Library that nurtures the spirit of aspiring filmmakers

When you talk about the origin of the Tamil film industry, one often refers to how places like Kodambakkam, Saligramam and Vadapalani had housed many film studios. Things changed over the decades. But what didn’t change is how still many aspiring filmmakers and technicians hang around the parks and tea shops at Saligramam and Vadapalani discussing world cinema and more. After understanding the tribulations of youngsters who couldn’t make it to film schools, director Pa Ranjith opened a library exclusively for aspiring directors where they can read books by and on famous filmmakers and on filmmaking and other technical departments. Ranjith started the library called Koogai Thiraipada Iyakkam along with filmmakers Athiyan Athirai, Mari Selvaraj, Kavin Antony (lyricist) and Murugan Manthiram (poet-writer). We visited the library located at Valsaravakkam and met the volunteers and aspiring filmmakers, who shared stories about how the space has helped in transforming their dreams into reality.

Kavin Antony, who manages the library, says that many youngsters from across Tamil Nadu have benefited from the place. “When Ranjith came up with this idea we couldn’t contain our excitement. Most of us have struggled to get a foothold in the film industry and we didn’t want the up and coming generation to face the same heat. There are youngsters who walk daily from Koyambedu to Valsaravakkam just to read, interact and brainstorm with other like-minded people,” says Kavin. The library has around 7,000 books in Tamil and English. When we started the library, many directors and writers came forward and donated books from their collection and we also bought a few of them, reminisces Kavin. Two volunteers, Prem and Murthy, showed us around the library where the books are neatly arranged according to subjects and by the name of the directors who have donated them. Interestingly, there is a separate section for literature and books on Karl Marx, Periyar, and Ambedkar.

“We are open from 8 in the morning to around 10 pm after the daily film screening. We also host film, acting and photography workshops where directors and technicians talk about their craft and interact with the audience. Everyone has a different perspective on cinema and filmmaking. We make sure that this environment helps them to get a better understanding of films,” says Prem.

As our conversation veered towards the cinema of today, we sat on the mats laid on the floor to talk to a youngster, who comes to the place daily. It’s been one month since Tirunelveli lad Subash Chandra Bose started visiting the library. “Most of the books about scriptwriting and filmmaking are expensive and I cannot afford it. At Koogai, there are books by renowned filmmakers and by reading them, I hope to develop a deeper understanding of films and gain confidence,”says Subash.