Dynamic duo

"THE NAME of the serial was inspired by the heroine of the revolutionary film, "Thyaga Bhoomi," directed by our grandfather K. Subramaniam. She was called Savithri. The protagonist of our serial is also a woman of steel and substance, and so we decided to call her Savithri," say Lakshmi and Saraswathi, the sisters who are making waves with their weekly soap, currently being aired on Sun TV.

"Savithri" is rated highly and the producer, S. V. Ramanan of Jaishree Picture has enough reasons to be proud, both as the producer and as the father of the directors.

The mother and daughter pair, played well by Hema Chowdhry and Gayathri, has struck a chord with the audience and evoke their sympathy. Gayathri revels in her role as a young, carefree college-going girl, who is doted by her widowed mother. Fate strikes a shattering blow when the girl is gang-raped.

It is indeed a bold subject that has been brought to the living room. The credit for this goes to the directors. The duo has handled the subject sensitively. The camera effectively captures the fear and shock on Savithri's face and the trauma she undergoes. She fights a losing battle against the system and leaves the town where she had been living all along, taking a vow to come back and take revenge.

She comes to Chennai and Meera Krishnan, a traditional Iyengar 'mami' living in Triplicane, gives her shelter. She finds solace in Chetan, who sees Subramanya Bharathi's 'pudumai penn' in her and constantly encourages her to fight.

'Vietnam Veedu' Sundaram's dialogues are noteworthy. The cinematography by Sevilo Raja captures the grandeur of the granite quarries and the alleys of Triplicane in all their splendour. Music and lyrics are by S.V.Ramanan.Mention must be made of the title song which is melodious.

"The letters we receive from viewers reveal how involved they are with the characters, they consider Savithri's victory as their personal triumph. This increases our responsibility as we have to do better", say the directors.

S.V.Ramanan, a pioneer in the field, began his career with short films, radio commercial documentaries and television serial advertising. When television came to Madras, he was among the first to produce serials. All his works have an aesthetic appeal. Apart from several commercial ventures, he has also portrayed the lives of great men like Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi and Shirdi Sai Baba on the small screen.

Jaishree Pictures' experience in production and marketing has helped the company in coming up with a good serial and packaging it well. Viewers of "Savithri" not only get entertainment sitting at home, but also a whole lot of prizes, including return air tickets to Dubai and Bangkok.

What next? For now, directors Lakshmi and Saraswathi are working on some interesting stories and are also in the process of finalising the making of "Savithri" in Hindi.

S.R. ASHOK KUMAR

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