1996 – a few weeks before Deepavali. Mr.K.Balachander phoned me up and asked for a couple of my short stories (fresh ones) for Kumudam special issue he was preparing. During that period, Kumudham had a guest editor for each week’s issue – ranging from Nalini Ramarajan to KB-sir(mostly movie personalities). Since it was a Deepavali number in the offing, KB was their choice.
I immediately accepted the demand as then working with a bank, I had enough spare time and more happiness and contention.
KB without losing time started chasing me for the stories.
He knew I won’t deliver the pieces on time if allowed to go my own way and sent his assistant to wait at my house and return only with the stories! The young assistant director accordingly came home and was patiently perched on a bamboo chair while this writer was spinning his yarn at his own pace. He did it for at least 3 days from 6 PM to 9 PM.
Eventually, I wrote two stories – Aazhwar and Verum Kaaval’ for KB and Kumudham.
At the last minute Kumudham could not find space for my short story and both were left out.
However, KB liked both the stories and spoke as well as wrote to me.
Though not published in Kumudam, one of these two stories for which KB was the first reader went on to receive the Katha award at national level that year (‘Aazhwar’) and the other one, ‘Verum Kaaval’ received Ilakkiya Chinthanai annual award – selected by the veteran critic Thi.Ka.Si sir.
And the Assistant Director who patiently waited for me to write my stories rose to become a busy director in Tamil – Director Charan.
Charan contacted me later to play the role of a journalist in KB’s ‘Jaathi Malli’ which I had to turn down as I was with the nationalised bank then. The role eventually went to my friend Sudhangan. And I had to wait another 18 years to don the grease paint:-)