Tribute to that master story teller - K Balachander

As 2014 came to an end, so did the life of one of the greatest film directors of the Tamil movie industry - K Balachander. Though KB, as he popularly called carved out masterpieces in several Indian languages (Hindi, Telugu etc.,), his legacy lives on mainly through his Tamil masterpieces. Over the years, I have had the wonderful opportunity to watch many of his movies and have just been stuck by the sheer simplicity with which he conveyed his messages powerfully. KB's legacy as a director spanned 5 decades ranging from the 1960s to 2006 and ranged from simple adorable comedies to movies with hard hitting social messages that were well ahead of their times. In this tribute, I am going to provide my view on which was the top movie in each decade and the rationale for the same. A full filmography is available here

1960s

This was really the decade of the lovely comedies which even today would put a smile on fast paced Next-Generation like Bama Vijayam, Anubavi Raja Anubavi, Ethir Neechal, Poova Thalaiya amongst others. Over the decade, KB came out with slightly more serious topics with interesting screenplays like in Major Chandrakant, Iru Kodukal (which focused on the dilemma faced by a man who due to circumstances gets married to 2 women, one of whom comes back to be his boss). My vote however goes for his directorial debut Neerkumizhi which starts of a subtle comedy but then morphs into an emotionally charged screenplay leading to a touching climax. Over the decade, KB also made that famous comedian Nagesh into a brilliant actor.

1970s

KB's movies in the 1970s were a reflection of the times. The 70s in some terms signified the coming of age of India as the nation grappled with increasing levels of unemployment, Emergency and the initial signs of rebellion against social evils. KB's movies during this decade focused significantly on the Indian women and the challenges faced by them. Arangetram focussed on a woman who decides to become a prostitute to support her family. Avargal focussed on the challenges of a single mother (separated from her sadistic husband) who tries to make meaning of her life. Maro charithra (later remade as Ek Duje ke liye in Hindi) focussed on inter-caste marriage. Nizhal Nijamagiradhu focussed on a servant girl who is sexually exploited by her employer. My vote however goes for Aval Oru Thodar Kathai which focused on a woman's singular journey to keep her family moving amidst several challenges. It also introduced to Tamil cinema, an explosive actress Sujatha who in several respects embodied a modern Indian woman. One of the best parts in the movie which was presented in such a subtle manner was the way how Sujatha manages her sexual feelings when her sister and her husband (who has been a former lover of Sujatha) consummate their marriage. The dialogues were raw and well ahead of their times. This was also the time, that KB introduced and chiseled 2 of his most famous proteges - Kamal Hassan and Rajanikanth who would go on to be superstars and legends in their own right

1980s

This decade was a mixed bag ranging from films that focused on social issues - Varumai Niram Sigappu, Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, Achamillai Achamillai, Kalyana Agathigal, Thaneer Thaneer. to wonderful comedies like Thillu Mullu to strong screenplays like Sindhu Bhairavi. What remained consistent however was the sublimity with which KB crafted his screenplay and extracted fantastic performances from even fairly mediocre or lesser known artists.  My vote here goes for Varumai Niram Sigappu which portrayed the challenges faced by 3 youngsters amidst an era of unemployment and despair. I personally think that this was Kamal Hassan's greatest performance where for once, he played a character rather than himself. 

1990s

This decade was when KB morphed into more of a mentor or a role model for several next-gen directors like Mani Ratnam who did take leaves out of the maestro's books.I also felt that this was the time that age caught up with the master.  While he didn't lose his skill, his audience had evolved. Oru Veedu Iru Vaasal was quite a masterpiece in storytelling on highlighting the state of different sets of women ranging from the uneducated house-help to the sophisticated and erudite ones. Vaname Yellai was quite ingenious on the frustrations being faced by youngsters and was reflective of the early 90s when the Indian Economy was just opening up. However in my view, the best KB movie of the decade was Kalki which was taken to the cleaners by the critics and the audience alike for its bold theme. The way the protagonist made the chauvinistic Prakash Raj (another KB-introduced talent) repent for his hitherto mistakes was brilliant and was a strong reflection of woman power. 

2000s

As the maestro moved into his 70s and beyond, the handful of movies that he directed in this decade did not pay any tribute to his enormous repertoire. So nothing much here. 

Just like all great artistes, KB will remain immortal for future generations through his  movies. His movies are a good reflection of the times in which they were taken and for any tamil movie lover, they offer rich content conveyed in the most subtle manner through a combination of strong screenplay and character development. 

RIP KB Sir !!!.