The timelessness of his content is proof of the good writing and direction. It is through such classics we see a life that was once lived, an era that went by. And this is what a good film or for that matter, any work of art must do. With dollops of good humor and genuine barbs, his films are replete with situations which are reflective of the times they were set in. His hero is always a city-bred graduate, whose views on family, marriage, and love were in line with the-then new-age philosophy of individual gratification being above society's. Sridhar can rightly be called the first 'urban' filmmaker of Tamil cinema, whose films were set in and around cities, with characters drawn from the educated sections. Not to forget the sprinkling of English in the dialogues and the impeccable costumes and makeup which all looked oh-so-real. Also commonly spotted were supporting cast members like Muthuraman, TS Balaiah, Nagesh and Sachu who, along with the lead pair, made the film tightly woven around their performances too. Some of his tropes being, a middle-class graduate hero, a heroine as important as the hero, parents who are like friends to their children and have normal conversations with them, situations often with one insurmountable problem, and a story that places human emotions and value for relationships above all else. Be it in musical comedies like Kadhalikka Neramillai or Ooty Varai Uravu or serious stories like Nenjil Oar Aalayam or Sumaithangi, the Sridhar tropes were always in sync with the amazing soundtrack of his films (by the MS Viswanathan and Kannadasan combo, no less). The woman in the story is often educated, and integral to what happens. All his films dealt with romance and courtship before marriage. Specifically, director Sridhar brought in a modern twist to Tamil cinema in the 60s. In the process, I discovered newer dimensions to older films, many of which, by no standards, 'feel' old.

With no new films in the theatre, I thought it to be a great idea to catch up on some of my favorite classics.

Nenjirukkum varai dialogue