As curtains go up on the 75th edition of Festival de Cannes, it’s a proud moment for K. Ravindranathan Nair, better known as General Pictures Ravi, a patron of art-house cinema. A restored version of Thampu, directed by the late filmmaker G. Aravindan and produced by Mr. Nair, will premiere at the prestigious Cannes Classic segment of the festival that begins on May 17.
“The film, with its unique aesthetics, had bagged many accolades. I was recently approached by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur from the Film Heritage Foundation for the permission to restore the film. I am delighted to know that it will be showcased at the Cannes,” Mr. Nair told The Hindu.
A mentor of the Malayalam new-wave films, the industrialist had produced a volley of critically-acclaimed and award-winning films under his banner General Pictures in the 70s and 80s. It was a comment by Aravindan, a doyen of Malayalam parallel cinema, that prompted Mr. Nair to bankroll a spate of experimental films.
“Aravindan said producers were not willing to fund unconventional films. At that time, I had already produced some commercially-successful films such as Anveshichu Kandethiyilla, Lakshaprabhu and Kattukurangu,” recounts Mr. Nair.
Kanchana Sita, which marked his foray into art-house, happened immediately after Achani, a colossal box-office hit directed by A. Vincent. “After watching C. N. Sreekantan Nair’s play Kanchana Sita, I decided to produce its film adaptation. The film was my first collaboration with Aravindan,” says Mr. Nair. It was followed by four more films with the late auteur that include Thampu, Kummatti, Esthapan and Pokkuveyil.
A true connoisseur of art, box-office success was never a norm for Mr. Nair while investing in films. His filmography as a producer also includes four renowned works by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, another art-house icon.
“I was never motivated by profit. My business was going well and I opted to support talented filmmakers who wanted to experiment with their art form. When I look back, it gives me immense gratification to know that those films are still relevant. A film we made more than 40 years ago is now being screened at the Cannes and it’s a huge honour for all of us,” he says.
Though he was invited to attend the red-carpet screening, the 89-year-old has not been able to make the long trip to Cannes, and his son Prakash R. Nair will be representing General Pictures at the festival in France.
