Muktha Srinivasan did not have a single vice. We used to discuss music, stage plays and films. He was quite an honest person who called a spade a spade. Srinivasan watched it and appreciated me. Incidentally, I revived the play after many years on stage, and I reprised the role played by Sivaji. We convinced Sivaji Ganesan to act in it. Muktha Srinivasan liked it and wanted it to be a film he eventually directed it himself. I had written and staged the play in 1978. If I am respected today in the industry, it’s because of Paritchaikku Neramaachu. Whenever any Sangam takes an important decision, they always consulted with Srinivasan sir as well. Vidya on Doordarshan in 2000 and Srinivasan sir asked me to star in it as it’s a huge opportunity. My sister Kalaranjini acted in his direction too. Even if we got 10 minutes late to the shoot, we had to explain why and only then could we resume work. To work in his production was like studying in an esteemed institution. I remember that his brother and he maintained the production house with discipline. I worked with him on Oru Malarin Payanam early in my career. He was a simple, self-made and down-to-earth person, who encouraged healthy humour. During that time, I got to interact with Srinivasan a lot. I played an important role in his son Sunder’s film, Pathayeram Kodi. He had a cordial friendship with Indira Gandhi, Kamaraj and other Congress leaders of that time. Also, he used to tutor MGR those days to get his Tamil diction right. Srinivasan’s favourite actor was Sivaji Ganesan, and he directed 12 films of his. He was one of the very few people that Jayalalithaa truly respected. And if you were committed to his banner, you didn't have to worry about your payments.
Odaadha padangal konjam irundhalum, he made sure they didn't suffer losses. He valued others' time so much, which you don't see in filmmakers today. He came from the traditional school of cinema, who always worked with proper call sheets, a tight budget and so on. My friendship with Srinivasan dates back to the 70s. Chinna Chinna Aasaigal was when I met my co-brother Ravikanth so I can safely say that Srinivasan sir was a major reason for me getting married. I remember falling on his feet when he said that. He told me that while others act as themselves, I can mimic actors and so, called me a periya nadigan. He was a practical man and the reason why he has worked with stars such as Sivaji sir, Rajini sir and Kamal sir was because of his eye for perfection. He proved that being a director isn’t about the looks, but about the work. In my career, the only director to wear khadi shirt, khadi veshti and simple slippers was Srinivasan sir. We worked on two brilliant projects - Chinna Chinna Aasaigal and Kodai Mazhai. He was one of the best producers that Tamil cinema had.
There are a very few seasoned producers who treat you like family. Later, I got to work in a couple of his films. They shot a few scenes in Rangarajapuram. I still have fond memories of watching the shooting of Thaamari Kulam, which had my dad (MR Radha) in the lead. He had a great regard for stage artistes. He decided to cast me in Rajinikanth’s Polladhavan after seeing my performance in a stage play, Thuppariyum Saambu. He used to finish shooting by 6 pm no matter what. As a producer, he was thoroughly professional. It’s unfortunate that he has passed away. Srinivasan used to tell me that he wanted to be alive till 100.
I cannot come to terms with the fact that he’s dead. Last week, I visited him in the hospital, and he was sleeping. He used to treat even junior artistes with respect during those days. Katha Nayagan was a huge success because of the freedom he and his brother Muktha Ramaswamy extended to the unit. He was first and foremost a people’s person. Srinivasan was a connoisseur of arts, who could discuss anything about cinema. I wrote the dialogues for his directorial, Katha Nayagan (1988). He was a man who always stood by his decisions. He was one of the few to believe in my acting capability. At the age of 18, he gave me permission to be critical of him. He was a revolutionary, an intellectual, and a fantastic writer. Almost 75 of his 89 years, he gave to cinema. Alas, it was not to be.Įminent film personalities talk to Cinema Express about the Muktha Srinivasan they knew: Two years ago, Srinivasan had announced he’d return to direction (after Brahmachari in 1992) with a film called Thoopul Vedanta Desika that traces the life of Vedanta Desika, a 13th century vaishnavite philosopher. He was the one to introduce lyricist Vaali to the film industry. In addition, he wrote numerous books and short stories about cinema, history and science, in both English and Tamil. Srinivasan also produced the iconic film, Nayagan, directed by Mani Ratnam.
His debut directorial venture, Mudhalaali, featuring SS Rajendran, fetched him the National Award for the Best Feature Film in 1958.
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