Treasure house of cinema

As one walks into the freshly painted, newly set up book store called Pure Cinema in Vadapalani, the heartland of cinema in the city, its wooden shelves stacked neatly with books and short film documentaries that welcome the visitor. Books on MGR, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth share space with those on Charlie Chaplin, Satyajit Ray and other classics, mostly written in Tamil. Arun walks us through the 500-odd titles (of which only 25 are English) that are housed in the store. “This place is meant for all those who love and appreciate cinema. And by cinema, I don’t mean only commercial entertainers. There is a vast, unexplored treasure house of alternative cinema waiting to be discovered,” says Arun. 

Originally from Kumbakonam, he is soft-spoken and shy, but behind that exterior there lurks a grand passion for cinema. “While finishing my MCA from Madras University, I had applied for a scholarship to study direction at a popular film institute in London. And I managed to get through. For three years (2003-06), I learnt about the idea of narrative, filmmaking and other technicalities. A whole new world opened up before me,” recalls Arun. After returning to the country, he got back into the rut of the corporate sector. He also did a film appreciation course at the Film and Television Institute (FTII), Pune during this time. “I was exposed to a world of foreign cinema, which completely altered my view,” says the book-shop owner. “Imagine my surprise then when I came back to Chennai and wanted to watch Balu Mahendra’s National Award winning Veedu. I couldn’t find a CD or a DVD of it. I decided to do something about it.” 

He started an online archive for old Tamil films, Thamizh Studio, and an online magazine, Pesaamoli, with a couple of friends. It was around this time that Arun also decided to start a Tamizh movement. “Do not get carried away with the word ‘movement’. It is just an initiative to educate people about how to appreciate Tamil alternative cinema. We go to villages in about 28 districts of Tamil Nadu and tell them that cinema is beyond commercial,” says Arun. In addition, he also provides training to technicians interested in filmmaking, especially those coming in from villages and small towns, free of cost.

The book shop is an extension of this Tamizh movement. Although only a week old, the shop has been generating a lot of curiosity in the industry and among cinema buffs. “Director Mysskin walked into the store and went through the collection during the first week. He expressed a genuine interest and gave me his best wishes,” he adds.