Celluloid Man

The film fraternity is busy celebrating 100 Years of Indian Cinema. Having grown up on Bollywood, I am all for the celebration. It feels great that the Indian film fraternity is only a 100 years young. A breathtaking experience it could be, if one could watch all the movies ever made in India, starting right from the silent era to the latest romantic escapade.

So where does one go and whom does one meet to witness the 100 years? Two simple names comprise the answer - NFAI and P.K. Nair.

The former is not an unknown term, at least, not to the film fraternity. I cannot say the same, confidently, about the latter.

P.K. Nair, unknown to many, spent his entire life archiving Indian cinema and set base for the NFAI. An unfortunate fire in 2003 burnt away majority of his life's work at the archive and only a few survived. But the man himself continued to remain anonymous until the recently released documentary by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Celluloid Man, hit the screen.

With interviews from national and international film celebrities who have had the opportunity to work and interact with Nair Saab, as he is fondly addressed, each had a memory to share; a tale to tell about this one man's determination and love for cinema.

It becomes evident that the love of a maker might end once the product is sold. But the real affair begins when one collects and protects a product. Nair Saab's love for cinema is unmatched by any.

Sitting for hours on end, alone in the projection theatre, Nair Saab, untiringly kept notes and made sure that his collection remained unharmed. His passion took him to the extent of making overnight journeys to distant cities and spending nights without food or sleep.

Post-retirement, he moved back to his home town, Thiruvananthapuram. But he could not stay away from his love too long. He was soon back in Pune, close to NFAI, where he continues to reside.

Cinema, in the true sense, is his childhood sweetheart. And the affair continues!

Nair Saab's unrelenting determination made it possible for a whole generation of film makers and actors to be inspired and imbibe the real meaning of cinema that existed, in the words of film critic, Nasreen Munni Kabir, "before the whole Bollywood mess".

Film festivals, commemorating commercial cinema and the whole nine yards. But I cannot think of a better way to honour 100 Years of Cinema than to honour the man who made it all possible - a true connoisseur!