Ernakulam: Actor Mammootty on Sunday praised filmmaker T V Chandran, describing his cinema as rooted in “human perspective” and firmly aligned with humanity, at a function marking 50 years of the director’s film career.

Mammootty was inaugurating the ‘Ormakal Undayirikkanam’ programme organised to celebrate five decades of T V Chandran’s contribution to Malayalam cinema.

Recalling his early days, Mammootty said he had long wished to act in Chandran’s films.

“I have tried to get a chance to act in T V Chandran’s films while watching movies with the desire to somehow enter cinema,” he said. “At that time, I asked everyone except those at home for an opportunity.”

The actor added that after entering the film industry, he was keen to be part of parallel cinema, new wave films and experimental projects.

“I have never turned down opportunities to act in such films. It is fortunate that I was later able to work with T V Chandran and others, as I had wished,” Mammootty said.

The felicitation ceremony was jointly organised by the Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI), Kerala chapter, along with film societies in Ernakulam.

Director Kamal described T V Chandran as a rebellious film activist, while actor Joy Mathew said what sets the filmmaker apart is that he remains a rebel in both life and cinema.

Actor Shine Tom Chacko said Chandran had supported him during a difficult phase in his life. He recalled returning to society with a sense of inferiority after admitting his mistakes and said it was Chandran who restored his confidence and guided him forward.

 

Responding to the reactions, T V Chandran said dedicating 50 years to cinema did not initially feel extraordinary.

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“It did not seem like a big deal to give fifty years to cinema, but after hearing so many good words, it now feels that it was not insignificant,” he said.

During the event, actor Irshad Ali released the ‘Drishyathalam T V Chandran Special Edition’, presenting the first copy to Shine Tom Chacko. Actor Joy Mathew unveiled the cover of the book ‘T V Chandrante Sampoorna Thirakathakal’. Actress Sajitha Madathil honoured Chandran’s wife, Revathi, at the function.

FFSI Joint General Secretary Radhakrishnan Cheruvally presided over the event. Several prominent personalities from Malayalam cinema and the film society movement attended and spoke, including Joshi Mathew, Sudheesh, Irshad Ali, Priyanka Nair, Sajitha Madathil, Sunny Joseph, K G Jayan, Santosh Thundiyil, Venugopal, Pattanam Rasheed, Sohan Seenulal, Sandeep Pillai, V K Joseph, P Prakash, Reji M Damodaran and Cochin Film Society secretary V A Balachandran.