KB once said that no one could be IV Sasi

Though he predominantly worked in Mollywood, IV Sasi was a respected director in Kollywood, having worked with superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan in films like Kaali, Guru and Alavudinum Arputha Vilakkum. A prolific filmmaker who helmed over 150 films, he fell in love with actress Seema, who played the lead in his path-breaking Avalude Raavukal, and later made her his life partner.He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Filmfare Awards (South).
The 69-year-old cancer survivor passed away on Tuesday when he suddenly complained of uneasiness and was taken to a hospital in Chennai. He reportedly died on the way.
Actress Urvasi, who has known him since her childhood, remembers the late director. She says, “Our association goes back to my childhood. He was close to my father during the time he started out as an art director. I remember visiting his set as a kid in Chennai. We became close family friends even before I became an actor. I went on to act in maybe 22 of his films, from Karimbinpoovinakkare to Ayiram Meni.
He was the only director who treated a junior artiste the same way he treated a Mammootty. Usually, if there were more than one hero or heroine in a film, the actors would ask who was more important, but in IV Sasi’s films, no one did. All the biggest stars of the time would be part of his film, but there would be no ego clashes. Everyone would get noticed in his films.
He could finish the films by managing huge teams of the best actors and technicians within 20 days. This is why K Balachander once said that no one could be IV Sasi. 1921 was a Bãhubali of its time. However, we never realised how big he was as he always brought out perfect films.
Even if the shooting went on till 2am, he would be fresh and ready by 4am at the hotel reception. And all the actors would curse him a lot.
We had a strong relationship, and I was like his daughter. In fact, his mother used to joke, ‘What Sasi and Podi (Urvasi) spoke to each other, only they understood’. His Kozhikode slang added to it all.
Urvasi adds, “He would call everyone ‘kazhuthakutty’ when he got angry on the set. That was the only swear word he used, but no one escaped it. I got called that a hundred times daily.
When I met him two months ago, I instinctively knew I would never see him again. We were all in Kochi for a TV show and Seema akka knocked at my door in the hotel. I went into their room and sat near a bed, on which a child seemed to be lying. Then the ‘child’ sat up and I found it to be Sasi ettan. He had shrunk so much that I wept on the spot. But he got angry with me for crying. ‘Why are you crying? I’m doing my new film’, he told me. ‘Am I in it?’ I asked, to which he replied, ‘Will I do a film without you in it?’”
No other director has given so many hits: Lissy
He was ailing for a long time — for about four to five years — but he recovered. He was also taking ayurvedic treatment and looked fine. Physically he was weak, but he went to Australia with his entire family a few months ago. He was recovering well. In fact, he was supposed to leave for Australia to be there for his grandson’s birthday on Tuesday. Career-wise, I don’t think there’s another director who has given so many good films in terms of quality as well as commercial hits.