Veteran Tamil film director C.V. Rajendran, 81, died here on Sunday. He directed some 78 films. He was part of ace director C.V. Sridhar’s unit and directed many memorable movies. These include Galatta Kalyanam, Sumathi En Sundari and Ponnunjal. He did Sivakamiyin Selvan , a remake of the Hindi hit Aradhana.Raja, starring Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa, was another notable film.
Rajendran equipped himself early in his career with technical felicity in aspects of film-making, including camera techniques and editing. He transformed Sivaji Ganesan from a ‘method actor’ who worked on a largely uniform template, into a more spontaneous and youthful actor, casting him in dance sequences and songs that served the purpose.
His career as a director began with the film Anubhavam Pudhumai . It was followed by Galatta Kalyanam, in which Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa acted together for the first time. A low-budget film, Nil Kavani Kaadhali, starring Jaishankar, was also a hit. Rajendran introduced Prabhu, son of Sivaji Ganesan, in the film Sangili . He directed over 20 films with Sivaji Ganesan in the lead. His cinematic career started in the early-1960s and he was active till the late-1990s. His early films were largely remakes from Hindi.
He also directed Ullasa Paravaikal with Kamal Haasan in the lead role and the score was by Ilayaraja. The songs Deiveega ragam and Germaniyin senthen malarae went on to become hits.
A native of Sittamur near Maduranthakam, Rajendran is survived by wife Janaki Rajendran, a son and daughter. His last rites will be held on Wednesday after his son, who is settled in the United States, arrives.
A master technician
“Only four days ago I had visited him in hospital where he had been admitted after a heart attack,” recalled ‘Chitralaya’ Gopu, who penned dialogues for many of Rajendran’s films.
Rajendran was related to C.V. Sridhar and worked as an assistant director for Meenda Sorgham produced by N.S.K. Madhuram, wife of comedian N.S. Krishnan. He became an associate director for the hit film Kaathalikka Neramillai, directed by Sridhar. “He was one of the best technicians in Sridhar’s unit,” said Mr. Gopu.
“He was the producers’ director and was loved by everyone in the unit. A year before Jayalalithaa’s death, he produced a special Then Kinnam programme, with songs featuring her films. Soon after the programme was run, I received a call from Poonguntran, Jayalalithaa’s secretary, asking for Rajendran’s phone number. She spoke to him and Rajendran was moved by her gesture,” said journalist Sudhangan, who produces the programme for Jaya TV.
He said Rajendran’s films are noted not just for the storyline, but also for memorable songs. Pottu vaitha mugamo in Sumathi En Sundari , Ahaya panthalile ponnunjal aaduthamma in Ponnunjal , Nee varavendum endru ethirparthen and Kalyanaponnu kadappakkam pona in Raja are some of the popular songs.
