S. Balachander

{{short description|Indian veena player and filmmaker (1927–1990)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = S. Balachander

| image = Veena S Balachandar 1950.jpg

| caption = Balachander in 1948

| birth_name = Sundaram Balachander

| birth_date = 18 January 1927

| birth_place = Mylapore, Madras Presidency, British India

| death_date = 13 April 1990 (aged 63)

| death_place = Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India

| occupation = Actor, playback singer

| years_active = 1934 to 1990

| spouse =

| children =

| awards = Padma Bhushan

}}

Sundaram Balachander (18 January 1927 – 13 April 1990) was an Indian veena player and filmmaker. He directed, produced, and also composed music for a few of his films. Balachander was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1982. He died of a heart attack at the age of 63, while on a music tour of India.{{cite web | url=https://musictales.club/article/sundaram-balachander-veena-musician-and-filmmaker-who-introduced-carnatic-culture-world | title=Sundaram Balachander: The veena musician and filmmaker who introduced Carnatic culture to the world | Music Tales }}

Film career

S Balachander was born to Sundaram Iyer and Parvathi alias Chellamma. Sunderam Iyer was a patron of Papanasam Sivan and many other musicians in Mylapore, Chennai.{{cite web | url=http://www.kalyanamalaimagazine.com/Content/Thiraichuvai/Oct10_1_15/Potpourri_of_titbits_about_Tamil_cinema_Dhigil_Balachander.html | title=Kalyanamalai Magazine - Serial story, Thiraichuvai - Potpourri of titbits about Tamil cinema, 'Dhigil' Balachander }}

Balachander began as a child artist in the Tamil film Seetha Kalyanam in 1934, in which many members of his family acted. Balachander himself acted as a child musician in Ravana's court, and his father V. Sundaram Iyer acted as Janaka, elder brother S. Rajam as Rama and elder sister S. Jayalakshmi as Seeta.{{Cite magazine |year=1967 |title=Face to Face: S. Balachander |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TMaHFe8z44kC&q=Balachander+Seetha+Kalyanam |magazine=The Illustrated Weekly of India |publisher=Times of India Press |volume=88 |page=43}} This was followed by appearances in Rishyasringar (1941) and Araichimani (1942).{{Cite book |last=Sundaresan, P. N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiYqAQAAIAAJ&q=Balachander+Rishyasringar |title=Sruti, Issues 65-76 |publisher=Sruti |year=1990 |page=34}}{{cite web |url=https://www.dtnext.in/News/Opinion/2017/01/30105438/1026374/Balachander-the-musician-who-was-maverick-movie-genius.vpf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025160503/https://www.dtnext.in/News/Opinion/2017/01/30105438/1026374/Balachander-the-musician-who-was-maverick-movie-genius.vpf |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 October 2021 |title = Balachander, the musician who was maverick movie genius - DTNext.in|website=DT Next }}

In 1948 Balachander directed the film En Kanavar.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wY6AQAAIAAJ&q=Sundaram+Balachander+En+Kanavar+1948 |title=Asian Film Directory and Who's who |year=1952 |page=187}} In 1954 he directed Andha Naal, a classic Tamil film noir thriller.{{Cite news |date=7 April 2016 |title=Andha Naal: Remembering veena S. Balachander |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/andha-naal-remembering-veena-s-balachander/article8446799.ece |access-date=16 May 2020}}{{Cite news |date=31 October 2019 |title=Rajinikanth launches first look of Antha Naal |work=Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/rajinikanth-launches-first-look-of-antha-naal/articleshow/71838075.cms |access-date=16 May 2020}}

Swati Tirunal Dispute

S Balachander claimed that the composer Swati Tirunal was a figment of history's imagination, and he did not even exist. He accused Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer of passing off his own compositions as Swati Tirunal's. Balachander also disputed Balamurali Krishna's claims of having invented new ragas.{{cite web |url=https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2019/05/26044903/1139617/Decoding-Balachander-the-veena-virtuoso-from-Mylapore.vpf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025160900/https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2019/05/26044903/1139617/Decoding-Balachander-the-veena-virtuoso-from-Mylapore.vpf |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 October 2021 |title = Decoding Balachander, the veena virtuoso from Mylapore - DTNext.in|website=DT Next }}

S Balachander was actively involved in the Swati Tirunal dispute at the time of his death.{{citation needed|date= December 2022}}

Awards

1954 – Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Andha Naal{{Cite web |title=2nd National Film Awards |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/2nd_nff_1955.pdf |access-date=23 August 2011}}
1956 – Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Telugu – Edi Nijam{{Cite web |title=4th National Film Awards |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/4th_Nff.pdf |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=2 September 2011}}
1982 – Sangeetha Kalasikhamani, by The Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai.{{citation needed|date= December 2022}}
1982 – Padmabhushan{{Cite web |title=Padma Awards |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |date=2015 |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 |access-date=21 July 2015}}

Filmography

Year	Film	Language	Actor	Director	Music Director	Singer	Producer	Note
class="wikitable"
1934	Seetha Kalyanam	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}
1941	Rishyasringar	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}
1941	Kamadhenu	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	Credited as Master Balachandar
1942	Aaraichimani	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}
1947	Baktha Thulasidas	Tamil	{{n}}		{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	Music Composer along with Anil Biswas
1948	Idhu Nijama	Tamil	{{n}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}		Assistant Director
1948	En Kanavar	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}		Editor
1951	Kaithi	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}
1951	Devaki	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}
1951	Rajambal	Tamil	{{Tick}}		{{Tick}}			Music Composer along with M. S. Gnanamani
1952	Rani	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}
1953	Inspector	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}	{{n}}
1954	Andha Naal	Tamil		{{Tick}}
1954	Penn	Tamil	{{Tick}}
1954	Sangham	Telugu	{{Tick}}
1955	Koteeswaran	Tamil	{{Tick}}
1955	Doctor Savithri	Tamil	{{Tick}}
1956	Edi Nijam	Telugu		{{Tick}}
1956	Edhu Nijam	Tamil		{{Tick}}
1958	Bhoologa Rambai	Tamil		{{Tick}}				Director along with D. Yoganand upon the demise of K. Ramnoth
1958	Bhooloka Rambha	Telugu		{{Tick}}				Director along with D. Yoganand upon the demise of K. Ramnoth
1958	Avan Amaran	Tamil		{{Tick}}
1959	Maragadham	Tamil	{{Tick}}
1962	Avana Ivan	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}		{{Tick}}
1964	Bommai	Tamil	\|{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}		{{Tick}}
1970	Nadu Iravil	Tamil	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}	{{Tick}}		{{Tick}}

References

External links

{{IMDb name|id=0049336}}
{{YouTube|My9VUKzssp0|Balachander plays the Veena}}
{{youTube|fmVokl3hFV8|Movies side of Veenai Balachandar}} - Mysskin tells about S. Balachander's film history.

Category:1927 births

Category:1990 deaths

Category:20th-century Indian musicians

Category:Film directors from Tamil Nadu

Category:Film producers from Tamil Nadu

Category:People from Thanjavur district

Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts

Category:Saraswati veena players

Category:Tamil film directors

Category:Tamil film producers

Category:Tamil musicians

Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award