Book on M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar

At long last a definitive work on the life of MKT.

I wonder if Passion is also transmitted through Genes ? Some years ago , in 2000 to be exact, I met a Mr Bala (Balakrishnan) who was a retired Bank Officer and one of MKT's biggest fans. He had written a small booklet in Tamil on the Films etc of MKT. We were in touch for a while and then I lost contact....

Two days ago my friend Kavithalaya Krishnan wanted to get a book on MKT in English , to which my answer was - not to my knowledge (barring articles on him by Randor guy ) ... then he came up to me this morning with a wonderful book....I was stunned to say the least...Immediately I went to meet the Author , a young man, born probably after MKT died , and he turned out to be Mr Bala's son.... Mr Suresh Balakrishnan , he is an advocate by profession and had done his legal studies in England. He seems to have inherited his fathers passion for MKT and the result is this book - all 514 Pages of it.

There has been tremendous research and I sure see a labour of Love. I have scanned the Book in full and have read the first 50 pages - am actually writing this blog in the gap between reading. It has a very exhaustive account of the Lakshmikanthan Murder Case and being an advocate he has analysed it very well and dispassionately. Indeed , many a small error , found in Randor's writing of the case has been corrected here.

He has in London , collected some material , especially the coverage of the Trial by "The Mail" Newspaper and also to the film archives in Poona - where he even watched MKT's first film "Pavalakodi" in the archives... wonder why the archives have not bothered to release it as a DVD for all to see, after all it is the EARLIEST TAMIL TALKIE available.... Wish the K.Subrahmanyam family will take it up.

The book is being sold at Higginbothams , he has not been able get through Landmark/ Cross word etc....A pity , wish some Book Distributor helps him do so. The Book costs Rs 495 , and every paise is well worth it.

He may be contacted at

catch.suresh@yahoo.com

New No 22 Devanathan Street

R A Puram , Chennai - 600028

PS - I am not his Press agent....ha ha ha....but would like every film buff who loved the early Musicals and the Music makers to read this work.