In memory: Veteran actor Harini and Parvathamma Rajkumar, film producer, holding copies of a book on the late Kannada film director M.R. Vittal at the Bengalooru International Film Festival in Bangalore on Saturday.

In an effort to recognise and respond to directorial talents of Kannada cinema, the Suchitra Cultural and Film Academy has decided to bring out books on eminent and deserving talent during the future editions of Bengalooru International Film Festivals (Biffes) on a regular basis.

This was announced by the former president of the academy and the Chairman of the Organising Committee of Biffes V.N. Subba Rao at the release of “Premada Hanathe”, a book on the life and achievements of the doyen of Kannada cinema, late M.R. Vittal here on Saturday.

Mr. Rao said that Vittal had carved a special niche in the history of Kannada cinema by exhibiting a rare insight and boldness in selecting and dealing with his themes. He even commanded the attention of even the giant cinema industrialist, the late Nagi Reddy on his views about script details.

Simplicity

Vittal, who was known for simplicity and seriousness, commanded the respect of the then Madras cinema industry, which was the nerve centre of Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. His films, such as “Miss. Leelavathi” based on the late Korati Srinivasa Rao’s sensational novel on premarital sex, “Hannele Chiguridaga”, based on the late Triveni on widow remarriage and “Margdarshi”, based on the late Ta. Ra. Su. on challenging questions before the social reformation had stood testimony to his social and human outlook even during the black and white age of Kannada cinema. “He was perhaps ahead of his age. His national award winning film, the late Vadiraj’s “Nanda Deepa”, had been considered as an all-time classic of Indian cinema,” Mr. Rao, a veteran journalist, said.

Author's address

The author of the book and journalist, N.S. Sridhara Murthy, said that Vittal’s letter to the then Prime Minister the late Rajiv Gandhi on the probabilities of technology overshadowing the grammar and artistic subtleties of cinema was evidence to his visionary outlook.

The structure of all the 16 themes of Vittal were astoundingly integrated and progressive though they were made by different persons at different junctures. His works deserved to be studied by the serious students of cinema, he added.

Commitment

The yesteryear heroine Harini, younger sister of Vadiraj, veteran cinema journalist P.G. Srinivasa Murthy, producer Parvathamma Rajkumar and Vittal’s daughter Sulekha Pathanakar spoke on the human and professional commitment of Vittal.

Earlier, the Mumbai-based film academician and film-maker Arun Kopkar inaugurated a three-day workshop on “Focus on cinema”.