Dear Sir,
First let me convey my best wishes for the 21st Annual Day Program of the Hamsadhwani and congratulate Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner, Shri K.
Balachander for being chosen for the confernment of the Distinguished Citizen Award.
While sincerely appreciating your efforts, I am compelled to painfully bring to your notice of the lines mentioned in the introductory note of
Shri K.B. Sir, on the reverse of the Inviitation.
"In the course of several decades of KB's close involvement in Kollywood, he played a prominent role in further shaping the careers of a few of
the yester-year's icons of Tamil Cinema such as Shivaji Ganesan, Sowcar Janaki, the inimitable Nagesh, Muthuraman and others."
As an ardient fan of Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan, I was shocked to read this line. I hope it must be due to some slip or error and believe
it is not intentional, since you may know more than me, that by the time KB Sir entered Tamil cinema in 1964-65, Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji
Ganesan, completed his 100 movies and was reigning supreme, which he never stooped from till his last. K.B.Sir's first film with Nadigar
Thilagam was his 105th film, NEELAVANAM, released on 10.12.1965, by which time Shri Sivaji Ganesan had completed 13 years of his film career,
since Parasakthi. And KB Sir's next association with Nadigar Thilagam was the 139th film of Sivaji, ETHIROLI, released on 27th June 1970.
These were the only 2 films KB Sir worked with Nadigar Thilagam. As it is a known fact, Sivaji Ganesan never looked back from the very first
film. A man who won Padma Awards, Afro-Asian Awards, Chevalier award and above all fans in millions the world over, was Sivaji Ganesan.
I earnestly place with you, a simple question that comes to my mind?
Do you believe that Sivaji Ganesan was waiting for KB Sir for further shaping of his career?
Do you believe that KB Sir himself would accept this?
Till now I keep HAMSADHWANI at high esteem which is sincere and serious in promoting art.
In that spirt, I expect that the least, you may do, is to
EXPRESS A REGRET FOR THIS REMARK AT THE STAGE DURING THE FUNCTION TO HONOUR KB SIR.
With a heavy and pained heart,
V. Raghavendran
www.nadigarthilagam.com