Potpourri of tidbits about Tamil cinema -
Director Sando Chinnapa Devar

They say that where there is anger, there will be benevolence too. Devar used to get angry if the workers didn’t do their work properly. But, he was very straightforward and used to settle all payments immediately when the work was over. People thronged his house at Ramanathapuram in Coimbatore where his body was kept. MGR, the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu and many other artistes walked the distance from his house to the cremation ground when his body was taken in procession for cremation. The police found the job very difficult controlling the overflowing crowd.

Devar married Marimuthu Ammal on 12-10-1936. The couple had a son by name Dandayudhapani and two daughters – Subbulakshmi and Jegadheeswari. Devar introduced his son-in-law, Subbulakshmi’s husband Thyagarajan as a director through his film ‘Vallikkizhamai viratham’, released in the year 1974. After the demise of Devar, his son and Thyagarajan together produced nine films – ‘Thaayillaamal naanillai’, ‘Annai orr aalayam’, ‘Anbhukku naan adimai’, ‘Ranga’, ‘Thai veedu’ and ‘Dharmatthin thalaivan’, in Tamil and two film in Telugu and one in Hindi. There were administrative problems. Under these circumstances Marimuthu Ammal died on 28-3-1982.

Devar’s son Dandayudhapani had to sell off all the properties earned by his father to clear his mounting debts. The family also dispersed. Devar’s younger brother M. A. Thirumugam died in December 2004.

‘Devar Films’, which had delivered a series of hits and quality films lost its address, there was no trace left. The family also lost its address. This is the fate of the film industry. The producers and their families don’t have any guarantee of security for the future. Producers’ guild should take some steps to change this pitiable situation.

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