Potpourri of titbits about cinema - Mukta Srinivasan

Mukta Srinivasan, a doyen of Tamil cinema, started his career as a clap-boy of Salem Modern Theatres. He climbed the rungs of the ladder step by step with his hard work and turned into director producer. He is a great patriot and a devout person. He belongs to Manapuram, near Papanasam in Thanjavur district. His father Venkatachari was a teacher in National Higher Secondary School in Nagappattinam. His mother’s name was Chellammaal. His elder brother ‘Mukta’ Ramasamy was also a film producer, having produced many films. His younger sister is Revathy. His close classmate was Tamilnadu Congress president, the late G. K. Moopanar. Both studied at the same class from 8th Std.to S.S.L.C.

Srinivasan took training in typewriting in Kumbakonam. While his brother Ramasamy was working as a typist in Modern Theatres, Srinivasan joined as an assistant director in the company in the year 1947. He started as a clap-boy for the film ‘Sathi Sulochana’. He worked as an assistant director for the MGR starrer ‘Manthirikumari’. Subsequently he worked as assistant as well as associate director for many films produced by Coimbatore Central Studio and AVM.Once, the popular journalist ‘Saavi’ wanted me to meet Srinivasan and get news about his films in the making and also the required photographs. Saavi warned me that Srinivasan wouldn’t agree for this that easily as he was very short-tempered. But when I contacted him over phone for an appointment, he readily agreed and asked me to come to his house. When I met him at his T. Nagar residence, initially, he showed signs of agitation over the irresponsible behavior of the media people in not returning photographs and refused to give any. But I cooled him down telling that I was also a native of his home town Kumbakonam and promised him to return all the photographs safely. Saavi brought out an 8-page article, titled ‘Pesum album’ with all the photographs, which I returned safely after publication. After this incident, he never refused interviews to me.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q: What was your first film as a director?

A: ‘Mudhalaali’, produced by M. V. Venu of Salem M. A. V. Pictures in the year 1957 was my first directorial venture. SSR and Devika played the lead roles. The film fetched the national award for the ‘Best film of the year’.