| K. Balaji | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 August 1934 |
| Died | 2 May 2009 (aged 74) [1] Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Cause of death | Renal failure[2] |
| Residence | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Film actor, producer |
| Years active | 1951–2009 |
| Known for | Billa (1980) - Producer |
| Religion | Hindu[3] |
| Spouse | Anandavally (died in 1995) |
| Children | Suresh Balaje Sujatha Suchitra Mohanlal |
| Relatives |
|
K. Balaji (died 2 May 2009) was a South Indian producer and actor whose work included Billa.
Contents |
Balaji was born in a prominent Tamil Brahmin (Iyengar) family and was the grandson of a very prominent colonial era advocate T. Rangachari. He wandered into films after developing a taste for acting by performing the odd school play and amateur theatre shows.[4]
His quest for a space in showbiz led Balaji to the office of S. S. Vasan, then owner of Gemini Studios in 1951. Vasan was not very keen to work with a newcomer but gave him a minor role in Avvaiyar, in which he played Hindu god Muruga.
Slowly he managed to land meatier roles and was featured as a male lead in a few films.
Balaji soon understood he was better off playing a bad man or the hero's understudy with a negative angle. Some of those include films like Padithaal Mattum Podhumaa, Bale Pandiya and Thillana Mohanambal.
Even as the career was taking shape, he was hired as a manager in Narasu Studios in the southwest suburbs.
In that capacity, he discovered his true calling in the sixties after coming in contact with top Hindi actors like Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar and Tamil stars Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan and actress Savithri who advised him to remake Hindi hits into Tamil with leading actors.
Since the sixties, all the top Hindi blockbusters like Rajesh Khanna starrer Dushman, Amitabh Bachchan's Deewar and Namak Haraam were remade into Tamil by Balaji who always used top stars as his male leads like late Sivaji Ganeshan and thespians Rajnikanth and Kamal Hasan.He founded Sujatha Cine Arts in 1966. He was also the founder of Sujatha Recording Studio where sound recordings for most of the big budget movies of the 80s and 90s were done.[5]
He had three children — Suresh Balaje, Sujatha and Suchitra Mohanlal. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal is his son-in-law. His wife Anandavally died in 1995. He was also the grandfather of Pranav Mohanlal and Sooraj Balaji.
Balaji passed away on 2nd May 2009 evening due to multiple organ and renal failure. He had been hospitalised for over a month.
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manavia Manithanin Manikam | ||
| Sagothari | ||
| Padithal Mattum Pothuma | ||
| Vasantha Maligai | ||
| Billa | ||
| Pattanathil Putham | ||
| Enga Mamma | ||
| Kandan Karunai | ||
| 1979 | Amar Deep | Hindi film |
| Year | Film | Character/Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Surakshaa | Doctor Shiva | Hindi film |
| 1979 | Amar Deep | Guest Appearance | Hindi film |