and produced films featuring the gentleman actor as hero and penned lyrics for several of his films, inaugurated the evening. “The Culture Minister was to inaugurate the event. But as someone who directed Nazir, produced his films, penned lyrics for him and even wrote a book, Prem Nazir Enna Prema Gaanam , I’m qualified to open this evening,” he said.
Mammootty recalled his first meeting with Nazir when he was cast in the role of a ferryman in one of his earliest films. “The story has the ferryman replacing the ferryman played by Nazir sir. When I met him on the sets of the film, he asked me if I had come as his ‘replacement’. The fact of the matter is he is irreplaceable. The void he has left remains as such,” Mammootty said, urging the government to include at least a segment of the book in the school curriculum.
Actors Mohanlal, Maniyanpilla Raju, Shankar, T.P. Radhamani, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Jalaja, Unni Mary, Janardhanan, Kunchan, Menaka, and Kunchako Boban, directors Sibi Malayil, Kamal, Ashok Kumar, and Aleppey Ashraf recalled the compassionate and large-hearted person that Nazir was.
G. Suresh Kumar, chairman of Prem Nazir Foundation and a die-hard Nazir fan, was instrumental in bringing out the volume.
A musical night featuring songs from Nazir’s films held after the event had singers Sudeep Kumar, Afsal, Ravisankar, Akhila Anand, and Aparna Rajeev rendering some memorable hits.
