MT Vasudevan Nair | Filmmaker Hariharan says I’m glad I could make memorable films with MT

(From left) MT Vasudevan Nair, actor Mammootty and filmmaker Hariharan. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Collaborating with MT Vasudevan Nair has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my long career in cinema. It all started with a casual comment by screenwriter T. Damodaran. During the rehearsal of one of his plays in Kozhikode, he told me and MT that it would be good if we both work together on a film. MT said he had seen my films and liked my art. Of course, I had read almost everything he wrote.

He asked me to choose one of my published stories that I thought could work as a film. i chose edavazhiyile poocha mindapoochaFor someone who had only made commercial films till then, this was a new experience for me. The film became a big hit and proved that artistic films could also enjoy box-office success.

We collaborated in many films. I am glad that together we could make some of the most famous films in Malayalam, like Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Amritam Gamaya, Parinayam And Panchagni. We discussed many times before we started writing the script.

(From left) MT Vasudevan Nair, composers Ravi Bombay and Hariharan. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

This was the news of the death of a boy due to ragging in a medical college Amritam gmay. I thought it had potential as a film and he came up with a great script.

oru vadakkan heroic story Initially it was planned to be made with Prem Nazir in the lead role, but I had differences with the original producer, and then PV Gangadharan stepped in. I remember MT did careful research before writing the script. he did this Pazhassi Raja Too. He wanted to bring into focus the role played by Pazhassi in the fight against British rule.

For panchagniNaseeruddin Shah is believed to have played the lead role. But later I decided to cast Mohanlal, who wanted to work with me. He did a great job and it is one of his best performances. My fondest memory is the letter he sent about making vellum In 1985. He praised my efforts to shoot the flood (remember, there were no computer-generated graphics at that time).

MT was a notable screenwriter. His contribution to the art of screenwriting in Malayalam cinema was immense. I still remember what Nazir said in amazement to MT after the act Murappennu, His first script. He told me that MT’s dialogues were naturalistic, hence different from the general style of Malayalam cinema of those days.

(As told to PK Ajit Kumar)