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'Jayalalithaa considers my collections priceless'
Chennai government buys film buff's collection for Rs 1 million
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Shobha Warrier
If you want to know anything about the South Indian film industry, you do not go to a library and research. You just call 'Film News' Anandan.
He has answers to all your queries at his finger tips. He is the walking library or the 'world wide web' on South Indian cinema. He helps journalists, researchers, even some artistes who want to know about their careergraph.
If anyone wants a still from any film released in Tamil, 'Film News' Anandan is the person to turn to. His collection spans 50 long years, and adds up to thousands of photographs from 6,000 Tamil films and another 4,000 from the other South Indian films.
Anandan began as a photographer, taking film pictures with a box camera that cost Rs 18. Soon, he was collecting photos taken by other still photographers as a passion. Most of the time, he did so by paying money. Fifty long years have passed and his collection increased by leaps and bounds.
Thus started his effort to write a comprehensive book on the history of Tamil cinema with memorable and unusual photographs in it so that, as he says, "Nobody [need] call Film News Anandan for information. I want to do this for posterity."
The manuscript was ready five years ago. To sponsor this massive, expensive project, he tried contacting film personalities and film organisations, but nobody was willing to chip in. "I am only a collector. I have no money to publish such a book. But I do not want all this to go waste," she says.
Then, he decided to write to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa whom he knew "as a young girl when she joined the industry." He also worked as her PRO for several years till she joined politics. But there was no news from her.
As the years went by, he relentlessly went on updating his book.
Then came the reply from the Chief Minister's office, offering Rs 5.5 lakh to publish his book. "I have material for more than a thousand pages and the government has given me full freedom to carry on with the book," says a satisfied Anandan.
The book, Saathanai Padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaru, will be a monumental work on the history of Tamil cinema, on great personalities from different times, both forgotten and still remembered, the films that won laurels and interesting anecdotes.
A constant worry also nagged Anandan: the fate of his collection which includes photographs, books on film lyrics, novels and dramas that were made into films, and over 1,600 books on the film industry and magazines.
He then wrote to the Chief Minister about his prized collection. "I consider my collection of photographs, magazines and other booklets priceless. I do not want these things go waste after my life. I am already 75."
Initially, he was not satisfied with the money offered by the government. But when they hiked it to Rs 1 million, he agreed to let the government have them. "They are worth more than Rs 1 million, I feel, but I am happy. Even Jayalalithaa told me that she considered my collections priceless, but she said the government could pay only Rs 1 million. That is okay by me."
He is happy that the government is going to nationalise his collections. But he is unhappy, too. "The feeling is akin to parting with my first child. Anyway, it doesn't matter. My baby is in safe hands."