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Dear FH Friends,
I am hereby produce the articles written by Mr.R.Mahadevan in Dinakaran. Whenever you are free, read and comment. An interesting articles on our All Time Great Actor Sivaji. This article includes his various photos. I am unable to send photos. I will try to send it in near future.
Thanks
abkhlabhi
Maha Thoughts
-By R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-1)
Chevaliae Sivajikku
Oscarum Varum
(Oscar Too Would Adorn Sivaji)
( Chevaliae Sivaji Ganesan, the Tamil film artiste, is undoubtedly the greatest cine actor the world has ever seen. He passed away on 21-07-2001, in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. The present writer of this web article [ R.Mahadevan] has already written a book in Tamil, in print medium, which bears the title: "Chevaliae Sivajikku Oscarum Varum". It means: Oscar Too Would Adorn Sivaji. It was published on 20-12-1995. Earlier, the French Government had awarded Sivaji one of it's most prestigious awards: 'Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Literature [Chevalier De L'Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres]. The following is the translated version of the excerpts from that book)
Oscar is considered to be the highest award of World Cinema.
Some years back Oscar Special Award (Honorary Oscar) was awarded to the Indian film director Sathyajit Ray and the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, who were worldwide considered to be geniuses of cinema world. In recognition of these two giant personalities' life-time contribution to cine field the special award was presented to them in the name of Honorary Oscar.
While announcing this award to them the Oscar Committee also came out with a self-explanatory statement. In it, the following explanation was given by the Committee: At times even Oscar Committee has committed some mistakes. One of them is that so far it hasn't given due recognition to such geniuses like AkiraKurosawa and Sathyajit Ray. To remedy this we have now given Oscar Special Award to them in recognition of their life-time contribution to Cinema. So went the explanation.
If we see things in this light, we could come to the conclusion that the one world great cinema artiste who hasn't so far fallen within the purview of Oscar Committee's attention is the ever green Tamil Cinema Mega Star 'Nadigar Thilagam' Sivaji Ganesan.
On account of Sivaji Ganesan's total and life-time achievements in and contributions to Cinema, he certainly deserves to be awarded Honorary Oscar. If that isn't done, perhaps the Oscar Committee would be blamed once again for committing the same mistake, as in the cases of Sathyajit Ray and Akhiro Kurosawa---for having failed to give due recognition to the world's greatest actor Sivaji Ganesan! So it's the opinion of the critics that the Committee should remedy it's mistake in the matter of Sivaji Ganesan too, as it did in the cases of Ray and Kurosawa earlier.
The 'Chevaliae Award', which is one of the highest Awards of France and which, in terms of reputation, is considered to be equal to Oscar, had earlier been awarded to the only Indian Sathyajit Ray. Recently the Chevaliae Award was given to Sivaji Ganesan!
When Sivaji Ganesan's name had been nominated for Chevaliae Award and while it was still under the consideration of the Chevaliae Committee, do you know whom the committee approached for the answer to the question: 'Whether Sivaji Ganesan stood qualified enough to receive this highest award---'Chevaliae'? It approached only the former recipient of this award in India, Sathyajit Ray!
Ray, who was then the president of Indian Film Federation, is said to have given the following reply to the Committee: 'There isn't a more apt personality in Indian Cinefield to-day to receive this award other than Sivaji Ganesan'.
But there is a small difference between the Chevaliae award that Ray had already received and the recent one awarded to Sivaji. The Chevaliae award presented to Sivaji is said to be comparatively or gradewise a bit superior to that awarded to Sathyajit Ray.
Ray's films have won so many awards in International Film Festivals. He was ranked as one among the top 10 directors in the world. He was keeping up that level of world fame and distinction till the end of his life.
England's Film Institute at a particular period of time had awarded it's most prestigious award only to two world great cinema men. One was Charlee Chaplin. And the other was Sathyajit Ray.
This much popular Ray couldn't go to France in person to receive the Chevaliae Award! At that time Ray had been hospitalized in Calcutta and was undergoing treatment. During then the French President gave an official visit to India. The President, while in India, made a slight change in his official tour programme and himself went to the Calcutta hospital, met Ray there and gave away the Chevaliae Award to the latter in person.
As we indicated earlier, the Chevaliae Award received by Sivaji Ganesan is said to be a bit superior, in terms of it's grade, to that received by the great Sathyajit Ray. Now it could very well be understood that the achievement of Sivaji Ganesan as a cinema man is in no way inferior to that of Ray!
The same Ray, who got the Chevaliae Award first, received his Oscar Special Award at a later period..Therefore it's only logically correct to insist that Sivaji Ganesan who has received a bit superior grade of Chevaliae than Ray himself should also be duly or accordingly honoured by the Oscar Committee also, by giving him the Oscar Special Award!
Were Sathyajit Ray to remain alive to-day he himself might havedefinitely recommended Sivaji Ganesan's name for Oscar Special Award! What more would be needed by the Oscar Committee than the very recommendation of Sathyajit Ray, who himself happens to be an Oscar Special Award recipient!
By way of giving substantial proof in justification of such a recommendation, one could cite the examples of the rich varieties that abound in the multi-different character roles Sivaji has done, right from his first film "Paraasakthi" to "En Aasa Rasaave"! Sivaji Ganesan has infused life into such character roles which profess to the world the virtuosity and the universality of his great art of matchless acting! The way in which he has acted in these roles define the ABC of acting . It's the Grammar of acting.
Even to-day it is not too late. Chevaliae Committee, having the list of nominations of world great actors at hand, only after 6 years of strenuous efforts and fact-finding research work, finally selected Sivaji Ganesan for the award for the particular year! If that is so, the same, complete data that this Committee collected in the course of 6 years relating to Sivaji Ganesan may very well be made to reach the hands of Oscar Committee also. If that could be accomplished successfully, Sivaji Ganesan, who has so far climbed up 99 steps by winning the Chevaliae Award, may very soon be enabled to put his feet upon the 100th step also. If the right people choose the right course of action we could soon be able to felicitate Oscar Sivaji!
( To be continued)
Maha Thoughts:
--By R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-2)
His Original Way Of Acting
Fetched Him The Chevalier Award
The following explanation was given by the Chevalier award committee as to why this award was presented to Sivaji Ganesan:
The Chevalier award has been given to Mr. Sivaji Ganesan in recognition of one of the most original ways of acting and expression of emotions in Indian films.
This Chevalier committee has accurately evaluated what's Sivaji's greatest plus points and strength.....
It's only Sivaji's priceless trait of originality in acting, which has made him turn into an epoch-making personality and has enabled him to stand as an ever-lasting source of inspiration, for generation after generation, to hundreds of artistes. He ever remains an idol to them.
The meaning of the term originality could be more clearly understood when we corroborate it with terms like sincerity, creativity, individuality etc.
The vast significance and greater veracity of his qualitative trait called originality has been fully felt and thoroughly understood by the French people. Hence they have given him the Chevalier award.
Likewise, all the international awards and titles presented to Sathyajit Ray had been possible only because of his originality, creativity, individuality and his inherent quality of native genius.
Sathyajit Ray's first film won international award at the first ever international film festival it participated in...The same film won a few more awards at the subsequently held international film festivals.
Ray's second and third directional ventures also won awards in respective international film festivals.
Seeing this, some of the North Indian film makers made their trips to Hollywood to get first-hand knowledge of the modern film-making techniques used there. They wanted to produce their own films in India using those techniques and thereby hoped to win international awards and accolades! But what they saw abroad made them feel still more frustrated. A sense of inferiority complex started haunting them. Like them, Ray didn't try just to imitate foreign film makers. Rather he followed only the dictates of his own mind.
When he entered film-making he was a new-comer to the field. He didn't have prior experience. He invested what he had been keeping as his personal savings, as his initial investment, and started film- shooting as only a part-timer. He shot his film during week-ends. On weekly working days he continued to attend his regular office work as usual.
He chose only newface artistes as actors and actresses for his film. He selected them from among people he met in everyday life. There was no special make-up too, for the artistes.
The cinematographer, whom Ray chose for his film, was also a newface technician with no prior cinema experience. He was only an ordinary still-photographer.
Thus, in spite of having fixed only newface people for all these works, Ray managed to win international recognition and fame, that's also through his first ever film itself! He entered into film-making relying only upon his own creativity, individuality and sincerity. He never backtracked afterwards from his forward journey.
The French government presented Chevalier award to Ray as it recognized his positive qualities of individual genius, creativity and sincerity. In the same manner it has awarded Chevalier award to Sivaji Ganesan because it has taken into account his (Sivaji's) positive traits of originality, creativity and sincerity in his profession of acting.
There are numerous examples that speak volumes on Sivaji's great traits of individual talent, originality and passion for acting. We can cite one particular example here: Sivaji Ganesan had given an interview to a popular English daily. One of the questions put to him in the course of the interview read like this: 'You are said to indulge in over-acting ... What do you say about it?' For this Sivaji gave the curt reply: 'Whenever I start playing a role, I just get myself psychologically and fully converted into that character itself. Once getting converted so, where's the scope for doing over-acting or under-acting?'
Both Sathyajit Ray and Sivaji Ganesan are unparalleled geniuses. They are the beacon lights that show the path to others. The international awards are nothing but a recognition given for such a guidance!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan.
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-3)
The Quintessence Of His Uniqueness
Only when one gets deserted in the scorching sun that he comes to feel what a heaven it is on earth to get sheltered under the pleasant coolness of the breezy shadow afforded by the wayside, benevolent tree! Like that, only when a film actor faces the challenge of acting in more than one character role in the same film, not only the film-goers but that very actor himself come to feel what an unfathomable genius among geniuses Sivaji Ganesan, the veritable cine actor is!
(It's this very idea which was explained in so many words by Malayalam super star Mammootty at the Chevalier award presentation function that was held in Chennai, in which the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu Ms. Jayalalitha, the French Ambassador, all India film personalities and thousands of cinema fans had participated. In this, Mammootty spoke like this: "Sivaji has acted in dual roles in the film 'Uththama Puththiran'---in one of these he has played the character role of a good man and in the other that of a bad person. It's the unimitable, unique speciality of Sivaji Ganesan that in his depiction of these two different roles, his style of acting in one role won't get reflected in the other! This talent is a distinctive quality of him which can't be found in [lesser] artistes like us").
People have compared Sivaji Ganesan with different artistes at different times. As far as the artistes of foreign conutries are concerned, our people have compared him with Marlon Brando. When considering our North Indian artistes, people have initially compared him with Dhileep Kumar and subsequently with Sanjeev Kumar.As far as our Tamil film artistes are concerned, people have compared Sivaji with Ranga Rao, M.R.Radha, T.S.Balaiah, S.V.Subbiah, Chandrababu and so on. It seems that those people who have compared him like this have forgotten the following important truth: Whatever character roles that used to have been created and enacted on screen in different parts of the world could perfectly suit Sivaji Ganesan! Such was his natural facial get-up and bodily stature. Make-up suitability and physical appearance are God-given attributes to Sivaji Ganesan that no other cine artiste on earth can even dream of matching him as far as these two, natural aspects are concerned! For instance, had a real Indian prince seen Sivaji Ganesan's princely get-up in "Uththama Puththiran", he would have certainly exclaimed out of envy: 'Wow...We ourselves aren't this much beautiful as this Sivaji appears in this role"! ("Devar Magan" award distribution function was held in Chennai. In this "Uththama Puththiran" film clippings were screened. Seeing prince Sivaji on screen, actor Dhileep Kumar, who had been seated next to Sivaji Ganesan on the function stage, exclaimed to him: 'How beautiful you are!').
Not a single artiste among the personalities mentioned above including Ranga Rao, M.R.Radha, T.S.Balaiah, Chandrababu and so on, is so suitable to this princely get-up as Sivaji Ganesan is. Perhaps, even Marlon Brando couldn't compete with Sivaji in this test of who suits exactly well and who looks more beautiful and gracefully stylish in this princely get-up. If one wants to ascertain the truth of this view he has to simply see the film "Uththama Puththiran". If he does so, he can have the first hand knowledge that would substantiate this viewpoint. But princely get-up is just only one of countless other character roles in which Sivaji has proved his native attribute of most perfect suitability---a suitability of facial get-up and bodily stature! These two aspects have lent hundred percent co-operation to Sivaji as no other actor on earth has been so richly and naturally equipped with these positive qualities as inborn traits! Most of the above-said artistes would have acceded their 50% defeat in the very make-up and costume suitability test itself when they compete with Sivaji on this ground. And all world-renowned artistes have to face the same fate if they are made to stand the test of make-up and costume suitability with regard to 90% of total, possible character roles.
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-4)
The Quintessence Of His Uniqueness
Sivaji Ganesan's physical features of beautiful face and excellent body stature were God's gifts, which he inherited right from his birth! No actors could artificially develop and nurture these qualities. Not only here but in the entire world, for that matter! First and foremost, it's his external look, form and style, which are the in-born qualities of him, that make him specially distinctive among world class cinema personalities.
Secondly, Sivaji Ganesan had the inborn gift of excellent voice,whose magical charm could enthrall and captivate the hearts of millions and millions of people across the world! It's a voice with a sea of potentials for voice modulations, which are of infinite variety, that could be adjusted and made suitable for whatever type of character role on earth! He can deliver the dialogue, while acting in front of the camera, and the dialogue may be as long as a 200-page-long written script and one can witness and hear his dialogue delivery that turns into a 'spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings', with corresponding expressions on his face and related jerks and vibrations all over the body. Sivaji, who can roar like a lion can also melt our hearts through his soft-spoken words of breezy nature that sooths us as if being brushed up with feather-like tenderness. In between these two degrees of dialogue delivery, which are poles apart, there are innumerable levels of voice modulation loaded with multi-different patterns of rhythmic variations! As in acting, in this art of voice modulations also, Sivaji Ganesan is the prime source of inspiration to other artistes. This is history.
Those artistes, who, by birth, are endowed with 'screaching' voice can't roar like a lion as Sivaji does. So when these artistes appear on screen and play roles which demand a voice like the roaring of a lion, these artistes would be reduced to the ridiculous condition of laughing-stocks. This kind of lack of voice suitability leaves a great number of artistes disqualified to play certain vital roles! This inability is prevailing among artistes that make them potentially inadequate and professionally incomplete! This pathetic condition is a stark reality that prevails not only here in Tamil film industry but it's an indubitable fact that's taking it's toll all over the world in respective film industries!
Thirdly, Sivaji Ganesan's exceptional talent for acting enabled him to stand out from others. In whatever role he might be acting, his enactment of the role has proved to be belonging to a far superior and distinctive category than that of any other artiste, who might have played the same role in a different film. None dares comparing himself with Sivaji Ganesan as far as acting is concerned! Even the real-life greats and V.V.I.P.s, whose character role is depicted on the screen by Sivaji Ganesan, will definitely exclaim on seeing it on screen, saying: 'Oh, how accurately and gracefully Sivaji Ganesan has depicted my own caharacter and personality on the screen.....In fact Sivaji has really outwitted me in his physical get-up as well as his acting style that he has actually defeated the original by making the imitation look more beautiful and praiseworthy.' Such personalities would actually feel envy of him!
This acting talent too is a God given gift to him. None can achieve this feat simply by mere hardwork and training!
Film director 'Vietnam Veedu' Sundaram once narrated the following incident: One day Sundaram had told Sivaji Ganesan, 'Your mother has given life to you for the express purpose of (acting in) drama and cinema'. To this Sivaji had asked: 'Why do you say so?'. Instantly came the reply from Sundaram: 'It's because you have a cinematic face and a bodily stature that's perfectly suitable to the camera in all it's angles and a 'golden' voice that perfectly 'agrees' with all the possible levels of the mike!'
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By- R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-5)
No 1 Ranking Actor
"Six crores of people are living in Tamilnadu. In this, only 6 persons are leading film heroes in Tamil. I feel very proud of myself that I too am one among the six heroes" so said actor Sathyaraj.
There are 700 crores of people in the entire world. Is itn't the rarest of distinctions for actor Sivaji Ganesan for having been the No 1 ranking artiste in the whole world in terms of talent, merit, in-born features and qualities?
Some time back, the present writer had the opportunity to converse with a V.I.P.. The V.I.P. said: "I have been seeing both Tamil and English films for the past 30 years. As far as I know, any character role fits in well only with two artistes among all the artistes of the world! One of them is our Sivaji Ganesan. The other one is the British actor Alex Guinness.
"This Alex Guinness is an excellent actor. He has acted in "Lawrence Of Arabia" as the Arab king. He changed even his English pronounciation in the film, speaking it with the accent of a real Arab man! He used to stun the audience by making them feel 'Is it Alex Guinness? Actually he looks like as if he's taken a re-birth in the film'! Like this he has also played other roles in different films, in which instances also, he hasn't merely acted but has virtually lived as the very character he plays on the screen!". So said the V.I.P..
As the V.I.P. related this, a truth dawned upon the present writer's mind. It's this: Sivaji Ganesan belongs to this class of rarest of artistes, who are all capable of taking any number of re-births by way of living the very lives of the characters they portray on the screen. In this he could be likened with Alex Guinness.
Yet, there's an important difference between the two. The cinema-goers or the fans got themselves spell-bound when they saw, how, in every one of Alex Guinness' films, he managed to turn himself to be the very character he played in it! But when Sivaji Ganesan took re-births by way of living the lives of the very characters he played, not only the audiences but even the respective field's real-life geniuses, whose life-styles and professional mannerisms were more than portrayed, with unmistakable exactness, by Sivaji Ganesan, felt completely overwhelmed as if thunder-struck when they came to understand the tremendous acting potential and the dramatic calibre of the versatile and unmatchable artiste-genius called Sivaji!
The real-life geniuses of different trades are those who have entirely submitted themselves to their respective professions, who have made those very professions their only life-interest! When Sivaji Ganesan portrays those geniuses' life-styles on screen, he never fails to register, as he goes on performing, even the minute details pertaining to that particular character he portrays! Above all, he adds extra gracefulness and gives a touch of perfection, which have become the two unmistakable hallmarks of his portrayls! Such a touch of perfection may be missing even in the real life models whom Sivaji imitates on screen but Sivaji's character-depiction is always flaw-free and remains perfect to the core!
The Doctor's role he played in "Navaraaththiri" is an example! Even real-life, doctor-experts can't show that much professionalism in their movements and gestures as Sivaji does in the film! The stage-performing folk-artiste's role in the same film is yet another example! The prince's role in "Uththama Puththiran" is an one more sample piece! His role as Kambar's son Ambigapathy in the film "Ambigapathy", his Police officer's get-up in "Thangappathakkam", Sikkal Shanmugasundaram's role as depicted by Sivaji in "Thillaanaa Mohanaambaal" and finally his depiction of a rich man's stylistic mannerisms in films like "Paar Mahalae Paar", " Uyarntha Manithan" and "Paasa Malar" actually have left such experts and professionals awestruck that they even developed a sense of envy as they come to see before their very eyes how beautifully and more than truthfully their own life-styles are perfectly portrayed by Sivaji Ganesan, the giant among actor-geniuses!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-6)
No 1 Ranking Actor
Sivaji Ganesan sings a Carnatic song in a scene in the "Thavapputhalvan", as he participates, in the film, in a competition meant against Hindustani music. Carnatic music world's living giant Chemmangudi Seenivaasa Iyer, once saw this picture on screen. While seeing it, he's said to have exclaimed: "I myself have come to understand only aftter seeing Sivaji Ganesan's'bhavas' and 'abhinayas' that he's giving expressions to through his facial and bodily gestures, as he is singing the carnatic song in the film, that a song like this could be sung by the carnatic singers on stage with this much grace and beauty!"
Ex-Inspector General of Police F.V.Arul, after seeing "Thangappathakkam", expressed his felicitations by saying that "An ideal police officer should be exactly like what Sivaji Ganesan is in the film 'Thangappathakkam', in which he plays the role of Chaudri, the Superintendent of Police"!
Indian independence struggle hero, nationalist and patriot V.O.Chidhamabaram's son Subramaniam saw the film "Kappalottya Thamizhan".Having seen Sivaji Ganesan playing V.O.Chidhambaram's role in the film, Subramaniam, later met Sivaji Ganesan and fell oblong at the latter's feet, saying, "I saw only my father in you in the film! It's absolutely the most perfect, life-like portrayal"!
On one of those days, Arignar Annadurai, accompanied by his colleagues, had gone to a cinema theatre to see the film "Kauvery". On their way home, after the show, Anna had been all praise for Sivaji Ganesan, eulogyzing him for hours together, in a non-stop fashion, this time appreciating Sivaji's style of acting and at other his way of dancing in the film!
We know that only after witnessing the stage drama "Sivaji Kanda Indhu Samrajyam", in which Sivaji Ganesan played Sathrapathy Sivaji, the great social reformer and thinker Thanthai Periyar Ramasamy conferred the title "Sivaji" on Ganesan, who, from then onwards, came to be known as 'Sivaji' Ganesan!
After seeing the special screening of the film "Sampoorna Ramayanam", in which film Sivaji had played Bharathan, Mootharignar Rajaji spelt out his most celebrated acclamation: "I saw only Bharathan in the film. I couldn't see Sivaji Ganesan in it"
"Sivaji Ganesan is an artiste endowed with God's blessings......... 'Acting' means Sivaji Ganesan", said 'Perunthalaivar', Kamaraj. "Hereafter no actor with as much acting potential like my brother Sivaji Ganesan can come to live upon this earth", remarked the late actor and ex-Chief Minister M.G.R.
It was the point of time when Sivaji Ganesan's name had been nominated for Chevalier Award. Then, so it's said, "Navarathri" film, in which Sivajihas played a record number of 9 different character roles, was screened exclusively for the special audiences consisting of French film directors and cinema personalities. Some of those audiences couln't believe at all that only a single artiste called Sivaji Ganesan had played 9 different character roles in it ("Navarathri")! For, audiences were of the opinion that an artiste could, at the most, play a maximum of only three different charater roles in a film! They continued to argue that, perhaps, Sivaji Ganesan's brother, if there's one, having the most exact resemblance of him, might have co-acted with Sivaji in it! Or, so they added, make-up experts might have altered Sivaji's face using plastic surgery technique!
Finally,their doubts were cleared and they all accepted that the particular 9 roles in the film were all enacted by Sivaji Ganesan alone! They got themselves fully convinced only after a thorough computer-aided analysis and verification. It's said that one of the big directors, who attended the show, then raised the question: 'Why hasn't this acting genius been awarded Oscar yet?'
Tamil actress Lakshmi, who has been awarded Best Actress National Award on 3 occasions, once, when she met Hindi actor Sanjeev Kumar, had asked him: "I heard that you are only doing the 9 roles in the Hindi version of the Tamil film "Navarathri", in which originally Sivaji Ganesan had done those 9 roles....". For that Sanjeev Kumar had given the instant reply: "Sivaji is an artiste of Himalayan stature...Please don't compare us with him".
Some years back an international film festival opened in Mumbai.Sivaji Ganesan, who participated in it as a special guest, inaugurated the festival. The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra,Sarath Pawar spoke in praise of Sivaji Ganesan at the function. He remarked: "We can never forget your performance in which you portrayed our Marathi Sivaji". Like this, Sivaji Ganesan has inexplicably stunned the entire class of geniuses and giants of all walks of life by his extraordinary acting talent and competence!
To conclude, Sivaji Ganesan's rare qualities of physical features that enable character-suitability, perfect voice-modulation that exactly suits each and every character role he plays and finally his remarkable acting potential----are all natural gifts attained by him by birth. Qualities like these have made him the No1 ranking actor in the world!
(To Be Continued)
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-7)
Sivaji-Steven Spielberg
-A Comparison
A popular Tamil actor was once acting in a Tamil film directed by a Malayalam director. As this film's shooting was in progress, one day, a particular scene saturated with emotions, was being shot by the director. The above-said actor, who was acting in that scene, had, in the midst of action, made one of his cheeks quiver or throb as a sign of expressing deep-felt emotion!
Immediately, the director had shouted "cut". As the camera stopped shooting, the director had started advising the actor thus: "Why do you show expressions like this....? While you act, imagine that foreigners are witnessing your action! If you do so, you could act in a natural way". The directorhad said so.
If we analyse our own filmfield or any other filmfield in the world including the Hollywood, we would be able to conclude that all the artistes could be classified into various categories and subsequently, they could be grouped together in a hierarchical manner! If we do so, 50% of the total world cinema artistes would fall into the category of 'very ordinary type' of artistes. Of the remaining 50%, 20 to 40% of artistes would belong to the category of 'average type'. A 5 to 6% of artistes would stand at a 'slightly higher level above this average category'. This slightly higher level artistes could be rated excellent, talent wise!
Only just 2% of the world artistes could be justified to be called 'geniuses of acting'.
But, only occasionally, 'the unparalleled and the rarest type of genius, who could be described as 'the genius of geniuses' comes to live on this earth.
Such a rarest kind of genius would come into being only very, very rarely, at some corner of the earth and not everywhere, only at some point of time in the history of the world and not always!
The above-said Malayalam director's advice can be applicable only in case of average level of artistes as well as the above-average category of artistes!
But such a 'grammar' as 'taught' by the Malayalam director won't apply in the case of genius artistes nor could it impose it's own rules of restrictions as far as these genius artistes are concerned. Such genius artistes can be likened to a piece of poetry that exceeds the limits and boundaries of grammar!
World's No.1 ranking dramatist Shakespeare's poetical writings at times exceed grammatical limits and rules. Those pieces of his writings are accepted as 'good text' in the name of 'poetic licence'. Like that, it's inevitable that the geniuses in the field of acting exceed the limits of grammar! So to say, the concept of the people like the above-mentioned Malayalam film director regarding acting is different from how 'acting' has been viewed by the rare geniuses in the field of acting like Sivaji Ganesan! Specifically speaking, as far as Sivaji is concerned, he happened to be the genius of geniuses!
The French people, who recognized how great a genius Sivaji Ganesan is, and the members of Chevalier Award committee are all none but foreigners! 25 geniuses belonging to different walks of life are members of this committee. Only these members had selected Sivaji Ganesan for this Chevalier award!
Those who awarded the 'Afro-Asian Best Actor'award to SivajiGanesan are also only foreigners!
So, the belief that foreigners won't like this and won't like that is nothing but a mirage! Sivaji has shattered the crooked circle that we had put around ourselves and has succeeded in traversing the narrow boundaries!
There's a remarkable similarity between this much great Sivaji and the Hollywood great and the ever-green film director Steven Spielberg....
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-8)
By virtue of his directional venture "Jaws",Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg earned worldwide fame overnight!
He won 3 Oscars for his "Jurassic Park". He walked away with 7 Oscars for his "Schindler's List".
He's supposed to be the No.1 ranking film director today in Hollywood.
In handling both the most advanced scientific techniques in film-making on the one hand and the most intriquing human emotions in his films on the other, Spielberg remains unparalleled and he's been successfully juxtaposing the latest cinema techniques with the deepest human emotions which are made to mix up in novel proportions in unimaginable ways in his films that go to make up his visual extravaganzas that turn into some of the finest creations of celluloid magical shows ever created that excitingly end up as great commercial hits!
In his film "Jaws", apart from his employment of the most modern scientific techniques, the way in which he portrayed his filmy characters, who live and move with the daunting fear phobia that resides within every human being's heart and psyche and the haunting feeling of suspense that make them tremble and shiver as they are led to waver hopelessly in the deep sea, had spoken volumes about Spielberg's unrivalled talent that didn't spare even the passively sitting audiences, who in turn get terrorized as if they themselves are driven into the sea along with the very characters they are witnessing on the screen, and subsequently they are forced to move to the edge of their seats as they are viewing the super-suspense thriller in the theatre!
In "Jurassic Park" also, the audiences quite often forget to breathe even, as shock waves seize them one after the other and they feel equally helpless like the leading characters themselves in the film, viz: the hero, heroine, the small boy and the small girl, who virtually don't know at what moment they might get swallowed up by the giant dino!
Even this much reputed Spielberg, though he remains a mega technician with immeasurable wealth of talent making use of all such modern, scientific advancements in his chosen field of film-making, ultimately aims only to arouse human emotions and targets to induce the 'Id', which is described as the sea of amoral and which forms the substantial part in the viewers' psyche!
What emotive outburst, what a tempestuous state of mind and what complex perplexity the human heart is upto that Spielberg is able to create using all his scientific techniques, sharks and dinosaurs, Sivaji Ganesan, as a lone man and putting up an 'one-man-show' like performance, has succeeded in creating the same (effects) all by himself on the silver screen!
Through his sheer acting, by blasting like a whirl wind, roaring like a lion, bursting out like a volcano and displaying an emotive state that seems to glow like fire, Sivaji has reached the boundaries of acting, showing to us the
multifarious sides of human life!
(To be continued)
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-10)
The Hollywood Film World
Did Get Defeated
The Hollywood film field, though it's weilding it's power as if it is the undisputed leader and the sole emperor of world cinema, by pushing to the background, in the process, all other cine fields of the world, has got defeated, in one respect, in the hands of Tamil film field----it's only in the case of Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan!
The science of cinema realized the worth and the meaning of it's very birth because of the artiste called Sivaji Ganesan too!
Had only Sivaji Ganesan, who has shown on Tamil screen thousands of styles in acting, born in the Hollywood film world, he would have certainly created, true to the spirit of the Western and American cultures, thousands of new styles in acting on the Hollywood screen also! By doing so, he might have stunned all the Hollywood actors without a single exception and might have established a new tradition and milieu in which no Hollywood actor could ever remain untouched and get unswayed by the sweeping influence of the most original ways of Sivaji Ganesan's great acting!
One of the two great Indian film artistes, either Dileep Kumar or Nageswara Rao has once stated that he could, if so he tried, imitate the acting style of Marlon Brando and act like him on screen. But, so he added, he could never get near even the shadow of Sivaji Ganesan'sacting style! 'Paerarignar' Annadurai said the same thing but in different words. He said: "Sivaji Ganesan can act like Marlon Brando....But Marlon Brando has to see how far it's possible for him to act like Sivaji Ganesan".
Sivaji Ganesan's beautiful, physical features, his ability for excellent dialogue delivery and his potentials for marvellous acting are all inborn qualities!
These three aspects have been present in him 100%, that no other world actor has inherited them with so much flawless perfection as Sivaji Ganesan has!
The two times Oscar award winner Marlon Brando, one time Osacr winner Alec Guinness, more than once Oscar recipient Dustin Hoffman and other Oscar winning great actors like Yule Brynner, Clark Gable, Charlston Heston, Rex Harrison, Paul Neuman, Sydney Poitier and the like, without exception, didn't possess equally beautiful physical features, a remarkable talent for showing infinite variety in dialogue delivery and finally and more importantly a competence inexhaustible for exhibiting the best ever kind of acting as Sivaji Ganesan does!
Sivaji Ganesan can act and speak like all of these actors! But these actors can't act and speak like him. There's no other actor in India who's competent enough to play the 9 different roles in the (Tamil) film "Navaraathri" so gracefully and wonderfully as Sivaji Ganesan has done in it! Sanjeev Kumar, who acted in the Hindi version of "Navaraathri" has acknowledged his comparative incompetence by saying: "Don't compare me with the Himalayan-statured actor Sivaji Ganesan. His matter is entirely different! It's an unique one that stands beyond any comparison!".
Likewise, Nageswara Rao, acted in the 9 roles in the Telugu version of "Navaraathri". But he couldn't act so marvellously and beautifully like Sivaji Ganesan in those 9 character roles! He can't also deliver dialogue so gracefully like Sivaji. This much incompetence is to be seen not only here in India. The same condition prevails in cases of all the world-renowned actors also!
Had they produced this "Navaraathri" in English, no competent actors would have been available in Hollywood too! The Hollywood greats listed above couldn't have performed like Sivaji in the English version of "Navaraathri" had they produced it!. "Variety and Beauty, thy name is Sivaji Ganesan".
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-11)
A Recommendation
To The Oscar Committee
Tamil film director R.V.Udhayakumar oncewrote a poem in praise of Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan. He wrote in it: "Any award that hasn't yet come to you (Sivaji), isn't an award at all. If your actual potentials are taken into account, Chevalier Award isn't that much a great thing at all"!
As it has now become customary to present the 'Life-Time Achievement Award' to select cinema personalities, we earlier made public our wish by extending our heart-felt recommendation that Life-Time Oscar should be presented to Sivaji Ganesan.
Now it's our bounden duty to submit one more recommendation either to the Oscar committee or the highest body of world cinema. It's this: When Chevalier award was presented to Sivaji Ganesan one might take it to mean that by winning it he has realized the meaning of his very birth into this world! But Chevalier award is nothing more than a rightful recognition given to his acting talent. Hence we don't think it's a complete award as far as Sivaji Ganesan is concerned for it can never dream of equating the great acting potentials Sivaji Ganesan!
If perhaps, Life-time Achievement Special Oscar is awarded to Sivaji Ganesan one day, that too won't be considered by us as an honour that can match his great, unique acting potentials! Going a step further, either the Oscar committee or the highest body of world cinema should create a unique, special award for presenting it to Sivaji Ganesan. This award should mean that among all the world class actors who have shone on silver screen so far and among those who are going to appear on screen in the future, undoubtedly Sivaji Ganesan is the greatest actor .... And no one else can be born into this world hereafter, who could be branded a greater performer than Sivaji Ganesan! With this idea, the most unique title "The Greatest Actor Ever Lived On Earth" should be conferred on Sivaji Ganesan!
As the Chevalier award was presented to him at a grand gala function held in Chennai in the auspecious presence of all the leading artistes belonging to the different language filmfields of India, so the 'The Greatest Actor Ever Lived On Earth' award too should be presented to him in the presence of all the leading film artistes belonging to the differnt countries of the world!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-12)
The Best Among
Chevalier Award Recipients!
At the world level, only a few film actors have been awarded 'Chevalier Award', which is one of the highest awards being presented by the French Government. (This award is described to be an equivalent of Oscar).
Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffmann, Sivaji Ganesan and the like have been so far awarded 'Chevalier'.
Excepting Sivaji, all the other recipients of this award are all Hollywood artistes.
Among all the winners of the 'Chevalier', it's only Sivaji Ganesan who remains endowed with infinite potentials that no other world class artiste is so qualified as to stand in comparison with him! So to say, it remains to be ascertained that Sivaji Ganesan is the greatest film actor the world has ever seen!
The Hollywood cine field has the reputation of being the unrivalled leader among all the cine fields of the world. There's the Himalayan difference between the Hollywood and our Tamil film field. How great an achievement is this that hailing from the Tamil cinefield, Sivaji Ganesan has managed to win this great world class award, 'Chevalier', which, only such mega cine personalities like Clint Eastwood and Dustin Hoffmann have won, how great a feat this should be!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts
By-R.Mahadevan
The Gteatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-13)
One Of The Very Few 1st Ranking
World Class Achievers
Film actor Nagesh once made the following comments: 'Mahathma Gandhi of India is a world wonder. Likewise, in cinefield, there's one more world wonder in India. It's actor Sivaji Ganesan'.
The above view of Nagesh is hundred percent true!
Only very, very rarely great geniuses are born into this world.
World class achievers are there in all the fields. World renowned achievers are there as scientists, writers, social-minded intellectuals, business magnates, sports persons, artists and so on.
There have come into being, so far, hundreds of achievers like these in each and every field..... They would do so in future also. But, there is a special category of achievers within this group of world class achievers. This special category of achievers would always stand out distinctly, whom the general type of achievers themselves can't even come near, when judged in terms of merit! In that way, the special category of achievers would hold the No.1 rank, in their respective field of activity.
It's very rare to become a world class achiever.
It is rare among the rarest of events to capture the No.1 spot, which the other achievers of the same field can't even dream of getting near!
As the world class achievers differ from the ordinary masses, so the special category achievers of rarest type also differ from the general category of world class achievers.
Such a rarest and greatest genius among geniuses appear only once in a while and not always and only at some part of the world at any given time and not everywhere at the same time!
An Alexander among the kings of olden days, Socrates and Plato among the social thinkers of those days, Beethoven in music, Piccasso in painting and the like belong to this category of No.1 ranking geniuses.
In the later periods, world class dramatist Shakespeare, scientists like Galileo, Issac Newton and Thomas Alva Edison and still later, Einstein, who happened to be the greatest scientist ever, and the intellectual giant Bertrand Russell, all these personalities have proved to be unrivalled giants among geniuses!
Albert Sweitzer and Mother Theresa, in the field of social service, and a world wonder Mahatma Gandhi, in the field of spirituality--- all these people belong to the rarest kind of geniuses among the general class of geniuses. In the same way, in the field of film and stage acting the greatest ever genius has been our Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan.
There's also one more, unique, distinction as far as Sivaji Ganesan is concerned. It's this: From the date of the birth of the science called Cinema to the present day, no other actor has ever been born on this earth with so much capabilities as Sivaji Ganesan had been endowed with! Nor can anyone like him be born on this earth hereafter---in the days to come! This record of Sivaji Ganesan is a permanent one!
In other fields world records can be broken! In the field of acting Sivaji Ganesan's current record will remain for ever and will last as long as the world will do!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-14)
The Distant Goal Has Already Been Reached!
Super actor Kamalhassan of Tamil screen and the Tamil films director Maniratnam participated in the International Film Festival held in Canada a few years ago. Films like "Nayagan" (directed by Maniratnam) were screened there.
After his return to Chennai, Tamilnadu, Kamalhassan had given an interview to a local Tamil magazine, which was published under the title: "Thottuvidum Thooramthaan" ( It means, 'The Distant Goal Could Be Reached Soon').
In the interview, Kamalhassan had indicated his avowed intentions and future hopes. He had also expressed his deep sense of displeasure by saying how in international film festivals the Hollywood and such film worlds' mega personalities used to look down upon the Tamil film world people by treating the latter in a high-handed manner as if lords would treat the have-nots!
Kamalhassan had added in his interview that the standard and quality of Tamil films had been going on improving constantly, that the films were getting closer to the international standards of world class films! Kamal had said further that the Tamils might soon reach the once-distant goal of getting international recognition and the first ever Tamil cinema personalities to achieve that feat might be either Maniratnam or it might be he (Kamalhassan) himself!
Yet, what Kamalhassan had indicated as yet-to-be-reached goal has already been reached by our Tamil film world's mega star Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan. He (Sivaji) has already won international recognition and acclaim.
Sivaji Ganesan has won even as early as in 1960s one of the most coveted awards called 'The Afro-Asian Best Actor Award', for his excellent performance in the Tamil film, "Veera Paandia Katta Pomman". Again, a few years ago, he has won 'Chevalier' award of the French Government, in recognition of 'one of the most original ways of acting in Indianfilms'. It means that International standard and recognition has already been reached, already been won, by our Tamil, mega, cine personality, Sivaji Ganesan!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-15)
It's A Feat Deserving To Be
A Guinness Record
'Nadigavel' M.R.Radha has acted in "Raththak Kanneer", in the role of a leper. Tamil film director Mahendran once remarked that there's no other actor in the whole world, who could be more competent than or as competent as M.R.Radha, for playing that role, with so much, flawless perfection, as he has done in that film!
Like him, there have been world class actors, who might have, in their entire acting career, created unique world record for having acted in a particular character role, or utmost in two such roles, in a most individuating and distinctive style which no other actor could ever dream of doing the same in a better style!
But, in the entire world, it's only Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan, who, in his life-time, has set the unequivocal world record of not having left out even a single character role of commonplace or of prominent nature, untouched or undone by him! Most importantly, the unique feat of Sivaji is that unlike all other world class, top-ranking actors, who have either one film or just two films to their credit to stand witness to their world best performances, Chevalier Sivaji has portrayed a countless number of character roles and those performances have proved to be the perfect models of the grammar of acting for all the players the world over! Even the real-life, original models, whom Sivaji has portrayed on screen, are themselves found to be lacking in their respective mannerisms, styles, depth and grace which are perfectly depicted by him in his silver-screen characterizations.
Thus, possessing the external, physical features that fit in well with whatever sort of costume he puts on and whatever kind of make-up he wears on, for the multi-different roles he's played so far and achieving the unique distinction of having palyed a vast majority of those roles in an unparalleled style and with an unimaginable exactitude, he has managed to create the most unique world record ever accomplished in the field of film-acting! This is the one world record that's going to last unerased and going to remain for ever unbroken as long as the human species is going to roam upon this planet!
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-16)
Sivaji-Kalaignar-Shakespeare
As there's the No.1 ranking genius, Shakespeare in the field of world drama, so there's the No.1 ranking genius called Kalaignar Karunanidhi, in the field of cinema script-writing!
Like the paradoxical axiom, whether the chick came out first from inside the egg or vice versa ---- the one question the Tamil cine-goers used to be discussing often, (subsequently after the release of the films "Parasakthi" and "Manohara"), was that whether it was because of Kalaignar Karunanidhi's written dialogue that actor Sivaji Ganesan came to get very great fame or it was simply because of Sivaji Ganesan's talented acting and his exceptional way of dialogue delivery that had elevated Kalaignar Karunanidhi to the pinnacle of fame!
To that extent, the Sivaji-Kalaignar pair created an epoch-making history in Tamailnadu in general and Tamil cinema industry in particular! Sivaji Ganesan's extarordianry genius and Kalaignar Karunidhi's brilliant dialogues, combinely revolutionalized Tamil film field and the entire cine-going people got spell-bound by the mesmerizing effects of the unparalleled works of these two mega geniuses!
Perhaps, had Sivaji Ganesan born either in England or Hollywood instead of Tamilnadu, and if Shakespeare happened to be Sivaji's contemporary, then Sivaji-Shakespeare pair too, like Sivaji-Kalaignar pair, would have created new histories and records, both in world cinema and on the drama stage, and these records might have proved that Time could never wither them!
All the minute details Shakespeare gave life to in his dramatic writings, Sivaji Ganesan might have given expressions to in his acting, had these two happened to work together!
Though Sivaji Ganesan and Shakespeare lived in different periods of Time and in different countries, as Shakespeare happened to be the No.1 ranking dramatist in the world, Sivaji Ganesan proved to be the No.1 ranking film actor in world cinema.
Both these men's feats are unparalleled. None can shatter their records too!
Maha Thoughts:
By.R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-17)
Modesty Thy Name Is Sivaji
----------
It's one of the great wonders of Tamil film indusrty that the the greatest giant among world class actors, Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan, is also the most modest artiste among Tamil film actors. He never had indulged in self-boasting even to the least degree possible.
Sivaji had never given any interview in his life-time to any media driving home the idea that a particular role done by him in one of his films was very hard for others to do or that he did a particular role in a distinctively unique style, this and that and so on....(This praiseworthy, characteristic quality of modesty is also possessed by one other giant personality of Tamil cinema industry, Kalaignar Karunanidhi, who's one of the most renowned script-writers the world has ever known. Karunanidhi too hadn't indulged in self-boasting by way of speaking very highly of any piece of his own work, to any media, at any time! This rare quality and gesture, he's (Karunanidhi) still maintaining down to the present day).
Film director 'Vietnam Veedu' Sundaram, who was all praise for this quality that he found in Sivaji Ganesan, once cited a few instances by way of highlighting this quality of Sivaji. He said: "Sivaji won't try to own the felicitations of others, by carrying away all the praises on his shoulders alone! Instead, he would like to see that such felicitations, reach practically all those, who lent their work for the success of the film! For example, if somebody tells Sivaji, "Your dance movements in 'Uththama Puththiran', are excellent, he would instantly say, 'Heeralal taught me those things and I followed suit'. If we tell him, 'Your dialogue in a particular film was superb', immediately he would answer: 'The credit should go to the writer, who had created that piece of dialogue for me..... I have only vocally delivered it'.
"Like this, Sivaji used to share all such felicitations with all the team members", said Sundaram.
The Silver Jubilee function of the film, "Mannan", featured by Rajinikanth, and produced by 'Sivaji Films', was held in Park Sheraton hotel, Chennai.
Sivaji spoke at the function like this: "A cat was standing on a ocean shore. 'If all the waters of this ocean changed into milk, how happier would I become?', thought the cat.
"How foolish it is on the part of the cat to ponder like this? Suppose, had all the waters of the ocean changed into milk, could the cat be able to finish drinking the ocean-full of milk?
"Art is a great ocean too. If any one artist of cine field ever thinks that he has accomplished everything and realized all the goals, it's equivalent to the just mentioned cat's foolish thinking". So spoke Sivaji.
This he has spoken in spite of the fact, that, if there's really an artist in the film industry who could justifiably boast of having achieved so many Himalayan feats which, none else can even dream of, it's definitely Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan! And, if he himself speaks such humble words at the function cited above, what a modest man he is!
In an interview to "The Hindu", the way in which Sivaji Ganesan expressed his personal views speaks volumes about his modesty. He said in it: ''Perunthalaivar'
Kamarajar felicitated me saying, 'An excellent actor blessed with God's grace'. 'Mootharignar' Rajaji, having seen "Sampoorna Ramayanam", made the comment: 'I saw only Bharathan (the role played by Sivaji) in the film. I didn't see Sivaji Ganesan in it'. What more awards should I need than these two great leaders' felicitations?"
(To be continued).
Maha Thoughts:
By-R.Mahadevan
The Greatest Film Actor
The World Has Ever Seen
(Part-18)
Some Felicitations
---------
A.V.Meyyappa Chettiar, who introduced Sivaji Ganesan to the silver screen through "Parasakthi", is said to have expressed the view: "As far as I know, there's no other actor among world class actors, who is as talented as Sivaji Ganesan".
Tamil filmfield's first super star,Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, after having seen "Manohara", featured by Sivaji Ganesan, had exclaimed: "I haven't seen any other actor, apart from Sivaji Ganesan, who could evoke thundering applause from the audience in the theatre, simply by mentioning the word, 'Amma', while acting on the screen!"
Sivaji Ganesan's extraordinary acting talent has mesmerized even such giant leaders and reformers of Tamil society, namely Thanthai Periyar, Mootharignar Rajaji and Peruinthalaivar Kamarajar, who weren't that much interested either in drama or cinema and it has made them shower priceless felicitations on Sivaji Ganesan ----- a rare gesture from such towering personalities!
Paerarignar Anna said: "Sivaji Ganesan can act like Marlon Brando. But Marlon Brando has to try and see whether he could act like Sivaji Ganesan".
Whenever the best films of Sivaji Ganesan were screened to the mega stars of Hindi field, for re-making those films into Hindi, the stars have uniformly confessed thier comparative incompetence, by requesting people concerned, not to compare them (the Hindi stars) with the greatest genius of acting called Sivaji Ganesan....! Such instances have taken place there, countless number of times! Hindi super stars like 2558*
Dileep Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar are staunch lovers and fans of Sivaji Ganesan.
We have already seen that Telugu super star Nageswara Rao and Malayalam super star Mammootty have explained, on different occasions, how they had remained spell-bound and wonder-struck, by the extraordinary performances of Sivaji Ganesan, on the silver screen!
Tamil filmfield's then super star M.G.R. once remarked, "No other actor can be born in the world hereafter, who could prove a match to my brother Sivaji Ganesan".
Today's super star of Tamil cinema Rajinikanth
expressed his view: "People use to refer to me as 'the king of style'. If I could be the king, Sivaji sir is 'the emperor of style'.
Super actor Kamalhassan once remarked: "Be it today, tomorrow or for ever, Time can't wither away Sivaji sir's mega stature".
Film director A.S.Prakasam said: India's 'Best Actor Award' hasn't yet been given to Indi'as best actor. (Sivaji Ganesan).
Popular film director C.V.Rajendran made the comment: "There are two excellenrt actors in India. One is Dileep Kumar and the other is Sivaji Ganesan. Of the two, its Chevalier Sivaji, who's a little more talented than the former (Dileep Kumar)".
Director K.S.Gopalakrishnan said: "Whenever
I mentioned Sivaji Ganesan's name, while speaking with Hindi film artistes, the immediate reaction I noticed in them was this: T
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Dear abkhlabhi,
Thanks for the post. Read it in one go. Thanks a lot ot Mahadevan also. Good write ups
Regards
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Dear Murali Anna....
Great / informative post of yours as expected.......
Groucho70.... Hearty welcome to the hub..... our NT is like a goldmine..... you will get more and more as you dig deep :D . So pls come up with your thoughts & experiences ....
Abkhalabi ! Pl continue to give such links ! quite informative .......
Joe Anne, enge aalaye kanum again ?
Murali Anna, I too heard that Uthaman was a super hit ( both interms of days & commercially )
On reading your posts, I am getting a feeling of late that NT didnt have a good political advisor to guide him ..... He seemed to be emotional off screen also.......
the dividing factor as you mentioned between MG & NT seems to be the mindset of fans which proved to be decisive in NT's case :cry:
What happened to him after Maragatham CS met him continues to be a mystery only ! I think his unflinched loyalty towards Indira gandhi and her family made him to join hands with her after emergency.......
Sad to note that Moopanar was selected overlooking NT. Its apparent that he never got along well with NT.......
By the way, I vaguely recollect Indira Gandhi was assaulted in TN during an election campaign & Nedumaran only escorted her to safety ......
Looking forward to your next phase :D
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நடிகர் திலகம் நடிப்புக் கல்லூரி -திரைக்கலை சிற்பிகள் கோரிக்கை
http://www.dinakaran.com/epaper/2006/jun/14/2_8.jpg
Balaji,
Due to work load ,I am unable to contribute much like before ,but still never fail to follow up.
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Thanks for the link Joe. I am surprised that they have come to this decision only now. I am a nobody but my advice to budding actors is this: Spend your money in buying VCD/DVDs of NT and watch them on regular basis. That’s all. Interprete it in your own way. It’s a vast storage of groceries, spices and what not. Take what you need and cook it in your own way.
Thank you abkhlabhi on that wonderful writeup. At the risk of sounding arrogant, may I say that “yeah, we know that.”
At the same time there is one para that struck me. At the Mannan function NT spoke about the cat and the milk. It shows that NT himself knows his limitation.
I like to speak my mind off here, so I hope you take this with open mind.
As much as we know that NT is capable of many roles, I’d disagree that he can do ANY roles…like the article above and many others cite. He has his limitation and that is why he spoke about the cat and the ocean of milk. Again, this humility is what makes NT great.
There are examples of roles that I personally didn’t like. Like in Chitra Pournami and Pattakatti Bairavan. The latter looks like it could have been done by Rajini (at that time, not the present Rajini). And let’s not even talk about some of the horrors in the 1980s. Again, its could be because of bad script, terrible direction and poor judgement on NTs part. A good actor should also be a good judge of the projects they undertake. In this case, there is no perfect actor in the world.
On the other hand, if NT himself is limited, imagine how far behind the other actors are?
While NT is constantly compared to Brando, I am usually reserved about it. Brando is Brando. Brando is a combination of good, bad and sometimes very ugly. He is unique. And he was also a terrible waste of talent. He did some great movies and he also have done some really terrible ones. Sometimes he is totally committed to a project, and sometimes he just sleepwalks through it. His discipline is legendary…in a wrong way.
You’d either love or hate him, or both. (For the record, I love him)
I think a more appropriate comparison for NT would be Laurence Olivier. Both come from stage and both are capable of overacting, acting and underacting. Olivier made acting respectable in England and Hollywood. NT made acting respectable in Tamil Nadu, India and everywhere where there are Tamilians. Both of them are very disciplined and are very committed to their craft. Well, this and more.
The article above touched on awards, specifically Oscar.
One of Tamil movies biggest enemy (then and now) is money. Budget limitations did not allow Tamil films to be marketed heavily internationally. This is one reason why NTs work was rarely appreciated by foreign awards. I think some people took some effort to send Vkattabomman to Cairo, otherwise no one would have known about it (outside of Tamil community worldwide).
Sathyajit Ray’s films were constantly sent out by the government because the committee felt that they contained qualities that they THOUGHT would be appreciated by foreign film buffs. They were right and wrong. Right, because award people like dry, serious films like the ones Ray made. Wrong, because they also like varieties…and NTs films could have provided these varieties. If they have sent NTs film constantly, they would have easily given out awards out to NT and his best directors.
Kamal has given up wanting Oscars. He’s practically fed up. Nowadays he just says that Oscars are given out to Hollywood film, so he need not dream about it. Poor Kamal. Oscars for best actor are also given out to actors in non-English films. Roberto Benigni’s for example.
It’s all in how much exposure those people have on our film. Right now? Very little. Fans in Tamil nadu have to campaign hard to have these movies sent out. Since I am not there, I can’t comment much on this.
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P.Madhavan directed super hit movies of NT. I think he directed THANGAPATHAKAM but not able to recollect other movies.
I cant believe that he acted movie like DHARMA RAJA/EMANKKU EMMAN/HITLER UMANATH etc.
Hats off to BR for giving MUDHAL MARIYATHI during that time. I think he spent almost one month with selvakumar for getting right story for NT.
Even though NT is great actor but never interferes with director work . This good attitude made him to sign some unwanted movies.
He never asked any question to BR during MUDHAL MARIYATHAI and only question he asked is NALLA NADICHRUKKENNA .
When BR told that for entire movie his costume is shrit and dhoti he accepted by saying ENNA VENNUM NALLUM KUDU NADICHITU POOREN. GREAT ACTOR/GREAT MAN.
ramesh
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Funny that you should mention Yemmenukku Yemen. This is a wickedly funny movie, if you are willing to overlook the horrible wig and fashion.
NT also takes a dig at himself in this movie. The best scene is when the human NT meets Yaman (also NT in typical stagey performance). NTs dialogue are peppered with politics and social commentary and he also poked fun at puranas. The best is when Yaman talks on top of his voice only to cough badly after that, and NT offers him a throat relief and asks Yemen to take it easy. That's a gem, he doesn't have to shout.
Some scenes work and some scene, well you just cringe. Whoever made this movie definitely has politics in his mind (care to comment Murali sar?).
Otherwise, P. Madhavan has made gems with NT. Vietman Veedu, Rajapart Ranggathurai, Avanthan Manithan (?) and others that escape me right now.
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Dear Ramesh,
P.Madhavan was one of the most favourite directors of NT. He started with Maniosai with Kalyan Kumar, did Deiva Thai for MGR and came to NT fold starting with Annai Illam. He went on to make many NT films. He started his own Arun Prasad Movies under which he produced and directed Enga Oor Raja, Raman Ethanai Ramanadi & the unforgettable Pattikada Pattanama with NT. He was so close to NT & VCShanmugam that he went on to direct two home productions of NT (i.e.) Vietnam Veedu & Thanga Pathakkam. Other movies were Neela Vanam, Gnana Oli, Rajapart Rangadurai. Manithanum Deivamagalam, Mannavan Vanthanadi,Chitra Pournami & Hitler Umanath. Another interesting tidbit about PM was he was so senti about days that he always released his films on Saturdays ( For NT also Sat was lucky). The only movie that was released other than Saturday was Chitra Pournami because it was released on Deepavali day of 1976 and that October 22nd happened to be Friday.
Regarding Mudhal Mariyathai, on the first day at Mysore outdoor,NT had come with wig and make up. BR was not happy with that but he didn't tell. But his body language gave away to NT that something was bothering him. After taking some 2 or 3 shots BR said packup. After the shooting, at the hotel NT called BR and asked him what is bothering him. BR as his wont became emotional and said that he wanted to present a realistic Thevar and he expected NT to be his natural self. On the next morning NT arrived at the shooting spot with his original hair and light make up along with a Dhoti and half shirt. BR was so happy and started caning the film immediately and the rest as they say is history.
Groucho070,
Yamanukku Yaman was a remake from Telugu Yamaloka. As you said it was sort of a satirical movie. Well political dialogues, it was there but didn't create much impact. One reason was it's release timing.It was released right in the middle of one of the hottest elections of TN (i.e) 17.05.1980, when the NT fans were very much on the field to defeat MGR, whose Govt had been dismissed. (Ofcourse it didn't happen). Another factor was the much hyped own production of NT (i.e.) Raktha Paasam got released within 4 weeks of YY release. (RP got released on 14.06.1980).
Groucho070,
Avanthan Manidhan was directed by ACT and not PM. Again yesterday I made a mistake when I said that Kannadasn was the producer of LK. Actually it was his elder brother AL Srinivasan who produced LK under his banner ALS Productions.
Regards
PS: Ramesh, while typing this I noticed that Hitler Umanath is being shown tonight in Raj TV at 9 p.m.
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Murali Anna,
Ungaludaya adutha veliyeetai naangal anaivarum aavaludan edhiparkirom !
Next phase pls ..........
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Thanks Balaji sar. Yes, Avanthan Manithan was directed by ACT. And yes, that was an impressive list of films directed by PM.
One question.
What other NT movie did Vietnam Veedu Sundaram direct? Apart from Gouvaram. I vaguely recall some films in the eighties. But not sure whether he directed, he could have written the script.
As for Yammanukku Yaman, we can note that a portion of it was remade into Athisaya Piravi and another Luckyman.
I believe this film to be the father of a string of political satires we begin to see in the nineties (especially Manivannan/Sathyaraj duos, and other Sathyaraj films). You can see the lollu dialogues already mouthed by Sivaji in YY.
You are right about ALS producing LK. But if I am not mistaken, ALS gets the credit for the production Kannadhasan undertakes. Is it not? Need clarification here.
Yesterday I finished reading Manavasam, Kannadhasan's second book of the planned trilogy of his political memoir (First was the excelent Vanavasa, and the third, Anyathavasam, never materialised as he became an immortal). It is interesting and easier to read thanks having had already read Murali sar's writeup on the polical situation of the time. Like Balaji sar and the rest of NT fans, we await with excitment for your next installment Murali sar.
P.S. In both books, Kalaignar was kind of the bad guy. I was smiling when I read those. Wonder what Kannadhasan thinks up there, watching what is happening in Tamil Nadu.
