Director K Balachander passed away

Chennai: Director K Balachander Passed Away this Evening at 84 years. Well known Tamil filmmaker K. Balachander who was admitted to a private hospital following "fever" and some "age-related ailments" passed away this evening.

Veteran director K. Balachander had developed certain age-related ailments over the past few days. He was being treated at Cauvery Hospital.

Known for introducing stars such as Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Saritha and Prakash Raj, Balachander has over 150 films to his credit.

Some of his best films include "Aval Ora Thodar Kathai", "Apoorva Raagangal", "Avargal", "Varumayin Niram Sigappu" and "47 Natkal".

A recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award and the Padma Shri, Balachander has nine Filmfare awards to his credit.

About K Balachander:

He has written and directed nearly 80 films and has worked in more than 100 films either as director or writer in multiple languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada.

Kailasam Balachander (born 9 July 1930 and died 23 December 2014) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. He was well known for his distinct film-making style, the Indian film industry knew him as a master of unconventional themes and hard-hitting subject matters of contemporary time. His films are well known for its portrayal of women as bold personalities and central characters. Popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Sigaram ((lit.) The Director who scaled the peak),[1][2] his films are usually centred on unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. Starting his cinematic career as a screenwriter, Balachander soon graduated as a director with Neerkumizhi in 1965. In a career that is spread over 45 years, he has contributed to nearly 100 feature films either as a screenwriter or director, thus becoming one of the most prolific film-makers in the country.[3] Known among his colleagues as a tough task master,[4] he is credited with having introduced and nurtured numerous actors, notably Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Saritha, Prakash Raj and Vivek.

As of 2013, Balachander has won nine National Film Awards and multiple Filmfare Awards. He was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 1987, and is a recipient of the ANR National Award and Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema. K. Balachander is revered as one of the best directors India has ever produced. His ideas were original and his subjects were complex ideas expressed via art.

Balachander owns a production house named Kavithalaya Productions which has been producing films since 1981. Apart from Tamil, he has made films in other languages such as Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He has also made a few film appearances and has directed a few TV serials as well.