CINEMA
AIMING HIGH
BEST ACTOR NATIONAL AWARD WINNER
PADMABHUSHAN BALA CHANDRA MENON IS BACK TO DIRECTING FILMS WITH DHE INGOTTU NOKKIYE, AFTER AN INTERVAL OF FIVE YEARS. KK MOIDU WRITES
Bala Chandra Menon is one of the most
renowned names for direction in Malayalam
cinema in the past. According to reports, his comeback vehicle, Dhe Ingottu Nokkiye,
includes Bhavana in the cast and sends a message against suicides.
The film, produced by AVA Anoop, will be distributed by Vaisakha movies who have been riding high on the success of Hallo and Chocolates. Bichu Thirumala and M Jayachandran score the music.
Menon, ‘the one man entertainment team’ in Malayalam cinema, is planning to present some new faces in his latest venture. He is an
expert in introducing new artistes.
He has contributed many newcomers
to the Malayalam film industry like Shobana in April 18, Parvathi in Vivahithare Ithile, Maniyan Pilla Raju in Maniyan Pilla Athava
Maniyan Pilla, Karthika in Manicheppu Thurannappol, Annie in Ammayane Sathyam and Nandini aka Kausalya in April 19.
As a director, Menon’s last film was Krishna Gopalakrishna, but he couldn’t repeat his earlier success in the film. He played the title role in the film and also produced it. He
wrote the story, did the editing and
sung a song in it as well. No other film personality has served the industry like Bala Chandra Menon by handling almost all the departments, especially in a film he has
produced.
After the flop of Krishna Gopalakrishna, he didn’t direct films but he wrote the script for
Varum Varunnu Vannu directed by Ramadas. Menon also played the lead role in the film but the film bombed at the box office.
Menon, who excels as an actor and director, was not directing films for the last couple of years. He is energetic, but the fifty-plus actor
has not tried to play heroic roles.
Instead, he concentrated on acting
in mature roles as well as act and direct TV serials.
He featured in a mature role playing a 75-year-old barrister Sankaran Nambiar in Saphalam. He played the college professor role in Malayalam cinema’s biggest box
office hit Classmates, a campus love story directed by Lal Jose. He also acted in a prominent role in the Mammootty-starrer Rappakal directed by Kamal. He continued
his presence in Malayalam films by acting in the recently released Pranayakalam.
Menon will appear on the silver screen with superstar Mohanlal after a sabbatical of about a decade in the forthcoming campus film College Kumaran directed by
Thulasidas. According to reports, the film will have six heroines in prominent roles.
The ace actor-director Bala Chandra Menon has completed more than three decades in filmdom. He was born in 1954, the son
of Sivasankaran Pilla and Lalitha Devi. Menon’s wife is Varadha and he has two sons Akhil and Vinayak and a daughter Bhavana.
Bala Chandra Menon’s father was a railway station master and retired as commercial controller. His father wished his only son
would be a doctor or join the Indian
Administrative Service. But Menon
always dreamed about acting and he proved his talent as a speaker, actor and singer in his college days in Kollam Fatima Matha College.
In order to fulfill his dream to become a film personality, Menon didn’t miss films that came to his town and even skipped classes to
watch matinee shows. He continued
his acting interest in University college,
Thiruvanathapuram, but forayed
into politics and was the university
union chairman of the college.
After completing his graduation
in BSc (Geology) and earning a degree in journalism, Menon started his career as a reporter in the popular Malayalam film magazine Nana.
Menon learnt his first lesson in film making from Madras. Being a reporter, he got freedom to move freely on the filmsets. He closely watched the happenings in the
industry and learned the techniques
and tricks of the business. He polished
his writing skills and talked with actors and technicians.
Menon entered in the film industry
after he failed to obtain an admission to the Madras Film Institute. He has begun his career as an actor in film but he also wrote
and directed many films. He acted
in a succession of comedy-laced
family dramas, and created in the process a style of his own. His films stories were based on his experiences in society and personal life.
Bala Chandra Menon made his directorial debut in Uthradarathri in 1978 and he won the Kerala State Award for best story writer.
Menon presented different styles of films and that turned out to be the biggest hits. His typical style of acting also captured the interest of the audience. He selects compelling themes and catchy titles for his
films like Ente Ammu Ninte Thulasi Avarude Chakki, Ithiri Neram Othiri Karyam etc.
Menon has directed more than three dozen films but his masterpiece is Samantharangal. He shared the best actor National Award with
Suresh Gopi (Kaliyattam) for his
acclaimed performance as a railway
station master.
Although Menon’s first love is direction, he worked hard as a filmmaker. He was compelled to do the station master role in
Samantharangal. Veteran actor Thilakan, who had agreed to do the role, was busy with his schedule.
Menon, who wanted to make a film
based on the railways for nearly a decade, decided to go ahead with the project.
The producer was doubtful about Menon’s ability to perform as an old Muslim man in the film, so he backed out. Menon himself produced the film, his advantage was
his intimate knowledge of the railway
station, being the son of a railway
station master. He played the lead role in Samantharangal and succeeded in his mission. He shared the Best Actor National Award of the year, but the award kept away
the audience, like other art movies,
and the film lost the identity of a Bala Chandra Menon film.
Samantharangal was entirely different from Menon’s other films. In his earlier films, he played the younger hero roles but after
Samantharangal he started appearing
in serious roles in films and serials.
Bala Chandra Menon, with his different style and presentation and signature head-scarf, created strings of hits in the 80s and early 90s. His movies were based on the unusual
relationships of the ordinary community.
Menon was a favourite for the family audience and his style of acting captured the interest of women audience. He created comedy hits like Chiriyo Chiri and Karyam Nisaram. His other biggest hits are Prashnam Gurutharam, Oru Painkilikatha, April 18,
Ammayane Sathyam etc.
Critics and audience unanimously
consider the period between 1986-90 as the golden age of Malayalam cinema. Bala
Chandra Menon’s films were running
in packed theatres by competing
with many talented director’s
films. The speciality of Malayalam
films at the time were detailed screenplays dealing with day-today life of the people with a touch of humour. The films were also
supported by brilliant cinematography.
Most of the films like Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha released during this period slendered the gap between art and commercial cinema. Other prominent directors like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Sibi
Malayil, Bharathan, Kamal and
Hariharan also directed commercial
films without loosing its artistic
value.
Ace director’s like Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikkad, Siddique-Lal also created movies
with good humour during this period.
Although Bala Chandra Menon has not been directing films for the last five years, he is aware of the pulse of the Malayalam film industry.
Everybody hopes that his new film Dhe Ingottu Nokkiye will pull back his family audience and Menon will repeat his directorial success.
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