K. S. Balachandran

Kanapathipillai Subramaniam Balachandran ( Karaveddi, Jaffna) is a Sri Lankan radio, television, stage and film actor, writer and director. He was a broadcaster working with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) for more than 20 years.

Actor
He and acted initially in the monthly comedy programs in Tamil produced in front of the live audience at SriLanka Broadcasting Corporation. From 1970, he was in the actor's pool of the Tamil National Service of SLBC and became very popular with the listeners through the radio plays broadcast every Wednesday and Saturday. He played the main role "Somu" in the famous Radio serial play "Thaniyatha Thagam". This play written by famous poet and writer Sillaiyoor Selvarajan was sponsored by Peoples' Bank and broadcast for more than two years. He acted in many other serial plays like " Kiramathu Kanaugal", "Vizuthugal" and also in a comedy serial titled" Vaaththiyar Veeddil". The last play written and acted by Balachandran has helped Indian Actor Kamal Hassan in his film "Tenali" to speak Jaffna dialect.

Writer
He wrote many comedy skits for "Kathambam","Maththappu", "Kuthukalam" programs recorded with live audience at Studio 6 in SriLanka Broadcasting Corporation. He wrote many plays for broadcast in National Service. The popular serial play titled "Kiramathu Kanavukal" was written by him for Commercial Service and this play was released in Audio Cassettes at a grand function held at Ramakrishna Mission Hall, Colombo. Another comedy serial written by him, "Vaththiar Veedil" was broadcast for more tha two years and as Audio cassettes sold in many countries. He wrote series of articles in magazines like "Chirithiran" and "Eelanadu Sunday Magazine". His short stories were published in national dailies like "Thinakaran" and Veerakesari. He wrote scripts for television plays like "Thiruppankal" and documentaries for Rubavahini in SriLanka.
In Canada he wrote screenplay for films like" Engo Tholaivil", "Menmaiyana Vairangal" and "Uyire Uyire". He wrote and directed more than 20 stage plays in Canada. He wrote and produced "Maname Maname" , a radio serial play for CMR Radio, Toronto.

Producer

He produced and presented "Kalai Kolam", a popular magazine program with reviews of movies, stage plays, books and dance recitals broadcast by SLBC.

He is recognised as a forerunner in Canadian Tamil filmmaking.
 
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