Sir S Raamnathanji is no more…………….
S.RAAMANATHAN
He has devoted a great part of his life to making films. And films, in not one but four languages-Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. S.Raamanathan started out as an associated director to prolific director A.Bhimsingh. Having been an associate director, S.Raamanathan had been closely associated with a good number of top south stars like Shivaji Ganesan, MGR, Rajkumar, his star-son Shivrajkumar, Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth {who he had directed in hindi films too}, and hindi films top actors like Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Mehmood, Sanjeev Kumar, Meena Kumari, Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rehman, Sridevi, Vinod Khanna, Vinod Mehra, Rishi Kapoor, Govinda to today’s star of the millennium, Amitabh Bachchan.
S.Raamanathan started his journey in Hindi films with Bombay To Goa [1972] which starred Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan still recounts that “big break”. AB had recently said in a press interview,”Raamnathanji is the first director who gave me that big break in Bombay To Goa which made me acceptable as a hero in commercial cinema”.
Amitabh Bachchan has worked in as many as five films: Bombay To Goa, Mahaan,Gerafttaar, Ganga Jamuna Saraswati and now ZAMAANAT.
INTERVIEW TAKEN LONG BACK……………….
He had produced Gejje Pooje which was the only Kannada film to win 2 National awards and Karnataka State Film awards. His next Kannada film Upaasana won 6 Karnataka State awards and were box-office hits, too.
There are many things about his past which does deserve mention, but S.Raamanathan does not want to rest on his past laurels. But,”Sir-Ji” as he is widely known in Hindi filmdom since the time Amitabh called him so, that is since the time of Bombay To Goa.
ZAMAANAT which is Sir Ji’s 17th Hindi film since he started out in 1971, was launched with fanfare in Chennai. It was a grandly attended affair. Even the media persons from Mumbai attended the launching.
* But now that the film has been completed, it was long journey successfully completed. Those who have seen the final product have gone ga-ga over the fact that the film looks as fresh as though it was just made in six months time. And more importantly, Amitabh looks his age in every scenes whether as a lover boy or a senior lawyer.
* This is the first film in which Amitabh plays a blind lawyer with great applauds. The film is no doubt an Amitabh Bachchan show right from the beginning till the end.
* S.Raamanathan has mostly based his films on the concept of Om Shree. And Om Shree is none other than S.Raamanathan himself.
* In the world of showmanship any other film-maker with these many achievements in Hindi and South Indian Cinema would have shouted from the rooftops about what he had done and achieved over the years, but not Sir-ji. He has believed in giving his best to every product of his without tom-toming his achievements.
@ Having produced/directed 26 films[ including 17 Hindi till ZAMAANAT ], we asked what filmmaking meant to him.
S.Raamanathan : Well, film-making is what I have learnt all through my life. My Guru has been the prolific director A.Bhimsingh. Whatever I have learnt till today is from my guru A.Bhimsingh . Film making is everything for me, my religion, my profession, my source of livelihood, my passion, my dream everything that one looks forward to achieve in life.
@ From your bio-data we gather that you are a celebrity in South as well as in the Hindi film industry.
S.R : Sorry, sorry, I am not a celebrity or an icon. I am just a film maker. In the last 35 years that I have been here, I’ve hardly given any interviews even though I Know every scribe personally. Even when the journalists visit me on my sets, I tell them to feel at home. I never sit down for any interviews. I just provide them information about my film only when they ask me. Many of the scribs want to know about myself, but my film is important. Let them cover my film not me.
@ Tell us how you got your first break as a director?
S.R : During the shooting of Mahmood bhai-jaan’s Sadhu Aur Shaitaan , my guru A.Bhimsingh had fallen ill. I being an associate director, was told take care of the shooting. I completed the unfinished task and also take care of the film’s post-production work, including the supervision of the background music recording. Bhai-jaan [Mehmood] was perhaps impressed by my work effort and asked me if I would be intrested in working as an independent director. I could not resist the offer and after taking my guru”s blessings, I immediately said “yes”. That’s how I came to direct Bombay To Goa. And the journey began.
@ On what position does ZAMAANAT stand ?
S.R : ZAMAANAT is my 17th Hindi production and my fifth with Amitabh Bachchan.
@ You seem to share a close rapport with Amitabh Bachchan.
S.R : Well, I do consider myself lucky for being close to top stars. Amitabh has himself said in print and at a press conference that he and I are “sukh-dukh ke saathi” since the last 35 years. We do have an emotional bond between us. Like Amitji, I am very close to Rajnikant in South. I have been very close to evrybody with who I worked with in South as well as in Mumbai. I have had no problems whatsoever with anybody, right from Yusuf Saab [Dilip Kumar] to Amitji [Amitabh Bachchan]. That’s the goodwill I have earned in the last four decades that I have been in the film industry, wheather as an assistant director or as an independent one.
@ With such a goodwill that you enjoy why did it take long for you to complete your ZAMAANAT ?
S.R : Well, it took more time, but let me tell you that in no frame does the film look stale. And that’s the highlight of the film. Those who have seen the film’s trials have acknowledged this fact. Amitabh definitely looks his age throughout the film. And what is more, when we had signed Arshad Warsi, he was just considered one of the actors of the industry but today his status has grown manifold and he is considered an important star. Today, his inclusion in the cast has come as blessing in disguice. The delay in completion is a sort of blessing in disguise. Has delay in production affected a film’s merit ? Weren’t MUGAH-E-AZAM or PAKEEZAH delayed?
@ What next ?
S.R : Well film production, of course. I have three subjects, ready and we may go on the floors without much delay as we have already signed the artistes.
