Prof M.R.Rangarajan, is an academician with Doctorate in Mathematics, who was teaching Post-Graduate students at Loyola College, Chennai, for more than three decades till his retirement. A music and dance critic, musician, amateur actor and cultural activist, he was also the Principal of Rajaji College of Communications and Management, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Chennai.
A writer of longstanding in Tamil and English, he has written probing articles on the film industry and film personalities, and authored a short story collection, a book on Vedic Arithmetic, a biography of Rajaji for the young, and a translation of a book by Ruskin Bond - the last one for National Book Trust. He is co-compiler of an anthology of stories for NBT. He was the Member-Secretary of an editorial panel, which brought out Indira Reader for the youth.
For about two decades from the 1960s, Dr.Ranagarajan organized and moderated the popular 'Face to Face' and Focus' programmes in Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai, to which eminent personalities from all walks of life were invited for interactive sessions with the audience. He is the Founder-Secretary-General of Sahridaya, a cultural society for national integration and international amity.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, deputed him for a three year diplomatic assignment as Director of the Indian Cultural Centre and First Secretary (ex-officio), Indian High Commission, in Guyana. He directed programmes, and delivered lectures on Indian Culture, Religion and Philosophy to the Caribbean audience.
In the last quarter of the 19th century and the first half of the 20 century India went through a renaissance. There was a spurt in the revival of our ancient arts, crafts, music, dance, paintings, designs and patterns of our textiles. Side by side India's demand for self-government grew apace and Gandhiji's leadership gave a momentum to it.
Poet Subramania Bharati from his exile in the French territory of Pondicherry kindled the fire of freedom with his patriotic songs. Before the end of the first half of the 20th century India shattered its shackles and became independent.
Two persons from Tamilnadu spearheaded the cultural renaissance. 131,- strange coincidence they were both born in the year 1904. One was Rukmini Devi Arundale who was born in February and the other K. Subrahmanyam in April 1904.
Tanjore district where K Subrahmanyam was born has been the cradle of carnatic music. The immortal trinity Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshidhar and Shyama Sastri wrote all their musical masterpieces in that place. The Melattur Bhagavata Mela is a masterpiece of drama and it set the pace for later day development. The folk dancers Ai° travelled from village to village after the harvest season gave entertainment to the rural population. K. Subrahmanyam had seen all these and relished them. But like all intelligent young men of those days he took his law degree and started practicing in Nagapatinam under the most propitious circumstances. He had married the grand daughter of the most successful and affluent doyen of the Bar, Rao Bahadur K S Venkatarama Iyer.
Thus the path to prosperity was clearly cut out for him to sail through life smoothly. But K Subrahmanyam was cast in a different mould. The freedom movement was gathering strength and it attracted his heart. His mind started wavering between doing something different and living in comfort. It was at this time K Subrahmanyam started wearing Khadi clothes and reading about the activities of Gandhiji and the Satyagrahis. He had seen earlier a film by the father of cinematography industry Dada Saheb Phalke. With his knowledge of music and arts Subrahmanyam was attracted to film production in Tamil. This decision of his was initially a deep disappointment to the family. But what he accomplished converted them to admire him.
From then on it was a success story till two misfortunes broke him down. One was the ban imposed by the Government on exhibition of the brilliant picture “Thyaga Bhoomi" and the other the burning down of his Motion Picture Producers Combine - an excellent studio with all equipment. The film `Thyaga Bhoomi" contained patriotic scenes criticizing the British Government of those days, which the Sahibs could not stomach. The ban deprived K Subrahmanyam of a rich harvest. But the fire in the studio caused so much loss that he and his associates were forced to sell it. K Subrahmanyam faced it bravely. As stated in Bhagavat Gita
Duhkeshu anuvignamanah
Sukeshu vigatasprahah
Vita raga bhaya krodhah
Sthithadr munir uchayate
One who is not perturbed by adversity and who does not crave for happiness, who is free from affection, fear or anger, is said to be a Muni.
Looking back at the times, one admires the pioneering work that K Subrahmanyam had undertaken and the strong seeds he had sown which now have blossomed into not a flower pot but a magnificent garden. He was a creative genius. He could turn a stone into a poet. The innumerable cine stars he had created out of just clay resound to his credit even today. He was generous to a fault. His was an open house where people were served food lavishly.
Somewhere in late thirties of the last century, I was a junior lawyer in a case relating to fire insurance of a film. The insurance company led evidence that the film was worthless and the film would have fetched nothing. They cited as witnesses some journalists who had criticized the film. In order to counteract the charge we had to cite some expert for evaluation of the film. I went to "Director" K Subrahmanyam and asked him if he could give his evaluation of the film as an expert. He was-happy to give his evidence in the original side in the Madras High Court. Our friendship started then and continued till his end.
The biography of K Subrahmanyam written by Prof M R Rangarajan is an elaborate and comprehensive account of K Subrahmanyam's long career. It contains details of all the films he produced. In fact among all film makers only K. Subrahmanyam was known universally as "Director Subrahmanyam". Generous, kind, sympathetic and affable K Subrahmanyam's personal qualities matched his expertise in film production.
I congratulate the author on producing a well written and interesting book of archival value to the posterity.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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