Remembering Randor Guy
India lost one of its icons in the passing of RANDOR GUY (88) the iconic author, columnist and film researcher who passed away in Chennai on April 23rd, 2023.
A lawyer by training, Randor Guy (whose original name was Madabushi Rangadorai) was known for his articles and books on law, history, cricket and films. Fluent in English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi, Randor worked on films as a director, producer and lyricist. A film maker, script writer and speaker, he worked on projects across Chennai, Los Angeles (Hollywood) and Colombo.
Randor Guy was an era unto himself. His passing away on 23rd April 2023 saw a cascade of tributes to a Man who could be best described as a Renaissance Man and an Outlier. Randor Guy was an author, director, lawyer, lyricist, multi-linguist and a keen chronicler of human society in our time:
Randor Guy was the original outlier — that a single person who goes far beyond and differs from the group or community that he is associated with. In his 88 years, he stood at the crossroads of arts, business, cinema, law and society sharing memories and vignettes that made memories. In an eventful life, he straddled the film cultures of his beloved Chennai (Madras), Colombo and unbeknownst to many, Hollywood.
He was born Madabushi Rangadorai in Madras in the year 1934 into the family of M. Varahachari, a prominent Madras lawyer. He completed his education at Nellore and then Pachaiyappas College. Following his family traditional, young Rangadorai qualified in law and worked under VC Gopalratnam, the iconic lawyer of yore. He would then move into stockbroking with Patterson & Company where he met his wife Dolores D’Souza. They would go onto have two daughters Maria and Priya. He would then move into the world of advertising where he would do pioneering work in the field of public campaigns.
India’s cinema is a swirling confluence of world cultures. A space where India’s theatre narrative meets with western film technology. A place where Indian classical music melds seamlessly with western and jazz influences to create the Indian film sound that we hear today. Songs play a key role in moving the story ahead by blending music and narrative.
In this candid interview in the late 1990s, Randor Guy speaks to iconic American director Ellis R. Duncan who made iconic films in India in the 1930s and 1940s introducing future Tamil stars like M.G. Ramachandran, M.S. Subbalakshmi and T.S. Balaiah:
There was a certain aura about his pen name Randor Guy which was an anagram of his name: Rangadorai. Randor Guy who wrote prodigiously about the stories of human society in South India. From a young age, he evinced an interest in the world of arts. Cinema and Music would remain his firm favourites over his lifetime — over the 1960s and 1970s, he would become by turns, a film director and a lyricist for Tamil films. As an author and columnist, he wrote prolifically on cinema, law, and the prominent court cases of his day.
Randor Guy was the go-to English lyricist for films songs of the 1970s. So, when the top Tamil composer of the day, MS Viswanathan needed English lyrics incorporated in the songs he was working on, Randor Guy was roped in for the wordsmithing job. You will hear his lyrical work in the song ‘It’s easy to fool you’ number in MG Ramachandran’s 1976 film ‘Oorukku Uzhaippavan’, the song ‘Love is fine darling when you are mine’ in Sivaji Ganesan’s 1972 ‘Thavapudhalvan’ and this one, the 1973 film ‘Suriyakanthi’ where actor Jayalalithaa — Tamil Nadu’s future Chief Minister sang the now iconic song, ‘Naan Endraal Athu Avalum Naanum’:
Randor Guy was a media pioneer in his own right, scripting weekly Tamil plays on Doordarshan, the state owned TV channel. In his lifetime, he learnt those languages and directed films across South India, of which he is especially known for his Malayalam film Moham. The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up by the Government of India in 1960, Randor Guy saw its potential and provided the institute with his life’s work. For that reason today, the South Indian film industries have their history chronicled with great detail.
My own association with Randor Guy came about in two ways. He and his wife Dolores were friends of my parents. And, the second more professional association was through the Aside magazine in the early 1990s where I began my career in Journalism. His visits to the office were a much looked forward to event, as he chatted away with everyone on the team.
Being an astute observer with an easy going nature, he could talk to anyone. Being multilingual, he could move with ease amidst different circles of society — always open to another view point. If he knew that you understood the languages he was talking about, then he would make it point to quote the person in the language that they spoke. And, he would make sure that you understood either which way.
I clearly remember a meeting with Randor Guy. One of them in the early 2000s at an event under the canopy of rain trees, near their Ayyanavaram home. We spent 3 hours that evening talking about cinema, politics, law and the stories of old Madras. Randor Guy was one of the best storytellers ever. His stories spanned the globe — from Chennai to Colombo to Hollywood.
One such story involved his being the neighbour of Tamil Nadu’s actor turned chief minister M.G. Ramachandran. He told me little known stories of the iconic actor’s early struggles that he had observed as a neighbour. Years later, as a contributor to the Aside magazine, he wrote an article titled ‘Memories of MGR as a Neighbour’. Apparently the Chief Minister’s office purchased a copy of the said magazine and MGR the Man immensely enjoyed reading that article. Randor Guy told me that story — with a smile.
He authored books like Starlight, Starbright (on Cinema) and Memories of Madras (chronicling his memories of the city) which are treasured collector’s copies today:
Human society in general interested Randor Guy, everywhere. Facts and trivia fascinated him. Of his stay in Los Angeles, he told of a friend who owned a very popular South Indian vegetarian restaurant. Every Wednesday, a mysterious order of 27 crisp vadas were sent to an actor’s home in Los Angeles. The actor, of course, was the iconic Marlon Brando. I never thought I would get a chance to tell that story. But this moment has given me that opportunity.
And then there was Randor Guy, the media seer who saw far beyond his time. He had an uncanny knack of spotting a future trend in its nascent era. When I was writing my book Corporate Communications: A 21st Century Primer (Sage, 2004). There were two people whom I considered masters of their craft: Randor Guy for film and Mr. S. Muthiah for Print media. They were both mentors of mine and their contributions make up some of the best parts of the book.
There was one interesting insight he shared with me about a film he made for the Federation of Indian Export with a very bold theme: ‘Every Indian has something to export.’ He observed with a knowing smile that emerging India of the 21st Century would be one in which every Indian would have something to export. Today India has one of the world’s largest influencer markets with over 80 million content creators including video streamers, influencers, bloggers, and essentially anyone building a community around their niche. Randor Guy saw that change on India’s landscape coming a long time ago.
To the end, Randor Guy was above all a true gentleman with deep wisdom and a gentle wit. Our condolences go out to his wife Dolores, daughter Priya, son-in-law Christopher Young and grand daughter Sasha. And as for me, I choose to remember him with the cheery farewell line of his many articles, columns and thought pieces that transformed the way we felt about our lives.
Hasta La Vista, Randor Guy, you inspired us with your life and writing, like no one else.
Sources:
https://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-26-no-17/randor-guy-remembers-it-all/
https://sugeethkrishnamoorthy.wordpress.com/2023/04/25/tribute-randor-guy-is-no-more-rip/
Ellis Dungan Films Behind The Scenes Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6fgNt-ytis
