‘End of an era’
Urvashi is still in shock. Only the other day had she told Seema that she would be visiting Sasiyettan soon. “Their home was near the studio where I was dubbing. I had seen him two months ago. I couldn’t even recognise him. So frail and tiny, like a kid, he sat huddled on the bedside. I couldn’t see him in such a state and burst into tears,” recalls the actress, who has associated with the ace director in over 20 movies, including Karimbin Poovinakkare, 1921 and Mrigaya. Her voice cracking with emotion, Urvashi feels that an era has ended. “I have worked with most of the directors down south, but none of them have a camera in their eyes like Sasiyettan! If he set a frame with 40 characters, all of them have equal importance in it. Also, there’s no director who has made several hit multi-starrer movies, that too, by bringing together all the busiest artistes back then. None of them had any apprehensions about the prominence of their roles. That was the magic of I.V. Sasi,” she says.
Urvashi remembers him as a director who never treated actors as stars, but only characters. “A gem of a person he was. He always encouraged and recognised talented young directors. That’s not what everyone, especially legends like him, does,” states the actress, who shares a close bond with the director’s family. She adds, “There’s no replacement for him and his films anywhere across the Indian film industry. Even now, no one can do justice to movies like Ee Naadu or Angadi, even if they remake it. He was an excellent crowd manager and made movies for common men in the language they spoke. The life of labourers, street hawkers and market places featured in his films. Even three decades later, his movies are still fresh – in theme and quality. His was a craft that asserted that the director is and will always be the captain of the ship.”
‘My Guru’
M. Padmakumar has been a long-term associate and assistant to the renowned director I.V. Sasi. In a voice filled with emotion, he recalls his association with the legend he fondly calls chettan (brother). Padmakumar worked closely with the legendary director in as many as 18 films as an associate and an assistant including a Tamil film Kolangal. Padmakumar started off assisting the director in Inspector Balram and remembers the last film they worked together as Aayiram Meni. Recalling the qualities of the late director, Padmakumar says, “What comes to mind is his enthusiasm; Sasi chettan would show the same excitement for his 150th film as his first one and exhibit the same sense of professionalism and eye for perfection. I remember him as the first person to reach the sets and the last to leave. While on the sets all he would talk about was films.”
Another aspect that inspired Padmakumar was the director’s sincerity and hard work. He explains, “When I was working with Sasi chettan, it was one film after the other. We used to finish one film and begin the next one fast. I cannot think of the present generation working like that. He was very hard-working; I remember he had only 2-3 assistant directors and he used to handle most of the work like handling artistes and coordinating with other departments. He used to work day and night and churn out films in different genres.” Padmakumar says that the director still found time to answer queries or educate his assistants. “I learnt a lot from him and consider him as my Guru,” he concludes.
‘An artiste-friendly director’
Actor Ambika reminisces her association with I.V. Sasi for two of his movies. Though less in number, she speaks about him with great reverence. “I was part of two of his movies – Meen and Angadi – and both were super hits in my career. It’s no less a feat for a director to do 150 movies and make so many hits out of it. I knew him as an easy-going, cool-headed person. Sometimes, there would be other language actors in the cast who were not proficient in Malayalam. He was such a tower of patience to let them pick up the language first and then act before the camera,” she says.
In her words, the ‘being this director’s actor’ factor would work well if Sasi was wielding the megaphone. “He was always an artiste-friendly director. We would see him stay unruffled even when the number of takes goes up. For an artiste, many things would have been whirling inside the head within this time, like how it is going to affect the shoot, the filming schedule, its impact on the film and so on. His presence would douse all our worries in no time. He’d patiently wait to get it done,” she remembers. Having acted in his movies, according to her, is an honour, for there are many things that withstood the test of time. “My character in Angadi made me noticeable. I doubt if there is another hit mappila pattu till date to beat Paavada Venam... in Angadi. Isn’t Jayettan’s dialogue in English still in vogue? The loss is irrevocable. If he reincarnates alone would the void get filled,” she says.
Pioneering controversial subjects
Actor Ranjini, one of the heartthrobs of the 80’s, fondly remembered director I.V. Sasi in a Facebook post. The actress who starred in a number of hit Malayalam movies back then, had missed out on working with Sasi on two occasions.
“I met him at Chennai and he was supposed to have introduced me through one of his Malayalam movies. But unfortunately, I could not be a part of the project due to language problems at that time. After that he approached me once again for 1921. Yet again, due to some date clashes I could not sign up for that movie.”
Sasi’s 1921 was the most expensive film in Malayalam. The movie went on to win the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value in 1988.
“But even though I have not worked with him, whenever we met, he was always very nice to me and he talked a lot. He never held any grudge. Those days, it was always misinterpreted that if you do not work in one person's movie consistently, they did tend to think that you are deliberately avoiding them. Sasi chettan was a person whose thinking was very forward. He always loved people. He was a very humble and genuine person. Seema chechi and he shared a wonderful relationship. A few months ago, I happened to speak to him.”
Reminiscing about him as a director, Ranjini adds, “I feel sad that Malayalam movie industry has never given him a proper tribute and it’s only when somebody passes away that we come up with so many hoo-haas. While they are alive we do not know how to honour them.” “We always say that ‘new-gen’ directors are making movies on controversial subjects. I will always say that he is a pioneer who introduced so many controversial subjects. He paved a different angle for filmmakers of that time.”
My friend for 45 years I.V. Sasi is no more. The industry & I mourn a great technician. My support & love to my sister Seema Sasi &family
- Kamal Haasan
One of the greatest film makers of mainstream Indian cinema bids goodbye. We will miss you Sasi sir! So many personal memories!
- Prithviraj
RIP Sasi uncle! He created an Era of his own in Malayalam Cinema. Have fond memories of him from my childhood.
- Dulquer Salmaan
Compiled by Vandana Mohandas, Priya Sreekumar, Meera Manu and Deepthi Sreenivasan
