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K Balachander and Bharathiraja in a still from ‘Rettaisuzhi’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Eighties of Tamil cinema came alive thanks to two names: Bharathiraja and K Balachander. If the former, who passed away recently, showcased films in authentic rustic locales, the latter balanced commercial elements with socio-political issues.
Both these names were also instrumental in chiselling the careers of the two big superstars of Tamil cinema, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.
The two might be best known for their directorial ventures, but in 2010, they came together for a unique venture: a film starring both of them as actors.
That film, titled Rettaisuzhi, was directed by Thamira and produced by Shankar. Based in Tirunelveli, it starred the two legendary directors as rival characters. The project generated considerable curiosity at the time; even Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attended its Chennai audio launch as the chief guest. Thamira bagged the project because he had a long-standing association with K Balachander, having worked on his TV serials, and with Bharathiraja during the Eelam issue. “My association with the stalwarts made my job easy and directing them gave me confidence,” Thamira told The Hindu during an interview.
A still from ‘RettaSuzhi’, starring directors K Balachander and Bharathiraja
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Bharathiraja himself had some bittersweet memories about this project. In an interview with The Hindu, he said, “I wasn’t sure how it would end up with us starring together. When I asked Balachander sir (who was the mentor of the film’s director), he asked me to do the role. But, even now I feel bad that we didn’t have well-written characters in it.”
His involvement in Rettaisuzhi also indicates the kind of respect the filmmaker had for his peers; Bharathiraja and Balachander were often spotted at events together, engrossed in discussion. It is also well known how the veteran filmmaker gave several talents to cinema; many prominent directors and actors today, like Bhagyaraj, Manobala and Manivannan, have emerged from the ‘Bharathiraja school of thought’.
