Cinema Producer AVM Saravanan wrote about AKS some 3 pages. It is available in Tamil.
Thank you Ma Muthuvel Sir for this information and copies of the write up
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Farewell to A.K.S from Gemini Studios, by Art department colleagues
Farewell to A.K.S from Gemini Studios, by Art department colleagues
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Good old memory of Art Director Sri. A.K.Sekar - Art Director shared by Sri V. Gopalakrishnan
Thanks to Mr. V. Gopalakrishnan, author of the Book “Nitrate Saga”, published by Zero Degree Publishing in two volumes, which now is available at these links for order.
https://tinyurl.com/NITRATESAGA
https://www.amazon.in/dp/8194973457/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_i_G9BAKD1C3B1AF9WFZHX6
The book starts in 1896 with the first ever arrival of “Moving Images” on the shores of Bombay through the Lumiere Bros of France and dwells on the evolution of Cinema in India, with a focus on Tamil Cinema from 1918 to 1959.
we sincerely hope you enjoy it as much he did putting it all together, arising out of his research over four years.https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10223994504478359&set=a.1966810137840 (Thanks to Muthuvel SA for this post with the picture)
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Fun- Snippets from Singer S. Janaki Wedding in 1968- with B. N. Reddy and Dr. Chandrashekar
Singer S Janaki married the son of Mono actor Dr Chandrashekar. He is seen below dressed as president Zakir Hussein , in between director B N Reddy and art director A K Shekar, when he visited Vauhini studio in 1968. He created a sensation that day as many thought that the president visited them....
Sunday, January 21, 2024
With Producer B.N.Reddy - Source from Lakshmi Priya Pakanati- 1958
In 1958, director / Producer B N Reddy was nominated as a Andhra Pradesh Council member . Whole film industry was happy about this great honor that a tea part and a function to honor B N Reddy was done in Vijaya Gardens in Madras.
In the same year writer Narla Venkateswara Rao became a Rajya Sabha Member and he presided over this function. Actor Nagayya welcomed all and gave his inaugural speech. He lauded B N Reddy for his talent and contribution to films.
Narla Venkateswara Rao spoke that though B N Reddy was not a poet or artist or a singer, his films made him all the above and more and hence was more than eligible for the honor he was bestowed upon by the A.P government.
N T Rama Rao read the sanmaana patram and told that B N Reddy brought national recognition to telugu films. S V Ranga Rao then presented the Sanmaana Patram to B N Reddy and told that he totally deserved it.
Savitri put tilakam for B N Reddy, Anjali Devi applied Sandlewood paste, G Varalakshmi sprinkled rose water and ANR honored him with a Kashmir Shawl. Communist leader P Ramamurthi told that all should honor B N Reddy and more than that laud the government for nomination such a great man. ANR spoke that he and B N Reddy were poles apart and that he did not act in any of his films but he would regard him very higly for all his achievements.
He asked B N Reddy to not forget all of them and that he should take their problems to the notice of the government and aim to solve them. Others who spoke that day were Tapi Dharma Rao, Samudrala, K Subrahmanyam, Khasa Subba Rao . B N Reddy spoke that politics was not his cup of tea. He urged one and all to not forget values and do their work sincerely and wih high principles.
He had high praise for Moola Narayana Swami , A K Shekar, Ramnoth, K V Reddy and Naggayya and gave the credit for all his successes to them. Relangi gave the vote of thenks and the Sabha ended. Later they all had high tea in Vijaya Gardens....
Source: Lakshmi Priya Pakanati- Thank you
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Insights from Film Heritage Foundation
A.K. Sekhar was a prime member of the core team that made up the formidable Vauhini pictures along with cinematographer K. Ramnoth and director K.V. Reddy. The three were earlier at H.M. Reddy’s Rohini Pictures that was started in 1937 with B.N. Reddi, the founder of the Vauhini studios, as their chief financier.
Sekhar’s cinematic career started with the Prabhat Talkies Tamil film ‘Seeta Kalyanam’ (1934) on which he served as the set designer. His next film was ‘Sasirekha Parinayam’ (1936), by Chitrapu Narasingh Rao.
With the founding of the Vauhini Studios in 1939, Sekhar joined the studio as chief of the art department. Three of their most notable early films were elaborately staged nationalist melodramas, all of which had Sekhar as the art director: ‘Vande Mataram’ (1939), ‘Sumangali’ (1940) and ‘Swargaseema’ (1945).
The studio also boasted of the most emphatic entries in the genre of saint films that functioned as an intuitive revivalism of the reformist wisdom of yore as a reaction to the supposedly modern turpitude. The first and best known example of this genre was ‘Bhakta Potana’ (1942), starring Chittor V. Nagaiah. The film featured splendid art work by Sekhar along with several homegrown special effects to portray the divine rewards of devotion received by the titular protagonist.
Sekhar’s moment of glory, however, came in 1948 with the release of the magnificent ‘Chandralekha’ that was mounted on a scale unrivalled by anything on Indian screens until then. Sekhar’s marshaling of the humongous resources at his disposal to produce some of the most breathtaking images of grandeur on the Indian screen is a high water mark in the field of art direction till date.
Uday Shankar’s seminal dance-drama ‘Kalpana’ (1948) shared a close osmosis with ‘Chandralekha’ owing their common production space (both were shot at Gemini studios, Madras) and their art director A.K. Sekhar. But whereas the latter overwhelmed audiences with sheer scale and grandeur, ‘Kalpana’ showcased sheer aesthetic innovation and elegance of spirit in its spatial design, choreography and cinematography.
‘Malleeshwari’ (1951) marked another aesthetic triumph for Sekhar with its portrayal of a love story governed by the royal dictates of the Vijayanagara monarch Krishnadevaraya. A long standing passion project for producer-
director B.N. Reddi, the film was hugely acclaimed for its excellent performances by Bhanumathi and N.T. Rama Rao, the soundtrack and, not least, A.K. Sekhar’s exacting production design that recreated the glory and splendour of the royal court. Other prominent historical films during this period were K. Subbu’s ‘Avvaiyar’ (1953) and Vedantam Raghavaiah’s ‘Anarkali’ (1954).
director B.N. Reddi, the film was hugely acclaimed for its excellent performances by Bhanumathi and N.T. Rama Rao, the soundtrack and, not least, A.K. Sekhar’s exacting production design that recreated the glory and splendour of the royal court. Other prominent historical films during this period were K. Subbu’s ‘Avvaiyar’ (1953) and Vedantam Raghavaiah’s ‘Anarkali’ (1954).
After a hiatus of nearly a decade, Sekhar returned to serve as production designer for the MGR swashbuckler ‘Ayirathil Oruvan’ (1965). This period also saw a trio of Hindi language films on which he worked ‘Main bhi ladki hun’ and ‘Pooja ke Phool’(both 1964) and ‘Do Kaliyan’ (1968). The 1962 historical film ‘Sri Srikakula Andhra Mahavishnuvu Katha’ was directed by him.
Placed below are stills from 'Chandralekha' and 'Malleeshwari'
Sets of Chandralekha remembered even today:-)
To an artist with 50 years of work to speak for him, the audience at Raja Annamalai Mandram paid a spontaneous ovation.
Art director Thotta Tharani, who was among the three recipients of M.A.C. Charities awards, 2012 handed out on Friday, received the longest ovation, spurred by a short video film of his work.
The artist received the Dr. M.A. Chidambaram Chettiar award. “The struggle never ends. Every work is an experience. Every experience is beautiful. It is not easy to make a mark. There is a lot of hard work involved in doing a film. Observation is the best study for an artist. There is no substitute for hard work done with passion, dedication and sincerity,” he said.
V.C. Sasivalli, recipient of the Dr. Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiyar award, dedicated it to her grandfather V.T. Subramaniam Pillai, whose research yielded a complete collection of Thirupugazh and her father Chengalvaraya Pillai, who compiled the Thirupugazh and presented it in print. “I followed in my father’s footsteps and realised his dream,” she said.
Y.J. Shabbir, a first-generation entrepreneur who was presented the Dr. A.C. Muthiah award, began his career as a businessman in 1990, by marketing high pressure hoses. He now runs a company and has factories manufacturing high pressure hydraulic rubber hoses. Mr. Shabbir thanked his family and employees for making it possible for him to achieve the award.
Earlier, A.C. Muthiah, president of the charities, said the awards were presented to mark the birth anniversary of M.A. Chidambaram Chettiar. He outlined the organisation’s efforts to improve the lives of people in the villages it had adopted.
Producer A.V.M. Saravanan lauded the work of the organisation. He said he was in awe of the achievement of the awardees. According to him, “Thotta Tharani’s creation for the film Sivaji was astounding. I think it is next only to A.K. Sekar’s magnificent set for Chandralekha.”
Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum- Art Direct: A. k. Sekar
Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum (transl. Child and God) is a 1965 Tamil-language Indian film directed by the duo Krishnan–Panju, starring Jaishankar, Jamuna and Kutty Padmini. The movie is an adaptation of the 1953 film Twice Upon a Time and Disney's The Parent Trap (1961) - which were based on Erich Kästner's 1949 German novel Lottie and Lisa. The film tells the story of two twin girls bringing together their separated parents. The film, produced by AVM Productions and featuring music by M. S. Viswanathan, released on 19 November 1965. It was a commercial success, and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Krishnan–Panju remade the film twice; in Telugu as Leta Manasulu (1966) and in Hindi as Do Kaliyaan (1967). It was also remade in Malayalam as Sethubandhanam (1974) and in Kannada as Makkala Bhagya (1976).
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Krishnan–Panju |
|---|---|
| Produced by | A. V. Meiyappan |
| Screenplay by | Javar Seetharaman |
| Starring | Jaishankar Jamuna Kutty Padmini Nagesh |
| Music by | M. S. Viswanathan |
| Cinematography | S. Maruti Rao G. Vittal Rao |
| Edited by | Panjabi Vittal |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 167 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot[edit]
Twins Lalitha and Padmini get separated at birth because of their parent's separation. Later, the sisters decide to reunite their parents and work together for it.
Cast[edit]
- Jaishankar as Chandrasekar "Sekar"
- Jamuna as Sathyabama "Bama"
- Kutty Padmini Lalitha "Lalli" and Padmini "Pappi"
- G. Varalakshmi as Alamelu
- Nagesh as Sundaram
- Major Sundarrajan as Ramalingam
- V. R. Thilagam as Pankajam
Production[edit]
Kuzhandhaiyum Deivamum adapted from Disney's The Parent Trap (1961) which told the story of twin girls bringing together their separated parents. The Parent Trap itself was based on Erich Kästner's German novel Lottie and Lisa.[1][2] Actor and screenwriter Javar Seetharaman adapted that film in Tamil, making changes in the screenplay to suit the local milieu.[1] AVM chose Krishnan–Panju to direct the film.[3] Jaishankar was selected to play the male lead and it was the third film which featured him in a leading role.[4] Jamuna was chosen to play his character's divorced wife, and Kutty Padmini as the twins.[1] Cinematography was handled by S. Maruti Rao and G. Vittal Rao, art direction by A. K. Sekar,[5] and Panju edited the film under the pseudonym "Panjabi".[1] The climax was shot at Palani.[6]
Soundtrack[edit]
The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan and the lyrics were written by Vaali and Kannadasan.[7] The song "Pazhamuthir Solai" is set in the Abheri raga,[8] and "Enna Vegam Nillu Bhama" is set in Shivaranjani.[9] The song "Anbulla Maanvizhiye" was remixed by Rafi in the film Jaggubhai (2010).[10] Randor Guy of The Hindu wrote, "One of the major factors contributing to the success of the movie was its melodious music composed by M. S. Viswanathan. Many of the songs became hits and are still remembered today".[1]
| No. | Songs | Singers | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Enna Vegam Nillu" | T. M. Soundararajan A. L. Raghavan | Vaali | 4:42 |
| 2 | "Anbulla Maan Vizhiyae" | T. M. Soundararajan P. Suseela | Vaali | 4:47 |
| 3 | "Naan Nandri Solven" | M. S. Viswanathan P. Suseela | Vaali | 3:48 |
| 4 | "Anbulla Mannavane" (sad) | T. M. Soundararajan P. Suseela | Vaali | 3:32 |
| 5 | "Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum" | P. Suseela | Kannadasan | 3:57 |
| 6 | "Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum" (campfire song) | Kannadasan | 1:30 | |
| 7 | "Pazhamuthir Solaiyilae" | Vaali | 4:12 | |
| 8 | "Ahah Idhu Nalliravu" | L. R. Eswari | Kannadasan | 4:04 |
| 9 | "Kozhi Oru Koottile" | M. S. Rajeswari | Kannadasan | 2:54 |
Release and reception[edit]
Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum was released on 19 November 1965.[5] The Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, in a review dated 19 December 1965, applauded Padmini's performance and stated that she was the sole reason to watch the film, which the reviewer called childish.[11] Writing for Sport and Pastime, T. M. Ramachandran criticised the film's lack of originality, but called it a "clever adaptation" of The Parent Trap, and described Padmini's dual role performance as the film's "pièce de résistance".[12] The film was a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.[1] At the 13th National Film Awards, it won in the Best Tamil Film category.[13]
Remakes[edit]
Krishnan–Panju remade the film twice; in Telugu as Leta Manasulu (1966) and in Hindi as Do Kaliyaan (1967).[1] It was also remade in Malayalam as Sethubandhanam (1974) and in Kannada as Makkala Bhagya (1976).[14][15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Guy, Randor (30 July 2011). "Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum 1965". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ Tanmayi, Bhawana (10 September 2017). "Letha Manasulu was released in 1966 and was one of the big hits of the year". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Saravanan 2013, p. 157.
- ^ Ashok Kumar, S. R. (9 June 2000). "A philanthropist till the end". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Kuzhandhaiyum Deivamum". The Indian Express. 19 November 1965. p. 3.
- ^ Saravanan 2013, p. 158.
- ^ "Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum". JioSaavn. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Mani, Charulatha (5 August 2011). "A Raga's Journey – Aspects of Abheri". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 12 September2015.
- ^ Mani, Charulatha (28 September 2012). "Sivaranjani for pathos". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ Pillai, Sreedhar (26 January 2010). "Gung-ho about Jaggubhai". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February2018.
- ^ "சினிமா விமர்சனம்: குழந்தையும் தெய்வமும்" [Movie Review: Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum]. Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 19 December 1965.
- ^ Ramachandran, T. M. (18 December 1965). "Another Box-Office from A.V.M."Sport and Pastime. Vol. 19. p. 51.
- ^ "Recipients of State Awards for Films 1965" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Vijayakumar, B. (3 December 2010). "Tamil Movies made in Malayalam". Old is Gold. Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ "Makkala Bhagya". Chiloka. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
Bibliography[edit]
- Saravanan, M. (2013) [2005]. AVM 60 Cinema. Rajarajan Pathippagam.
External links[edit]
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