He was a producer who could turn a mundane story into a new thought, a sound engineer par excellence who understood the importance of silence and a journalist who knew that for the media to survive, integration with the internet was a must.
Bala Kailasam was also film director K. Balachander’s son, and had the business acumen and know-how to position his father’s works. “It was his idea to shoot KB Sir and show footage of his explaining scenes to actors. That’s how such scenes were incorporated into the title songs of some of his serials,” recalls director Naga of Marmadesam , Vidaadhu Karupu and Ramany Vs Ramany fame.
The subjects he chose were not the regular run-of-the-mill ones. “And as a producer (of Minbimbangal), after he discussed the storyline, he wouldn’t interfere during shoots. During editing, if he was unhappy with something, he wouldn’t mind throwing out an entire day’s shoot,” he added.
“If you interact with him for just 10 minutes, he would spot your talent and encourage it. He would pick and choose people for specific tasks and all of them are doing well now. Thanks to his encouragement, a tea boy is now an editor in a TV channel,” said Shylaja Chetlur, actor and managing trustee, Cinema Rendezvous Trust, which instituted the all India-level Bala Kailasam Memorial Award.
Bala Kailasam, who was born on October 26, 1960, died on August 15, 2014.
“It was he who convinced Balachander Sir to get into the television medium. He was the first to introduce live sound; sound was his first love. Every single artiste who worked on Minbimbangal is a better actor today because of their work under Kailasam,” explained actor Kavithalayaa Krishnan.
He was a documentary film-maker and activist, genuinely concerned about the environment long before it became fashionable to say so. “His documentary on water is a benchmark; it was so well-researched and detailed. He was deeply affected by the Bhopal gas tragedy. He personally accompanied the protesters on their march, documenting their stories,” added Mr. Krishnan.
