Ramanathapuram(Ramnad) Krishnan - The Musicans' Musician


This documentary is a fine tribute to the late Ramanathapuram Krishnan, an artiste whose life was full of music and whose music was full of life. It faithfully and reverentially captures the man and his music with their myriad dimensions. His personal and penchant for music, his virtuosity and the vicissitudes of his life, his aspirations and approach to music have been documented in an arresting and authentic manner. Even after 3 Decades, Ramanathapuram Krishnan’s music is modern and inspiring to the budding artists. The film has a sprinkling of interviews with his acolytes, associates, kinsmen and some illustrious artistes- both his contemporaries and the current crop of musicians and is backed by intensive research.

A melange of tastefully shot visuals, silhouettes for suggestive representation of the subject, custom-made paintings for re-creating events in the maestro’s life, deft use of his recordings and limpid narration make this film a great aesthetic experience- for both the fans of Ramanathapuram Krishnan and lovers of documentaries.

About the filmmaker

For a moviemaker, the creative oeuvre of S B Khanthan displays an amazing variety encompassing stage plays, telefilms, ad films, TV soaps, corporate films, children’s films, documentaries and Tamil feature film. No matter what he does, every work bespeaks his passion for the visual medium and his masterly sway over it. His understanding of the medium, eye for details and uncluttered approach to the subject make his works unique both in terms of content and format. Being the son of the late T.S Balakrishna Sastri, a highly revered Harikatha exponent, Story-telling comes naturally to this Chennai based Chartered Accountant turned filmmaker.