ಬಿ ಆರ್ ಪಂತುಲು ಅವರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆಯಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವ ಹಂಬಲ, ಆದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಲಿ ಎನ್ನುವ ಗೊಂದಲ.

ಕನ್ನಡದವರೇ ಆದರೂ, ಅವರು ಜನಿಸಿದ ಸ್ಥಳ ತೆಲುಗು ಮತ್ತು ತಮಿಳು ತುಂಬಿ ತುಳುಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬಂಗಾರುಪೇಟೆ.

ಇಂದು ಅವರ 109ನೆಯ ಜಯಂತಿ.

Jumping to English to Give Burns To Dhumeels of Tamil Nadu.

Today is the Jayanti

of a famous director #BR_Pantulu who directed as many as 57 films in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil & Hindi between 1954 & 1974.

Born to a Brahmin family on this day in 1910, B R Panthulu started his career as teacher but the fondness towards Drama pulled him to Chandrakala & Gubbi

Veeranna Drama Companies, eventually Pantulu started his own troupe Kalaseva Nataka Mandali.

Panthulu's first acting debut in movie happened in 1936 & for the film Samsara Nauke, a Kannada movie based on his play, directed by HLN Simha. (Director of Bedara Kannappa)

From 1955

Panthulu started producing Tamil movies under banner Padmini pictures, it was 1957 Panthulu donned the director's cap and did "Ratnagiri Rahasya" in Kannada which even today is an all time hit.

The readers must be amazed to know that B R Panthulu's success record is at 97% &

the major failure in his career was a Tamil movie based on a freedom fighter acted by Shivaji Ganeshan.

In 1957, he directed 2 more Tamil movies & in 1958 came another movie #SchoolMaster which acclaimed cult status.

This movie was DUBBED as well as REMADE into 4 languages.

It was the first Kannada film to gain such a popularity.
Incidentally, School Master was based on a Novel written by Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar.

This School Master was made into Malayalam & was directed by Puttanna Kanagal, remade in Tamil & Telugu again..

We have never seen how

The Great Warrior #VeerapandiyanKattabomman looked, but we got a glimpse of his life enacted by #ShivajiGaneshan in the movie with the same name.
In fact, this movie was based on a play in which Shibaji Ganeshan acted in 1957.
The film was the first in Tamil film industry to

Receive international awards, & yes, before getting released in Tamil Nadu, the premier of this movies was held in London.

With an average of 4 directions per year & seeing only success, B R Panthulu should have been a happy man, but his son Ravishankar in an interview to

@the_hindu claimed that his father B R Pantulu always carried all responsibilities on his shoulder & used to have high tension...

Coming back, in 1961, Pantulu after giving Tamilians, Kattabomman gave Kannadigas, Kittur Rani Chennamma, the queen who who was no less than Jhansi

Rani Lakshmibai but historians ignored as she was no Tippu Sultan nor from North.
Nevertheless, this movie brought out the pride of Kannadigas.

Shammi Kapoor's Dil Tera Diwana Hai Sanam is hummed even today(probably now too)
from the movie Dil Tera Diwana by Pantulu in 1962.

In 1961, Pantulu made a film based on the story of legendary merchant & freedom fighter V O Chidambaram Pillai who started his own fleet of ships & went bankrupt due to British's treachery, Shivaji Ganeshan & S V Rangarao were key characters & this movies was a commercial failure

Though it was critically acclaimed.
Panthulu was devastated as he had done huge investments but friends if you want to know freedom fighters of Tamil Nadu, watch it.
These Periyarwadis won't reveal the names because there were many Brahmins who died for freedom.

1962 saw release of Gali Gopura, an acclaimed Kannada movie which had Raj Kumar in lead, this was also remade in Telugu with NTR as Gali Medalu.
Both were again huge commercial success.
In 1964, Puttanna Kanagal made this movie in Malayalam.
In 1963, Pantulu simultaneously

did Saaku Magalu with Rajkjmar and Pempudu Koothuru with NTR.
Saku Magalu also marked the debut of highly acclaimed actress Kalpana.

In 1964, Pantulu came with Chinnada Gombe in Kannada & Murudhan Muthu in Tamil.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalita who was a child artist

Made her comeback with this Kannada Movie.
Dilip Kumar's Gopi is the remake of this movie.

In 1964, B R Panthulu came with #Karnan, with Shivaji as Karna & NTR as Krishna, this was the first instance when 2 superheroes of 2 different states came together.
The movie was shot at

Jaipur & Kurukshetra.

And in 1965, B R Pantulu came with #AayirathilOruvan
This movie gave Tamil Nadu it's 2 future Chief Minister's M G Ramachandran and Jayalalita.
In fact we can consider that Aayirathil Oruvan laid foundation for MGRs entry into politics.
It's unfortunate

That these DHUMEEL ASSHOLES came up in their careers using BRAHMINS & later denounced them.

Between 1965 & 70, Panthulu's films saw good commercial success, but Pantulu was not satisfied, he wanted to give something for nation, he gave movies on Karna, Kittur Rani, Kattabomman

But he wanted to give more..
Pantulu had a dream, he waited 40 years to fulfill it, when he was in drama troupe & when they used to perform at Hospet, Pantulu used to cycle down to Hampi early morning & sit amidst the ruins, thinking himself I WOULD GIVE A CELLULOID FORM ONE DAY

And out came the Magnum Opus #KrishnaDevaRaya and Pantulu's acting as Minister Timmarasu which even to this day is as fresh as it came 40 years ago.
And the next 4 years saw 5 commercially successful films in 3 languages including GangeGowri in Kannada.

#MaduraiaMettaSundaraPandiyan
This movie about legendary Pallava king Sundara Pandiyan
was completed by M G R when on 08th October 1974, B R Pantulu had a massive cardiac arrest & attained moksha on the spot.

His son remembers Pantulu more as a filmmaker who introduced Spirit

Of Freedom Struggle & films based on Itihasa, Purana rather than a normal father.
And he is proud of Kannada & Telugu film industry for remembering him occasionally & immensely dissatisfied with Tamil for forgetting the director.

Dawood in Bombay, it's Periyar in Madras.
Sigh!!!

Forgot to add images

Last School Master & movie on VOC which was a flop