Sivaji and MGR were the biggest actors in Tamil cinema. Buying a call sheet from them and shooting separately is a big deal. In this, it is not unusual for a director to have both films at the same time. That’s how the legendary director K. Shankar had the situation of directing both films at the same time.
1962 Sivaji Ganesan starrer Sarojadevi in the film Aayamani. Shankar composed the film from morning to afternoon. Later he also directed the film ‘Panathottam’ starring Sarojadevi as the heroine from noon to night.
In the morning Shivaji was mesmerized by acting and in the afternoon during the shooting of Pangathottam he bought seven takes from MGR to get one shot OK. After getting the tag OK, MGR called Shankar and asked, ‘Enna Shankar, did you shoot the scene of brother Shivaji in the morning today?’ Shankar said, ‘Yes, he gave a good performance today’.
Immediately to MGR Shankar “Shivaji, the best actor in the world, is it fair to expect me to act like him? He’s a track.. I’m a track.. Can we join? Do not join. Buy whatever you can buy from me.’
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Hearing this, Shankar felt as if he had been slapped with a bottle. The song ‘Chatti Chuttathada’ in the movie Alayamani was a mega hit in the music of MSV. In the same way, the song ‘Ennathan paksha pakshatutume’ in the movie Pangathottam was also a mega hit. MGR and Shivaji have performed in their own unique style for both these philosophical songs. And both these films ran beyond 100 days. It was only because MGR knew himself that he was able to rise to such heights in the film industry. No one else could touch his height.
