More than an actor
K. PRADEEP
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Ravindhar's passion for films goes beyond acting.
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PHOTO: VIPIN CHANDRAN
FASCINATED BY CINEMA: Film actor Ravindhar plans to throw light on cinema by holding workshops and festivals.
Ravindhar, popularly known as Raveendran in Malayalam cinema, is not one to stick to anything for long. After a sensational debut and a few heady years in films this `popular villain' simply vanished from the glare of the arc lights. The only time he resurfaced unfailingly was during film festivals.
Like a vagrant gypsy, this Adayar Film Institute product, wandered between various professions, like running a successful steel structuring business, dabbling in interior decoration, to finally deciding now to return to films. But this time it is not just acting.
Plans for the future
A film archives containing the best of world cinema, a library stocked with books and journals tracing the history, growth, technical development of cinema, an institute that conducts short and long-term course in film studies, a small theatre where serious film goers could choose films and watch them, a regular film festival in his home town of Thripunithura... These are some of Ravindhar's future plans.
"Films have always been my first preference. But at this stage of my career it will not be just acting. I have a huge collection of classic films in different languages on DVD and a fairly good collection of rare books on cinema and other topics. What I propose to do is make them available to people who are really serious about films. To start off we will organise a film festival, which we have named the Monsoon Cine Fest. It will be held from August 3 to 16 at Thripunithura," says Ravindhar.
Preliminary work on this festival, which is being organised by Elias Foundation, in association with various film organisations, has begun. Ravindhar, who will be the director of the event, is quite sure that this event will be unique. "I have been a regular at the film festivals right from 1978 and have had the privilege of interacting with many festival directors. I want this one to be different with a firm focus. We have designed it in such a way that it will be useful for students who have film studies as a subject, trying to incorporate a huge chunk of their syllabus. Then we will have some very fruitful discussions, like one on film as an industry in which industrialists, corporate heads and members of the film fraternity will participate."
Institute for films
The Baba Institute of Film and Infotainment (BIFI), which Ravindhar has already launched, will begin functioning in earnest once the film festival is over. In fact, it was BIFI that arranged a special screening of T.V. Chandran's `Kathavasheshan' at the International Film Festival of India held in Goa. "This was misunderstood by many as an act of protest. The intention was only to get a few foreign delegates see this film as technically it could be considered only this year. BIFI will conduct short- term and appreciation courses, research, and even moving into film making instead of ending with simply classroom sessions."
At the peak of his career, for sometime, Ravindhar ventured into making films. "That was a phase when I was deeply interested in experimental and political cinema.
It had a lot to do with the reading at the Film Institute and my association with numerous offbeat directors. I decided to make some films on these lines.
Along with the famous cinematographer P.C. Sriram we made a film with the Draupadi Amman Temple, in a small village near Kancheepuram, as the backdrop and using the folk art of Therukoothu. We had LTTE leaders and even Gaddhar voice their views. But then that film was never screened."
Ravindhar later used the character of Draupadi in a skit. "The skit was presented as part of our promotional campaign for Tiscon-CRS steel.
A building was symbolically represented as Draupadi, the elements of corrosion as demons and the new brand of steel as Lord Krishna that arrives in time to save Draupadi. It turned out to be big hit." He and his steel structuring business were behind many landmark buildings in the State like the International Conventional Centre, Kochi, the Kothad church, the U. C. College stadium at Aluva and the tubular structures of the new-look petrol bunks.
No longer in this business, Ravindhar plans to convert two of his huge godowns at Thripunithura into what he calls `Cinema Paradiso.' "Here we will have small cubicles where members can have films streamed to the screens before them. They will also have access to books on cinema and other related topics here.
On the top floor I have plans to have a Cinema Café, where along with tea and snacks people can watch films."
In between all this Ravindhar, one of the best `villains,' who has starred in around 120 films in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu, is finding his way back into films. He plays the main villain in the latest Satyaraj starrer `6'. 2''' directed by Senthil and in Renji Panikkar's directorial debut `Bharatchandran IPS.'
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