Cinemaazi salutes C V Sridhar on his death anniversary

An immensely successful director and scriptwriter in South Indian cinema,C V Sridharbreathed freshness into Tamil cinema with his style of romance and dialogue. Born Chithamur Vijayaraghavulu Sridhar on 22 July, 1933, in Chithamur, Madras Presidency, he made his directorial debut with Kalyana Parisu (1959). Directing close to 60 films in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, he is known for making films in a variety of styles ranging from comedy to serious. Known for films like Iniya Uravu Poothathu (1987), Yaro Ezhuthai Kavithai (1986) and Thendralae Ennai Thodu(1985), he helped launch the careers of many Tamil cinema celebrities such as Saroja Devi, and J. Jayalalithaa. He entered Hindi cinema withNazrana(1961), a re-make of Kalyana Parisu, starring Raj Kapoorand Vyjayanthimala. It won him the Filmfare Award for Best Story. Remaking his Tamil hits, he created the successfulDil Ek Mandir (1963) with Meena Kumari,Rajendra Kumarand Raaj Kumar, as well as the hilarious comedy, Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966). Nai Roshni(1967) starring Ashok Kumar, Mala Sinha, Biswajeetand Raaj Kumar, is another standout film. Starting his own production company Chithralaya with friends in 1961, he made many commercially successful films like Nenjil Ore Aalayam (1962), Kaadhalikka Neramillai(1964), and Vennira Adai(1965). Using a combination of stars, melodrama and songs, he had the knack for creating films to match the mood of the times. Known for his poetic treatment of songs, Sridhar’s trademark was the love triangle. He passed away in Chennai on October 20, 2008. Cinemaazi salutes him on his death anniversary.