An art exhibition that preserves cinemas painted past

The walls of Chithiraalayam revived a legacy in just 20 frames that breathe with stories of mythology, cinema, and time. Each painting, created over half a century ago, whispers about the man behind the canvas and carries echoes of his unique style, even thirty-six years after his brush stopped painting strokes. The artworks are by the late art director P Gangadharachari, popularly known as Kalai Ganga, for his stint in the Tamil film industry. He is best known for creating backdrops for historical, mythological, and later social films across formats like 35mm black-and-white, eventually leading to colour, and even cinemascope. Art directors need not be artists. But Kalai Ganga was different. He created a revolution of a kind in the industry, says KR Jayakumar, founder of Chithiraalayam, an art museum where Gangas personal artworks speak louder than the silence that holds them. He adds, It is his 100th birth anniversary this year. We wanted to showcase his works much earlier. It just so happened that the exhibition coincided with his centenary year. The exhibition is part of the museums Third Anniversary Celebratory Art Exhibition. Born in Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam, Ganga inherited artistry from his father, a sculptor who worked on impon (five-metal) idols. He trained at the College of Fine Arts at Kumbakonam, before entering the entertainment industry an era when art directors built worlds by hand. Starting as a cornerstone member of the Art Directors Association of South India, his work spoke for itself as he became a familiar name in the sets and during shoots for his creative, sharp, and detailed backdrops. In his decades-long career, he collaborated with directors like Bhimsingh, AP Nagarajan, and CV Rajendran, working across historical and mythological films. In Raja Raja Chozhan (1973), for instance, his artistry transcended set design. In the movie, the scene is of a group of men constructing a gopuram . In reality, the segment was shot with a completed gopuram . This is where Gangas talents peaked. He used the matte painting technique wherein on a glass, he painted men as construction workers and placed it as a filter in front of the gopuram , explains Jayakumar. The same idea appears in Kandhan Karunai (1967), where Surapadmans palace is under the sea. He turned illusion into architecture. Though his time in the industry ended soon, Gangas creativity never rested. He continued to paint, took commissions from the film fraternity, and also gifted artworks to friends and colleagues. His family recalls him working on paintings for actor KR Vijayas residence. Jayakumar adds, His themes always balanced reverence and beauty. Most of the works on display were painted during his later years, after he moved away from cinema. When I first visited his home in Saligramam in the early 2000s, I had seen these works. After starting the gallery, we reconnected with his family. It felt like completing a circle, Jayakumar recalls. Among the collection are intimate pieces drawn from epics, mythologies, and quiet devotion. Theres one where Ravanan plays the veena, another capturing Murugan helping Valli wear her bangles and Kannagi being dressed by her thozhi . Others include Kovalan and Madhavis separation, from Silappathikaram . His brush captures emotion, not just form, Jayakumar notes. These paintings, dating back 50 to 55 years, have endured remarkably well; the oil works glow with undiminished colour, while the water-based ones require gentle restoration. Weve displayed them in their original form. You can see the knife work, the layered hues of oil, poster, and pastel, and his use of bold outlines that remind you of Ajanta cave paintings. His compositions are dynamic, full of movement, he says. This exhibition is more than just an act of recognition; it is a reminder that Tamil cinemas visual imagination was once hand-painted. Art directors today can learn from people like him. For Kalai Ganga, it wasnt just a profession but a passion. He saw cinema as a canvas, signs off Jayakumar. Ganga 100 is on display till October 26 at Chithiraalayam.