1 Profile

K. Balachander

Born: June 9, 1930 Movies: 6 Songs: 0

Profile

Alias: Balachander
Age: 96 years
Birth Place: Nannilam, Madras Presidency, India
City: Chennai
Occupation: Actor, Director, Producer, Dialogue, Story, Screenplay
Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 69 kg
Eye Color: Black
Hair Color: Black
Education: He completed his B.Sc., (Zoology) in 1949 at Annamalai University
Spouse: Rajam
Parents: Dhandapani, Saraswati
Children: Pushpa Kandaswamy, Kailasam Balachander, Prasanna Balachander

Summary

K. Balachander was born on 9 July 1930 to Saraswati and Dhandapani at Nannilam in the then Tanjore district (now Tiruvarur District), India. He completed his B.Sc., (Zoology) in 1949 at Annamalai University. While working in the Accountant General’s office as a superintendent in the 1960s, he came to prominence as an amateur playwright with his dynamic work like Major Chandrakanth, Server Sundaram, Neerkumizhi, Mezhuguvarthi, Naanal and Navagraham. The plays, which were produced and directed by him, were an instant success and enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. His films always carried a message for society, with his personal directorial touch.

Biography

K. Balachander is known among actors as a tough taskmaster.[citation needed] He was able to extract from these actors some of their finest acting performances for his films. Before his work in Indian cinema, he was a school teacher in Muthupet, Tiruvarur District, and a playwright.[citation needed. M. G. Ramachandran asked him to write dialogues for the film Dheiva Thaai.[citation needed] His films include Tamil productions such as Apoorva Raagangal (1975), which deals with a father-son relationship and inter-generational romance that culminates in a complex quandary. Avargal (1977), which follows the life of a divorcée as she traverses relationships in reverse, from divorce, to marriage, to falling in love. Varumayin Niram Sigappu (1980), a drama that charts the travails and conflict of being unemployed in a bombastic and harsh city. 47 Natkal (1981), which traces the adversities of a newly-wed Indian woman living with an scurrilous, expatriate husband in a Parisian suburb, and Sindhu Bhairavi (1985), about the intellectual collision and subsequent romance between a lofty Carnatic musician and his ardent critic. Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981, Hindi), about cross-cultural romance in India, for which he received two Filmfare nominations: direction and best story

Facts & Trivia

His serials Kai Alavu Manasu, Rayil Sneham, Kadhal Pagadai, Premi, Jannal, Anni and others have been successful.[citation needed] "This medium helps to reach out to the public. That's why I am into making serials," says Balachandar. He strongly feels that the three medium of entertainment — theatre, cinema, and television are bound to co-exist. One cannot destroy the other and the public will see what it wants. After nearly 40 years, and as a homage to his friend Nagesh,[citation needed] Balachander recently[when?] returned (and was "reborn" as he claims)[citation needed] to theatre through the play Pournami.[citation needed] Starring Renuka and Poovilangu Mohan, among others, the story is about a homemaker whose husband gets caught in Pakistan under the suspicion of being a terrorist.