Kamal Haasan’s long-time mentor, film-maker R.C. Sakthi passes away

Ace film-maker RC Sakthi breathed his last in a private hospital in Chennai today. Sakthi has been a long-time mentor for Kamal Haasan and the latter has always held him in high regard. In fact, Kamal Haasan has told in many interviews that it were Sakthi and Ananthu who catalysed him to take up the screen-writing and direction plunge.

It was RC Sakthi who was supposed to provide launchpad for Kamal Haasan as a lead hero in his debut directorial Unarchigal, but since the film ran into troubles with the censor board for its highly explicit sexual content, it was delayed indefinitely before eventually getting a release in 1976. Sakthi is also known for directing Rajinikanth’s Dharma Yuddham and Vijayakanth’s Manakanakku which is also the only film where Kamal shared screen space with Vijayakanth.

Coincidentally, it was only two months back (on December 23rd)Kamal Haasan lost his father figure in Tamil cinema, K Balachander.

Only Kollywood registers its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, friends and film fraternity.