Nagesh: Difference between revisions
| Line 61: | Line 61: | ||
In the comedy flick, ''[[Michael Madana Kama Rajan]]'', Nagesh played the role of a dishonest secretary Avinashi who commissions a look-alike Kameswaran to impersonate his boss, Madan, and lend him money from Madan's account. He even acted as a dead body in the 1994 film ''Magalir Mattum''. He won a National Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1994 film ''[[Nammavar]]'' |
In the comedy flick, ''[[Michael Madana Kama Rajan]]'', Nagesh played the role of a dishonest secretary Avinashi who commissions a look-alike Kameswaran to impersonate his boss, Madan, and lend him money from Madan's account. He even acted as a dead body in the 1994 film ''Magalir Mattum''. He won a National Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1994 film ''[[Nammavar]]'' |
||
Nagesh did a series of supporting roles in the 1990s and 2000s. Notable among them were those of make-up artist Joseph in ''[[Avvai Shanmugi]]'' in which he featured alongside another veteran [[Gemini Ganesan]], [[Arjun Sarja|Arjun]]'s father in ''[[Rhythm (film)|Rhythm]]'', [[R. Madhavan|Madhavan]]'s grandfather Subbuni in ''[[Minnale]]'', [[Ajit Kumar|Ajit]]'s |
Nagesh did a series of supporting roles in the 1990s and 2000s. Notable among them were those of make-up artist Joseph in ''[[Avvai Shanmugi]]'' in which he featured alongside another veteran [[Gemini Ganesan]], [[Arjun Sarja|Arjun]]'s father in ''[[Rhythm (film)|Rhythm]]'', [[R. Madhavan|Madhavan]]'s grandfather Subbuni in ''[[Minnale]]'', [[Ajit Kumar|Ajit]]'s Grandfather in ''[[Poovellam Un Vasam]]'', Father Rozario in ''[[Kadhal Kondain]]'' and [[Kamal Hassan]]'s father in ''[[Vasool Raja MBBS]]''. His handling of these roles gained him considerable appreciation from the public. |
||
Nagesh had an intimate personal relationship with [[Kamal Hassan]], with whom he had co-starred in a variety of movies from the 1970s to the 2000s. Kamal Hassan casted Nagesh in most of his self-productions.<ref>http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/01/stories/2009020159431000.htm</ref> |
Nagesh had an intimate personal relationship with [[Kamal Hassan]], with whom he had co-starred in a variety of movies from the 1970s to the 2000s. Kamal Hassan casted Nagesh in most of his self-productions.<ref>http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/01/stories/2009020159431000.htm</ref> |
||
Revision as of 10:31, 3 March 2009
 | This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (January 2009) |
Nagesh | |
|---|---|
| File:Nagesh.jpg Tamil comedian Nagesh (taken probably in the 1960s) | |
| Born | Gundu Rao |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Comedian. |
| Years active | 1958- 2008 |
| Spouse | Regina [1] |
| Awards | 1974 Kalamamani 1994 Nammavar Tamil Nadu State Government Award |
C. Krishna Rao Gundu Rao (b. September 27, 1933 - d.January 31, 2009), better known by his screen name Nagesh , was a Tamil film actor, mostly remembered for his roles as a comedian during the 1960s. He is regarded as one of the most prolific comedians in Tamil cinema.
Nagesh was born in a poor Kannada family from Dharapuram, Madras Presidency. He was educated in Madras and worked as a clerk in the Indian Railways before carving a place for himself in the Tamil film industry. He acted in over 1,000 Indian movies from 1958 to 2008 performing in a variety of roles as comedian, hero, supporting actor and villain. He died on January 31, 2009.
In a stark contrast to the comic roles he performed, Nagesh's personal life was wrought with suffering. After losing his father at an early age, Nagesh had to endure a weak financial situation and family ostracism which plagued him throughout his life. The film Server Sundaram, a rags-to-riches story in which Nagesh plays the main role is believed to be roughly based on the real life story of the actor.
Despite being primarily a comedian, Nagesh was rated highly as a character actor by his peers. Nagesh's style of comedy was largely inspired by Hollywood icon Jerry Lewis. Similarities between Nagesh and Jerry Lewis earned Nagesh the sobriquet "Jerry Lewis of India".
Early life
Nagesh was born as Gundu Rao to Krishna Rao and Rukmaniamma on September 27, 1933. His parents belonged to the Kannada-speaking Madhwa Brahmin community. It is believed that he was born in Dharapuram in Tirupur district.[3][2] [4][5] His father died at an early age and the burden of educating Nagesh fell upon his mother. In his childhood, Nagesh was afflicted by small pox which slightly disfigured him.
He left Dharapuram at an early age and moved to Madras city in search of a career. At Madras, he shared a one-bedroom room with two others. His room mates, writer Vaali and director Sridhar, later became established themselves as prominent personalities in the Tamil cine field. He found employment as a clerk in the Indian Railways and was thus able to pay his rent and cope up with expenses.
Early film career
Early in his life, he saw a Tamil play Kamba Ramayanam enacted by his colleagues, and felt that he could do a good job. He persuaded the secretary of the Railways cultural association to give him the role of a man suffering from stomach pain. MGR, then chief guest, seeing this play, in his speech praised Nagesh for his performance. From then onwards, Nagesh played small roles in various drama troupes...[6]
In 1958, producer Balaji spotted Nagesh and gave him his first break in a film called Manamulla Marudhaaram. The film did not do well at the box office. Moreover, Nagesh had only a small role to play in the movie. In 1960, Nagesh made his debut in Kannada with Makkala Rajya.
Nagesh won critical acclaim for his performance in the 1961 movie Thayilla Pillai. But it was his 1962 hit Nenjil Oru Aalayam which launched his career in the Tamil film industry. Nagesh was signed for K. Balachander's Server Sundaram in which he played the main role. The movie was a remarkable hit and launched the career of directorial career of K. Balachander.
Rise to stardom
Server Sundaram marked Nagesh's rise to prominence. The film was about a restaurant waiter "server" Sundaram who struggles to make his ends meet. Moreover, he is in love with Radha (K. R. Vijaya), the daughter of the owner of the hotel in which he is working. The film is about how with the aid of his rich friend Raghavan (R. Muthuraman), "server" Sundaram gets a chance to act in movies and eventually, emerges as a rich and prominent actor. However, he is heartbroken when he learns that Radha is actually in love with Raghavan. While Nagesh drives viewers into laughter with his comical antics in the early scenes, his sensitive portrayal of a failed lover in the second half of the movie too earned widespread appreciation. The rags-to-riches story in the movie was actually based on Nagesh's own life. With Server Sundaram, Nagesh earned critical acclaim for versatility.
The success of Server Sundaram ensured that Nagesh was one of the most sought-after actors in the 1960s. At the height of his career, he acted in as much as 35 movies in a single calendar year, at one time, shooting for six movies simultaneously. He appeared in a cameo in the 1965 mythological Thiruvilayadal in which he portrayed the poor, simply temple priest Dharumi. The soliloquy which Dharmi indulges in, within the temple precints, is regarded as one of the unforgettable scenes of Tamil cinema. He followed the success with supporting roles in films as Kadhalikka Neramillai, Anbe Vaa, Shanti Nilayam, Pattanathil Bhootham and Vietnam Veedu. He played the role of Mohan in Major Chandrakant which was a popular hit and won for its lead actor Sundararajan, the nickname "Major" Sundararajan. His portrayal of the detestable pimp Vaidhy in Thillana Mohanambal was noted for the way in which Nagesh blended humour with villany. In most of his films as comedian, Nagesh paired with the actress Manorama. In 1967, Nagesh acted in his first Hindi movie Farz
Apart from performing in supporting roles, Nagesh also acted as the main protagonist in a number of movies. Server Sundaram is one of them. Another performance which is well-remembered is his role as the poor struggling orphan Maadhu in Ethir Neechal. His sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of Maadhu evoked comparisons with top character actors of the day. Jayakanthan chose Nagesh to play the lead in the 1966 film Yaarukkaha Azhudhan overlooking Sivaji Ganesan.
Financial stress and decline
Nagesh's career witnessed a decline from the mid-1970s onwards. He was plagued by personal problems. His marriage to a Christian woman named Regina had fractured his relationship with his mother and other relatives. In 1973, his mother died causing him irreparable grief. At about the same time, he had a fallout with Tamil actor and politician M. G. R. who omitted Nagesh from most of his films. Nagesh theatre owned by him in Chennai was on the verge of getting seized for non-payment of dues forcing Nagesh to patch up differences with M. G. R. who subsequently bailed him out. In order to cope up with the changing trends, Nagesh had to switch over to playing character roles full time.
Nagesh acted in a few movies during this period some of which were hits. One of his notable roles was that of a drunkard in the 1974 Kamal Hassan-starrer Apoorva Raagangal where he talks to his own shadow and hurls the empty glass upon it while saying "Cheers". In the theaters where the film was shown the audience imitated him and threw cups on the wall of the lobby during interval. He played the role of writer Jayakanthan in the 1977 movie Sila Nerangalil Sila Manitharkal . Nagesh appeared as himself in Thillu Mullu, the Tamil remake of Golmaal.
Resurgence
Nagesh's career enjoyed a partial resurgence from the 1980s onwards when he acted in a number of movies, mostly in elderly roles, some of them as the villain. His most remembered role as a villain was in the 1989-hit Apoorva Sagodharargal. The movie was later dubbed into Hindi as Appu Raja. He also played the villain in Rajinikanth films Athisaya Piravi and Mounam Sammadham. His negative roles comprised of sadistic schemers than muscular giants.
In the comedy flick, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Nagesh played the role of a dishonest secretary Avinashi who commissions a look-alike Kameswaran to impersonate his boss, Madan, and lend him money from Madan's account. He even acted as a dead body in the 1994 film Magalir Mattum. He won a National Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1994 film Nammavar
Nagesh did a series of supporting roles in the 1990s and 2000s. Notable among them were those of make-up artist Joseph in Avvai Shanmugi in which he featured alongside another veteran Gemini Ganesan, Arjun's father in Rhythm, Madhavan's grandfather Subbuni in Minnale, Ajit's Grandfather in Poovellam Un Vasam, Father Rozario in Kadhal Kondain and Kamal Hassan's father in Vasool Raja MBBS. His handling of these roles gained him considerable appreciation from the public.
Nagesh had an intimate personal relationship with Kamal Hassan, with whom he had co-starred in a variety of movies from the 1970s to the 2000s. Kamal Hassan casted Nagesh in most of his self-productions.[7]
Later Years
Nagesh acted in Tamil films till a few months before his death in 2009. Notable among some of his later movies were Panchathanthiram in which he played Yuhi Sethu's father-in-law, a memorable cameo as Kamal's father who gets humiliated in Vasool Raja MBBS and Mokkappayar in Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi. His last completed role was that of Sheikh, father of Kalifullah Mukthar in the 2008 movie Dasavatharam.
Death
Nagesh was a chain smoker and a heavy drinker. His health began to decline in late 2008 due to heart ailments.
He died on 31 January, 2009 at the age of 75 due to diabetes and a heart ailment while he was admitted in Balaji Hospital.[8]
Personal life
Nagesh was a self-taught man who believed that an actor could learn from watching life and its characters. He would often sit in his car on busy roadsides and watch the people on the streets to grasp the mannerisms of people that he would later re-enact on screen.
On the personal front Nagesh was one of the few comedians to have acted with both MGR and Sivaji and invested his money in real estate. Later on, He died on 31 January, 2009 at the age of 75 due to diabetes and a heart ailment while he was admitted in Balaji Hospital. He is survived by three sons, including actor Anand Babu.[9]
Partial Filmography
Overall, Nagesh acted in over 1,000 films in most South Indian languages, apart from Hindi. Apart from films, he also performed as a stage actor and acted in tele serials. The last teleserial appearance of his was in the 2001 production Krishnadasi, in which he appeared as colleague Vietnam Veedu Sundaram's father.
 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Manamulla Marudhaaram | Nagesh's first film | |
| 1960 | Pachai Vilakku | ||
| Makkala Rajya | First Kannada film by Nagesh[10] | ||
| 1961 | Thayilla Pillai | ||
| 1962 | Nenjil Oru Aalayam | Ward boy | Nagesh's first hit. |
| 1964 | Server Sundaram | Sundaram | Nagesh plays the title role of a server in a hotel, Sundaram, who gets a chance in a movie and emerges as a rich and prominent actor. Partly based on Nagesh's own life. A hit. |
| Kadalikka Neramillai | Chellappa | ||
| 1965 | Kuzhandhaiyum Deivamum | ||
| Thiruvilayadal | Dharumi | A Hindu mythological in which Nagesh plays the cameo role of a poor temple priest named Dharumi who pretends to be a Tamil scholar and presents a poem written by Lord Shiva at the Pandyan court as per Shiva's instructions. | |
| 1966 | Nadodi | ||
| Anbe Vaa | |||
| Chiththi | Widower's son | ||
| Major Chandrakant | Mohan | ||
| Yaarukkukaha Azhudhan | Joseph | ||
| 1967 | Jewel thief | ||
| Aalayam | |||
| Anubhavi Raja Anubhavi | |||
| Athey Kangal | |||
| Bama Vijayam | |||
| Bhavani | |||
| Engalukkum Kaalam Varum | |||
| Farz | Nagesh's first film in Hindi. | ||
| Iru Malargal | |||
| Pattanathil Bhootham | Seenu | An adaptation and parody of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. Nagesh plays the supporting role of Seenu, who is the hero Jaishankar's friend. | |
| 1968 | Ethir Neechal | Maadhu | Nagesh plays the main role of a poor yet honest orphan Maadhu who succeeds in life by braving a number of hurdles |
| Soappu, Seepu, Kannadi | |||
| Thamarai Nenjam | |||
| Thillana Mohanambal | Vaidhy | Nagesh played the role of a pimp named Vaidhy who tries to benefit by delivering the heroine to a rich zamindar, M. N. Nambiar. Though Nambiar is the main protagonist in the movie, Nagesh portray of the cunning selfish Vaidhy earned him critical acclaim. | |
| 1969 | Shanti Nilayam | Nagesh provides the comic foil in Shanti Nilayam which is the Tamil remake of The Sound of Music | |
| 1970 | Vietnam Veedu | ||
| 1972 | Papam Pasivadhu | ||
| Vasantha Maaligai | |||
| 1974 | Apoorva Ragangal | ||
| 1975 | Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal | R. K. Viswanatha Sarma | |
| 1976 | Manushulanta Okkate | Ganapathi | |
| 1977 | Indradhanusu | ||
| 1978 | Oru Nadigai Naadagam Paarkiraal | ||
| 1981 | Valarthu Mirugangal | Naanu | |
| Thillu Mullu | As himself | Nagesh appears in a cameo role as himself | |
| Gadasari Attaha Sosagara Kodalu | |||
| Devudu Mamayya | |||
| Kadal Meengal | |||
| Kondavetti Simham | |||
| 1982 | Justice Chowdhury | ||
| 1985 | Padikkadhavan | A Rajinikanth-starrer in which Nagesh played the step father role. | |
| 1986 | Karu Diddina Kapuram | ||
| 1987 | Kachchi Kali | ||
| 1989 | Apoorva Sagodharargal | Nagesh's second hit film as a villain | |
| Indrudu Chandrudu | |||
| Mounam Sammadham | Third film by Nagesh in a negative role | ||
| 1990 | Athisaya Piravi | Nagesh's fourth notable film as a villain | |
| 1991 | Michael Madana Kama Rajan | Avinashi | Nagesh plays the role of a dishonest personal secretary to a rich millionaire who frequently asks for money from his boss. |
| 1992 | Allari Mogudu | ||
| Brundavanam | |||
| 1993 | Madam | ||
| 1994 | Magalir Mattum | A dead body | |
| Gandeevam | |||
| Brahmachari Mogudu | |||
| Nammavar | |||
| 1996 | Avvai Shanmugi | Joesph | |
| 1998 | Tholi Prema | ||
| Desiya Geetham | |||
| Subhakankshalu | |||
| 2000 | Rhythm | ||
| 2001 | Minnale | ||
| Poovellam Un Vasam | |||
| 2002 | Panchathanthiram | ||
| 2003 | Kadhal Kondain | ||
| 2004 | Vasool Raja MBBS | ||
| 2006 | Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi | Mokkayappar | |
| 2007 | Saravana | ||
| 2008 | Dasavatharam |
- Panan Padaitthavan
- Galaattaa Kalyaanam
- Nawab Naarkaali
- Ooty Vari Uravu
- Sumaithaangi
- Ninaivil nindraval
- Neerkkumizhi
- Navagraham
- Preethsu Tappenilla (2000) (kannada) [10]
- Gadibidi Ganda (1993) (kannada) [10]
References
- ^ http://www.dinamalar.com/fpnnews.asp?News_id=2901
- ^ a b http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET_Cetera/Comedy_king_Nagesh_breathes_his_last/articleshow/4057936.cms
- ^ S. Theodore Baskaran (2009). "Tragic comedian". Frontline. 26 (4).
- ^ http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/01/stories/2009020150170100.htm
- ^ http://www.aol.in/southcinema/tamil-story/Nagesh-A-versatile-and-most-loved-comedy-actor/2009020201309019000001
- ^ http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/01/stories/2009020157350100.htm
- ^ http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/01/stories/2009020159431000.htm
- ^ http://www.dinamalar.com/fpnnews.asp?News_id=2901
- ^ http://www.dinamalar.com/fpnnews.asp?News_id=2901
- ^ a b c Kannada films