Today’s Kumudam (25/4/2012) carried a piece on a rare snap taken during a function held in 1968. I had Blogged about it earlier in September…
Continue reading Kumudam 25th April 2012 – A.V.Raman/V.P.Raman
Mohan V Raman
India's only ENTERTRAINER
My wife Padma and I had to go to the Passport Office to get her Passport renewed. I was so totally taken aback at the…
I wrote an article for the Hindu Metroplus dated 25th January…..It was edited from a slightly bigger article , more general and with a fuller…
Continue reading STAR COUPLES….My article in Metroplus on 25th January
Someone asked me the other day , when I remarked that during their heydays actors of the 60s were quite reasonably paid , those who had invested wisely are till today comfortable and those who frittered away their hard earned money are facing tough times.
My friend remarked that at his peak in the mid 1960s Sivaji is reputed to have charged a 1,00,000 or maybe a 1.5 lakhs , whereas today’s Heros are all charging several crores – this set me thinking on who will have the greater earning Potential ?
Though the Title suggests the names of two leading actors, these observations are general. When I went through a historical record of the average Gold price for 10 gms of Gold in India , Yearwise I was quite surprised – Just for information , the data is as below.
Continue reading Earning Potential Sivaji Ganesan or Sivaji Rao (Rajinikanth) ??
It is a common site for a Chennaiite to see an old building being torn down to make way for a modern structure. Residents of Xavier Street , in Mint woke up last week to find one of their iconic structures being brought down –The Sri Murugan Talkies . With this demolition one more Single Cinema Hall is reduced to rubble. “It is not because the Theater is doing badly, as we were screening B Grade dubbed films that draws a fair crowd but to more effectively utilize the land and create better facilities” said Balasubramanian the Grandson of the founder. The proposed Construction plans to include a mini Theater , so that the 100 plus year old tradition started by his grandfather continues. Continue reading Murugan Talkies , Mint -Article by me in the Hindu Metroplus
Nobody is sure of Pasupuleti Kannamba’s date of birth. Various forums mention the year as 1910, 1912 and 1913. However, in an interview toPesum Padam in October 1949, Kannamba said her date of birth was October 5, 1911, which makes this her centenary year. It is probably the earliest recorded interview of hers, giving personal details. Here her daughter-in-law Kalavathy gives insights into the legendary actor-producer’s life.
Continue reading My Article in the HINDU on P.Kannamba , Actress
When a number of us (including the YG family) went to watch the re run of the Sivaji starrer – Gowravam at Shanthi Theater , my mind went back to how the movie came to be made. Some 40 plus years ago , Mr YGP , the founder of UAA , a Stage Play group came to my father , late Sri V.P.Raman , with a request to check out a Play written by “Vietnam Veedu” Sundaram . YGP’s reasoning was that the Play was based on the travails of a Barrister’s family because of two Trials -The first where Barrister Rajinikanth the Senior Advocate gets a man acquitted from Murder charges and the second where the same man is again accused of another Murder.
I have written an article that was published in today’s ( 23/6/2011) HINDU -Metroplus…. on the first lady film Director from South India – Mrs T.P.Rajalakshmi.
I am publishing here the article as Unedited….this gives her date of birth , researched and found out by me for the first time…… she was born on 11/11/11…… A truly No 1 , date of birth.
“CINEMA RANI “IS 100
This is the centenary year of Smt. T.P.Rajalakshmi. There are many legends in the history of South Indian cinema. Among them TPR holds pride of place. She was the first woman director in South Indian Cinema – and second in Indian Cinema after Fathima Begum . She was the path breaker for P.Bhanumathi, Vijayanirmala, Jayachithra, Sripriya, Suhasini , Revathy , Jayadevi and V Priya , all Ladies who have successfully wielded the directorial baton in Tamil cinema. TPR Produced, Directed, wrote and donned the lead role in her films Miss Malini , which she Edited too and Madurai Veeran in the 1930s . Her remarkable life was an example of dogged determination and a willingness to go through hardships in order to realize her potential.
Continue reading Cinema Rani – The first Lady Director and Super Star of Tamil Cinema
I wonder if Passion is also transmitted through Genes ? Some years ago , in 2000 to be exact, I met a Mr Bala (Balakrishnan) who was a retired Bank Officer and one of MKT’s biggest fans. He had written a small booklet in Tamil on the Films etc of MKT. We were in touch for a while and then I lost contact….
Two days ago my friend Kavithalaya Krishnan wanted to get a book on MKT in English , to which my answer was – not to my knowledge (barring articles on him by Randor guy ) … then he came up to me this morning with a wonderful book….I was stunned to say the least…Immediately I went to meet the Author , a young man, born probably after MKT died , and he turned out to be Mr Bala’s son…. Mr Suresh Balakrishnan , he is an advocate by profession and had done his legal studies in England. He seems to have inherited his fathers passion for MKT and the result is this book – all 514 Pages of it.
India Post has honoured six legendary heroines drawing from the earliest like Devika Rani, who dominated the early silent and talkie era. She was Tagores niece, and had studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts….she married Himanshu Rai and co founded bombay Talkies….her role in Achyut Kanya (1934) ensured that Pandit Nehru became a fan of hers. Continue reading Heroines at last