Durai, director of national award winning film Pasi, dies

Tamil film director Durai, known for depicting marginalized lives, passed away at 84, leaving behind a legacy of impactful films.

Tamil film director Durai, whose film Pasi, depicting the life of people on the fringes of society, including rag pickers and rickshaw pullers, won the national award, died at the age of 84 on Monday. Late actor Shoba, who played the lead role in the film released in 1979, had won the Best Actress Award.

“He worked as a sound engineer for the film Pennin Perumai starring Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Savithiri, and others. Subsequently, he directed films,” said actor Rajesh, who acted in three films Mayil, Thanimaram, and Veli that were directed by Durai.

According to Mr. Rajesh, Durai made into films incidents that had a deep impact on him. “Before making a film, he would collect details in the manner that directors of Hollywood filmmakers do. Mayil is about road workers, and it is my understanding that he had studied the life of road workers before making the film,” Mr. Rajesh said.

Durai, who was very active in the 1970s and 1980s, won the State Film award for Best Director for the film Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam in 1978. Actor Rajinikanth was the hero of his film Sathurangam (1978).

“Veli is a film about a husband who doubts his wife’s character. It failed to cut ice with the the audience because a Tamil hero was not expected to play that role,” Mr. Rajesh said. Durai’s film Thunai had Sivaji Ganesan in the lead role as an advocate. Kilinjalkal, starring Mohan and Poornima Jayaraman, was another film by Durai, whose music was composed by T. Rajendar.