Actor-director R Parthiban celebrates his 65th birthday today. He is one of those artists in Tamil cinema who aspires to entertain the audience with something different with every project he takes up. His film Iravin Nizhal is said to be the world’s first single-shot non-linear film to hit the screens. In a career spanning several decades, he has garnered respect for his outstanding and enduring contributions to the growth and development of Tamil cinema. This article describes the many interesting aspects of his life, on his special day.
Parthiban was born in Rayapuram, Chennai district, Tamil Nadu, and completed his studies in Chennai. He initially tried to test his luck as an actor in the film industry. At that time, the now-accomplished director Bhagyaraj was also looking forward to opportunities in the film industry. Bhagyaraj was comparatively luckier and got the chance early in the film Kanni Paruvathile, directed by BV Balaguru. Parthiban later worked as an assistant director for Bhagyaraj in over 20 films — from 1983 to 1991. Parthiban had also worked as a dubbing artist for actors like Bhanuchander and Shankar.
Parthiban’s career trajectory took a turn when he made his debut in the field of direction and acting with the movie Puthiya Pathai. This film revolves around a criminal who wants to reform himself after his marriage, but his criminal boss is not happy with this decision. Will he be able to live a normal life or not forms the core premise of this film. Puthiya Pathai received accolades from the viewers and the critics. It also won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award in 1989 under the Best Film category. Seetha, Nassar, Aachi Manorama, and VK Ramasamy acted in this movie.
Parthiban last essayed the role of Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar in the Ponniyin Selvan franchise, directed by Mani Ratnam. He talked about his role in an interview with Ottplay.com and said, “My character might be small but it is as important as a bookmark in a novel. To mark where we have finished reading a book, we frequently fold the top corner of a page. The mark divides the book into two sections, which typically makes it easier for readers to pick up where they left off. Similar to that, even though my role in this movie is minor, it is important.”