As we mark the 95th birth anniversary of K Balachander, the man who redefined storytelling in Tamil cinema, memories of working with him remain etched in the hearts of those fortunate enough to be directed by the 'Iyakkunar Sigaram'. On his 90th birth anniversary, Cinema Express spoke to several actors who reminisced about their time with the legendary filmmaker. One such recollection, by actor Khushbu, vividly captured the awe, the anxiety, and the eventual adulation that came with being a part of his world.
“Any artist coming into the South dreams of working with the likes of Bharathiraja sir, Mani Ratnam sir and K Balachander sir. I was no different,” began the actor, setting the stage for a deeply personal narrative. “Even before Jathi Malli, I had worked in Annamalai, a Kavithalaya production, but he was barely on the sets. So, when KB sir attended the pooja of Captain Magal, my film with Bharathiraja sir, I approached the Iyakkunar Sigaram and said I'd love to work under his direction. He asked me to come to his office the next day and narrated Jathi Malli to me.”
What followed was nothing short of a dream sequence. “I was in a trance when KB sir narrated the script. I couldn't actually believe he was going to direct me,” the actor recalled. In a unique turn of fate, they ended up shooting for both Captain Magal and Jathi Malli simultaneously, shuttling between 15 days in Ooty and 15 days in Coonoor. “It was a dream come true.”
The first day on KB's set, however, was a test of nerves. “My first shot in Jathi Malli was at the Suicide Point. It was a zoom shot. He wanted me to shed a tear, without glycerine, when the camera came to a close-up. I was petrified. I thought KB sir would ask me to pack up and leave the shoot (laughs). But thankfully, it was okayed in a single take. He held my hand, hugged me tight, and said, ‘Brilliant, brilliant... so happy, very happy.’”
What began as a professional engagement soon bloomed into a cherished friendship. The actor fondly remembered their long umbrella-shared walks in the misty Nilgiris, discussing shot compositions, acting choices, and Balachander’s unmistakable directorial instinct. “During the shooting, we bonded over games of rummy and forged a beautiful friendship... There is a mannerism I adopt in Jathi Malli. It was something I subconsciously did even in real life. KB sir noticed it and wanted to incorporate that in my character.”
But beyond the personal warmth, what stood out the most was KB's singular vision. “KB sir was a different filmmaker, and he had the guts to be different. That was his trademark. He was way ahead of his times. You can't even imagine doing a film like Aboorva Ragangal or Kalki even now. Every film and every character of his reached cult status. That is the power of his writing. Even then, and even now, there is no one like KB sir.”
