There have been many directors in the history of moviemaking who have created wonders on screen. The authenticity and novelty of the characters in their movies made them seem like a slice of life that everyone lives. There is nothing extraordinary in such movies – probably less entertaining, but relative. Director Lenin Rajendran, too, was a traveller of that path. However, he was on his own journey. The director made only a handful of movies in a career spanning almost three decades, but he made sure that each of them received acclaim from those who considered cinema as an exhibition of art, and not just a medium for entertainment.
Lenin was considered to be one among those who would travel the off-beaten paths to provide his viewer with the most realistic picture of a particular scene, be it belongs to a feature film, documentary or a teleserial. The legend breathed his last at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai on Monday. The 66-year-old director had undergone a liver transplant surgery two weeks back.
Lenin Rajendran’s movies like Swathi Thirunal, Daivathinte Vikrithikal (adaptation of the novel of the same name by M. Mukundan) Rathri Mazha and Makaramanju were critically acclaimed, and received a number of Kerala State Film Awards as well. He made high quality art movies with actors who were the face of commercial movies. As a seasoned director, he was adept at understanding talent. He also had a couple of successful commercial movies to his credit – a rare feat for a director who is active in parallel cinema.
Another factor that made the director stand out from others was his penchant for music and lyrics. He was particular that every song of his movie should provide solace to anyone who listened to it. This could be the reason why he adapted many poems to his films, and pumped life into them by providing visual appeal and great music. When poems became songs in Lenin Rajendran films, it was difficult for a music lover not to listen to them again and again. From starting his career as an assistant to director P. A. Backer, to directing his last movie Edavappathy, Lenin Rajendran was focused and even more dedicated.
