Entering Koogai Thiraipada Iyakkam gives you a sense of belonging. It helps if you’re a cinephile with a particular fascination for Tamil and world cinema. The library, which was started by filmmaker Pa Ranjith, hopes to bridge the gap between literature and cinema. Recounting his early days struggling as an assistant director, Ranjith wanted to create a space for aspirants to discuss and debate cinema. And that’s how Koogai Thiraipada Iyakkam birthed as a cinema movement. Kavin Antony, an erstwhile assistant to filmmaker Bala, was longing for a cinema library like Koogai. “When I was trying to be an assistant, directors would name some books and asked me whether I read them. In those days, we had very less knowledge about the books and the availability was a major issue. After Koogai, a lot of assistant directors are regularly visting the library,” says Kavin who manages the space. On the other hand, poet-writer Murugan Manthiram feels that the location couldn’t have been more appropriate since most of the aspirants live in and around Kodambakkam and Valasaravakkam.
For a low-key set-up, Koogai has an exquisite collection of over 5,000 old and dog-eared books. The library has a dedicated shelf stacked with books donated by filmmakers Nasser, Pushkar-Gayatri, Balaji Sakthivel, Pa Ranjith and Rohini to name a few. Adjacent to this section is where you find a rare collection of screenplays of classics including Veedu , Sethu , Paruthiveeran , Salaam Bombay! and Visaranai . With special emphasis on Tamil books, the library also gives prominence to the masters from international cinema. In a sense, one can find the book Cinemavum Naanum by J Mahendran as well as Hitchcock/Truffaut by François Truffaut in the same shelf. Designed by Pa Ranjith’s wife Anitha, the interiors of Koogai are densely packed and lit with vibrant colours. Anitha believes that Koogai was started with the intention to act as a social gathering. “We are trying to bring in filmmakers for discussion at the space. Recently, the makers of 96 along with Vijay Sethupathi had a session at Koogai. We are also planning to screen important Tamil films.”
Pa Ranjith called on his friend Mari Selvaraj to come up with a name for the library. Koogai (owl in English) has a negative connotation since the word is usually associated with the dark and bad omen. Both Ranjith and Selvaraj wanted to question the norm. “Ranjith asked me to think of a name. I somehow narrowed in on Koogai. Even among birds, Koogai belongs to the oppressed. Like the nocturnal bird, assistant directors live in the dark after so many rejections. Which is why Koogai seemed more suitable for the library,” says Mari Selvaraj, who directed the recently-released Pariyerum Perumal . Has any aspiring director gotten opportunity in films? “It’s only been a month. We are hosting film-related discussions here. Directors are observing the questions asked by assistants. I’m sure that they’ll get opportunities soon,” he adds.
Koogai has been categorised into three main sections or rather three important ideologies -- Marxism, Periyar and Ambedkar -- that have been the central theme in Pa Ranjith’s films. Barring cinema, the library encourages readers to be more politically involved. “The sections can be shortlisted under one category: social injustice. An artist has to be aware of the socio-political milieu. You need to understand the issues faced by the people. A filmmaker needs to have a political conscience. Talking about issues won’t give us a solution. He needs to understand the root cause for the problem. When you use cinema as a tool to bring about change, he/she needs to know about his target audience and the purpose,” says Selvaraj, adding, “It was Ram (director) who introduced me to the world of literature.”
