Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

A treasure trove of information on Tamil cinema

M.J. Prabu

Jayababu's collection includes more than 10,000 books and articles

A DIFFERENT COLLECTOR: Jayababu shows samples of his old film book collection. — Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

CHENNAI: Tamil cinema fans can be a strange lot. They take hero worship so seriously that sometimes they end up even building temples for their favourite actors.

Jayababu, 35, is one such fan. His two-room apartment is filled with more than 10,000 books and articles on Tamil cinema, including from the first Tamil film, Kalidas. It is a virtual treasure trove, and includes anecdotes and incidents from the lives of several actors.

"It was my father who started this collection, and later I joined him. My interest in cinema also helped me to expand my collection. I have books on Tamil cine songs right from Kalidas to the latest Ajith-starrer Paramasivam," he says. Mr. Jayababu's wife does not seem impressed with his collection. "She feels that much of the paltry sum I earn in a packing and forwarding agency is being wasted in buying bags, ropes, and printing souvenirs of old heroes." "I have an encyclopaedia which is more than 100 years old," he says. Old cinema magazines such as Gundoosi, Pesum Padam, and Bommai also find a place in his collection.

Does he allow people to borrow his books? "My collection is open to anybody interested in cinema. Many people have come to me in search of information. But I am careful not to lend the books as some of them are very precious, and you cannot get another copy," he says.

Mr. Jayababu has also published a number of souvenirs on yesteryear stars such as P.U. Chinappa, S.G. Kittapa, K.B. Sundarambal, M.K. Thyagaraja Bhaghavathar, T.R. Mahalingam, N.S. Krishnan and T.A. Maduram. "Most of these souvenirs have had several reprints," he says.

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