Early Beginning of A.K. Sekhar as Tamil Cinema evolved

oBeginning of the moving films in Indian film industry

oTechnological brilliance exhibited in the creative thinking of initial pioneers

oLess hype and more work that made film industry had its own revolution

oEmerging trends of sound recording and art direction

A.K. Shekar was proudly apart of this mega revolution in the South Indian Film Industry

oA day in 1939 at Newtone Studio, Madras. A song recording, which was scheduled, had to be put off. The song, to be sung by a boy from a noted Telugu theatre family, could not be recorded because he lost his voice due to `mike-fright!'

oThe director, who was making his debut, was understandably shattered. His scriptwriter and intimate associate came up with a suggestion that was rather stunning for that time. He said that the background music could be recorded without the singing and later someone else could sing it and both the tracks could be merged to produce the song! The idea seemed incredible but left with no option the director gave him the go-ahead. The results were excellent, and the song became a hit!

oThe brilliant technician who suggested the method that was used for the first time in South Indian cinema was K. Ramnoth. The recordist was A.K.Sekhar. The director, who later became the icon of Telugu Cinema, was B. N. Reddi, and the film was `Vande Matharam' (1939), a classic.

Tough the travel was…

oIn `Dasi Aparanji' (1944), a Gemini production, the opening shot is of a temple's interior and ceiling at a very low angle, where the presiding deity is a devadasi, Aparanji. Now, none knew where this temple that legends spoke about was. So how was it visualized? Years later, A.K.Shekar, who led the Gemini Studios Art Department, said, "The miniature was made big enough for a small-made man like me to lie down inside and take the shots!...

 

oSound and Shadow magazine run by Muthuswami Iyer (`Murugadasa') and A.K.Sekhar. Ramnoth writing articles and sending to A.K.Sekhar led to his joining the magazine. Thus was born the famous trio, `Murugadasa, Ramnoth and Sekhar'.

oThe trio was in charge of the technical side of Vel Pictures Studio then situated at the Pitapuram Raja's bungalow on Eldams Road in Teynampet. Here they made Tamil and Telugu films such as `Markandeya' and `Paduka Pattabishekham 

oIn `Bhakthi' (1938) created film history with a scene that stunned moviegoers. It showed a torrent of paddy raining on the parched, famine-stricken land! Audiences cheered wildly and many burnt camphor as an offering to the gods! Some marvelled at how the scene was done!

Ramnoth shot the scene with miniatures. It was the first time miniature photography was used in Tamil cinema by A.K.Shekar.

oDuring 1942, the Second World War put a stop to film production as all the studios in the city shut down temporarily. Sekhar bade goodbye to BN and joined Gemini Studios.

oSekhar left Gemini in 1947-1948 and joined Jupiter Pictures and then left Jupiter Pictures for Pakshiraja Films, Coimbatore.