Final-Film Festival-13-11-08.p65 - Directorate of Film Festivals

content being a trader, Ramasamy has an urge to serve thesociety. Positions like Municipal Chairman and Temple Trusteeseek him out. His integrity earns him name and fame.Ramasamy, who had immense faith in Gandhi's leadership,accepts an invitation from C.Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) and joinsthe Congress - after resigning the 29 honorary posts he washolding. He sells khadi (a cheaper variety of cotton clothpopularized by Mahatma Gandhi) from door-to-door. He risesto the post of President in Tamil Nadu Congress and leads aprotest in Vaikkom demanding the right for lower castes to walk onthe street of the temple and is thereafter hailed as "Vaikom Hero".He quits the Congress, along with his associates, after hisdemand for reservation for non-Brahmins in education andemployment is rejected. Ramaswamy starts the Self-respectmovement with a vow to eradicate the caste system. He makespeople give up caste-based surnames and conducts non-ritualisticmarriages, widow remarriages and mixed marriages. Women'srights and the fight against castes and superstitions become hismain goals.He visits countries like Malaysia and Russia and his speechesreflect his admiration for Russia's growth and he is promptlyjailed for 'communist propaganda' by the British Government.After his wife Nagammai's demise, Maniammai moves in toserve him. Similarly, attracted by his policies, Annadurai joinshim. Justice Party elects him as President, but there are dissidents.Ramasamy defeats them with Annadurai's help and renames theParty as Dravida Kazhagam.Ramasamy marries Maniammai as an 'arrangement/pact/deal'with the Party. Annadurai and the other associates disapprove,quit and start 'Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam' (DMK). Later,Ramasamy is offered the Chief Minister's post but he choosesto devote himself totally to the cause of social reformation. Theentire Tamil community reveres him as 'Periyar'. He never heldany post in the Government during his lifetime yet Periyar wasa peerless leader in the past 100 year long political history ofTamil Nadu.CAST AND CREDITSProducer:Writer & Director :Cinematography:Editing :Music :Cast:Contact:GNANA RAJASEKHARANG SwamiduraiGnana RajasekaranThankar BachanB. LeninVidya SagarSathyaraj, Khushboo, Jyotirmayee,Satyanarayana, ManoramaLiberty Creations Limited, PeriyarThidal, 50, EVK Sampath Road,Vepery, Chennai 600 007, IndiaPhone: (+91) (44) 26618163,Email: anburajv@gmail.comBorn in 1953, Gnana Rajasekharan is anIndian Administrative Service officer. He hasheld many other posts including the managingdirector of Kerala Film DevelopmentCorporation and District Collector Thrissur.Rajasekharan made his directorial debut in1994 with Mogha Mull, which bagged theNational Award for the Best First Film of theDirector, besides a jury prize from the Tamil Nadu government.His second feature film, Mugam, was made in 1999, GnanaRajasekharan's last appearance in the Indian Panorama wasBharati, a biographical epic on the tragic life of Tamil poetSubramaniya Bharati.Rajasekharan is a multifaceted personality who has writtenand directed many Tamil plays. He has also authored a novel,Yanai Kuthirai Ottagam, and designed several brochures,calendars, book covers etc.48 49