# S. Balachander

Sundaram Balachander (18 January 1927 – 13 April 1990) was an Indian veena player and filmmaker. He directed, produced, and also composed music for a few of his films. Balachander was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1982. He died of a heart attack at the age of 63, while on a music tour of India.

## Film career

S Balachander was born to Sundaram Iyer and Parvathi alias Chellamma. Sunderam Iyer was a patron of Papanasam Sivan and many other musicians in Mylapore, Chennai.
Balachander began as a child artist in the Tamil film Seetha Kalyanam in 1934, in which many members of his family acted. Balachander himself acted as a child musician in Ravana's court, and his father V. Sundaram Iyer acted as Janaka, elder brother S. Rajam as Rama and elder sister S. Jayalakshmi as Seeta. This was followed by appearances in Rishyasringar (1941) and Araichimani (1942).
In 1948 Balachander directed the film En Kanavar. In 1954 he directed Andha Naal, a classic Tamil film noir thriller.

## Swati Tirunal Dispute

S Balachander claimed that the composer Swati Tirunal was a figment of history's imagination, and he did not even exist. He accused Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer of passing off his own compositions as Swati Tirunal's. Balachander also disputed Balamurali Krishna's claims of having invented new ragas.
S Balachander was actively involved in the Swati Tirunal dispute at the time of his death.

## Awards

* 1954 – Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Andha Naal
* 1956 – Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Telugu – Edi Nijam
* 1982 – Sangeetha Kalasikhamani, by The Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai.
* 1982 – Padmabhushan

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Language | Actor | Director | Music Director | Singer | Producer | Note |
| 1934 | Seetha Kalyanam | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| 1941 | Rishyasringar | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| 1941 | Kamadhenu | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | Credited as Master Balachandar |
| 1942 | Aaraichimani | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| 1947 | Baktha Thulasidas | Tamil | N | | Y | N | N | Music Composer along with Anil Biswas |
| 1948 | Idhu Nijama | Tamil | N | Y | Y | Y | | Assistant Director |
| 1948 | En Kanavar | Tamil | Y | Y | Y | Y | | Editor |
| 1951 | Kaithi | Tamil | Y | Y | Y | Y | | |
| 1951 | Devaki | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| 1951 | Rajambal | Tamil | Y | | Y | | | Music Composer along with M. S. Gnanamani |
| 1952 | Rani | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| 1953 | Inspector | Tamil | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| 1954 | Andha Naal | Tamil | | Y | | | | |
| 1954 | Penn | Tamil | Y | | | | | |
| 1954 | Sangham | Telugu | Y | | | | | |
| 1955 | Koteeswaran | Tamil | Y | | | | | |
| 1955 | Doctor Savithri | Tamil | Y | | | | | |
| 1956 | Edi Nijam | Telugu | | Y | | | | |
| 1956 | Edhu Nijam | Tamil | | Y | | | | |
| 1958 | Bhoologa Rambai | Tamil | | Y | | | | Director along with D. Yoganand upon the demise of K. Ramnoth |
| 1958 | Bhooloka Rambha | Telugu | | Y | | | | Director along with D. Yoganand upon the demise of K. Ramnoth |
| 1958 | Avan Amaran | Tamil | | Y | | | | |
| 1959 | Maragadham | Tamil | Y | | | | | |
| 1962 | Avana Ivan | Tamil | Y | Y | Y | | Y | |
| 1964 | Bommai | Tamil | Y | Y | Y | | Y | |
| 1970 | Nadu Iravil | Tamil | Y | Y | Y | | Y | |