Opinion Shivkumar Subramaniam made an impact as actor. His greater contribution was as a writer of films
Among industry colleagues and cinema devotees, Subramaniam was loved and respected as much — if not more — for his work as the writer of some of recent Hindi cinema’s finest films.
The first of these was the 1989 sleeper hit Parinda, a gritty crime drama set in Mumbai’s underworld. 
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It is likely that most viewers of Hindi-language entertainment will best remember Shivkumar Subramaniam, who died on Sunday, for the small but impactful roles he played on the big and small screen: As the stern father of the bride Shiv Swaminathan in 2 States (2014); the crooked cop Lobo in Kaminey (2009), the dementia-afflicted old man in Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016) and the egotistic tycoon I M Virani in the TV show, Mukti Bandhan. However, among industry colleagues and cinema devotees, Subramaniam was loved and respected as much — if not more — for his work as the writer of some of recent Hindi cinema’s finest films.
The first of these was the 1989 sleeper hit Parinda, a gritty crime drama set in Mumbai’s underworld. The film was meant to be director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s shot at mainstream success: It ended up also winning plaudits for the realism and emotional heft of the writing, becoming the template that subsequent classics of the genre, such as Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya, followed, and winning Subramaniam a Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay. He revisited the textures and tones of the criminal underworld – once again to much critical acclaim – in the 1996 thriller Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi, directed by Sudhir Mishra. Subramaniam’s second Filmfare Award — this time for Best Story — came for the 2005 film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, which was widely recognised as one of the best-crafted political dramas in recent Hindi cinema.
That these seminal works form part of a short list of writing credits — including for story, screenplay and dialogue — says much about the finesse with which he wielded his pen. Subramaniam was a gifted actor, deploying his deep voice and authoritative screen presence to great effect even in the briefest of roles. But his most indelible contributions are the cinematic gems that he helped write and bring to life.
This editorial first appeared in the print edition on April 12, 2022 under the title ‘Writing the image’.
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