T Hariharan conferred the 19th Prem Nazir Foundation Award

Malayala Manorama reports on the Prem Nazir Foundation Award for the Year (2010) being conferred to T Hariharan, who is one of those few Directors in Malayalam Cinema, and I would say Indian Cinema, who has defiantly refused being pigeon-holed in any genre. I think it is a felicitation that was long overdue for someone whose adeptness in handling the stereotyped ‘commercial’ productions, the ‘Arty’ ones and those high in literary content as well commercial faring at the Box-Office is legion. Correct me if I am wrong but his very first film as a director, Ladies Hostel in 1973 had Prem Nazir as the lead, produced by Dr. Balakrishnan.

S Pavamani | A Producer of Classics and Popular Cinema.

Ayodhya (1975)

S Pavamani‘s first film production, it was the remake of the NTR starrer Samsaram (1950), directed by PN Sundaram under the newly formed PrathapChithra banner. He spared no expense in getting Prem Nazir, the reigning celluloid god to play the hero and KR Vijaya as the main female lead. A pure commercial blockbuster, he made sure the buzz factor notched up a few notches up with getting the one and only Kishore Kumar to sing in Malayalam.