Tamil Cinema’s Doyen K Balachander no more, actors react

A week after he was admitted in a private hospital, veteran filmmaker K Balachander passed away. The director, who had fainted at his residence last week was brought to the Kauvery Hospital in Alwarpet, Chennai and was admitted there until he breathed his last on Monday. Here are some the reactions from the people he has worked with closely:

Rati Agnihotri: “I am in the hospital looking after my ailing mother spending as much time as possible with her, when I get this news from you. It’s all so confusing. And very hard to believe he is gone. Just some days ago when I was shooting in Punjab I got a call from Chennai asking , ‘Can you come down to Chennai for a get-together on 24 December?’ They wanted to honour K Balachanderji and Bharathi Rajaji by inviting all the actors and technicians that they had worked with in 1970s and 80s. Coincidentally I was launched in Tamil cinema by Bharathii Rajaji and in Hindi cinema by Balachanderji.I was very fortunate to have been launched by the best. I didn’t go for the commemorative event because I needed to be with my mom. Balachanderji meant so much to my career and to me as a person.He didn’t only discover me for the Hindi cinema in Ek Duuje Ke Liye he guided me through the film. I remember how I got this role.My Dad was approached and we immediately agreed because the film was produced by the great L V Prasadji and directed by the stalwart K Balachanderji.Ek Duuje Ke Liye was a remake of Balachanderji’s Tamil film Maro Charitra. My dad saw the original before saying yes to the remake. But I was not allowed to see Maro Charitra. Balchanderji didn’t want me to get influenced by the earlier film. So I had no idea what the film was all about. All I knew was I had a great producer, director and co-star Kamal Haasan. I remember when I first came on the sets I was really scared of Balachanderji. I wondered if he was angry with me. He had these really huge eyes which would look straight at you. But he never ever shouted at me.Not once.I was so young—just 16—and so raw. I knew none of the emotions that I had to express. Balachanderji would come up to me , whisper comforting things in my ears, and I would do the scene. I’d just follow what he said. I was like a sponge, absorbing all that I was given. Balachanderji would talk to me in Tamil, then English.Prasadji, Balachanderji and Kamalji would pull up a chair and explain the scenes to me. That’s how I managed.I couldn’t have done it without these three great artistes to guide me through Ek Duuje Ke Liye. Talent is all very well. But what really matters is luck. I was lucky to have Balachanderji as the director of my first Hindi film.”

Kamal Haasan: “He has left so much of him in many of us , his understudies. He is not gone totally.”

Padmini Kolhapure: “Yet another great filmmaker has left us.Only the most privileged actors get to work with a filmmaker like K Balachander Saab. I was blessed to have been able to be directed by him in Ek Nayi Paheli where I had great co-stars, Raj Kumarji, Hema Maliniji and Kamal Haasan Saab. Only a director of Balachander Saab’s stature could assemble such a cast and do justice to it. He was a great filmmaker and a wonderful human being. His death is a huge loss to Indian cinema. I pray for his soul and strength to his family.I feel lucky to have worked with him. Only those actors who have worked with him know what he was really worth.”

Anita Raj : “I had the privilege of working with him in his second Hindi film Zarasi Zindagi which featured Kamal Haasan and me. What a learning experience! He was a great director. I was very fortunate to work with him. I was in awe of him, as Zara Si Zindagi was one my early movies. He wanted his actors to give not 100 percent but a 110 percent of themselves.Working with Balachander Saab helped me in my later films. I learnt to try to be a perfectionist in my work. He was a hard taskmaster, a perfectionist and a super actor..He enacted the scenes for me. That made my job so much easier. Zara Si Zindagi will always remain very close to my heart. It is one of my best movies. With one of the greatest filmmakers.”

R Madhavan: He was a legend..a man of vision with a phenomenal understanding of complex human emotions.Fearless.in.his story telling and a compassionate man. I will miss him so much. I had the privilege of working with Balachander Saab in Paarthale Parvasam. This was one of his last works. I am blessed. I feel sorry for actors who haven’t worked with him. He bowled me over with his humility, energy and clarity of thought...He was 75 then.I felt older than him.What an honor to know Balachanderji. He was right on top...a path breaker , game changer and an inspiration for generations to come.”