Kothamangalam Subbu

Subbu is portrayed as the most gifted and important figure after the Boss — effectively the No. 2 man at Gemini Studios. He was extraordinarily versatile, loyal and resourceful: a man who could be inspired on command, instantly offering a film-maker four, then fourteen, ways of shooting a difficult scene. His talents were many-sided — he composed original 'story poems' in folk refrain and diction, wrote the sprawling novel 'Thillana Mohanambal', and was such a fine character actor that he often outshone the lead players in his subsidiary roles. Cheerful, obliging and endlessly charitable, his house was a permanent home for dozens of relations and acquaintances. His loyalty made him identify completely with his principal and turn his entire creativity to the Boss's advantage. Yet his closeness to the Boss and his all-round brilliance also earned him envy, especially from the frus …