Obituary

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Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from the sets of ‘Viswaroopam' in Mumbai, Kamal said: “I was very close to her and have admired her. To be honest, I feel she is like a family treasure that I inherited from the KB school. She was a colossal talent!”

Recalling her performances in some of his films, he said it was hard to believe that the lady who played the kleptomaniac in MMKR was the one who played ‘Periyaatha' in ‘Thevar Magan, or the old woman in ‘Virumaandi'.

“I would joke with her that she was made to play mother even as a little girl. ‘ Amaam thambi, appadithaan ayiduchu ' (yes, that's how it was), she would laugh. She has acted as mother of R.S.Manohar, Sivaji, M.G.R.…several heroes across generations.”

At a time when many are racing towards mediocrity, actors of a higher order such as S.N.Lakshmi, Nagesh and Kaka Radhakrishnan may have gone unnoticed after the 1960s. “I did not want that to happen, as such talent should be celebrated. I celebrated her when she was alive, and will continue to do so henceforth too.” Observing that she would instantly understand what was required of her, Kamal said: “You just had to tell her what the character was, she would take care of everything and do a brilliant job.”// KH about SN.Lakshmi in the Hindu.

KH once told me about watching S.N.Lakshmi driving fast into AVM Studios. On seeing AV Meyyappan, director Muthuraman and KH standing outside the set, she spontaneously removed both her hands from the steering wheel and wished them 'Vanakkam'. The car was gliding past the trio standing amazed.

In my opinion, KH is the only one who utilized her full potentials as an actor

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Era .Murugan in FB.

I heard about her fast driving stories. R.I.P. Good to know that she participated in some great films.

App, ur question got answered by kamal himself!

Yes, as kamal said, its him who is one to give superb roles to them (Nagesh, SN Lakshmi & Kaka radhakrishnan) and helped them showcase their talent to the current generation

Thanks Joe for posting that, here is the full link

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2913993.ece

She played the screen mother for several heroes, from MGR to Kamal Hassan

Veteran actor S.N. Lakshmi, whose performance was marked by refreshing restraint, passed away here on Sunday. She was 85.

Fans of Tamil cinema cannot forget the kleptomaniac paatti in ‘Michael Madana Kama Rajan' (MMKR), or the concerned mother-in-law in ‘Mahaanadi' very easily. Her portrayal of the characters was not just highly entertaining, but also very convincing.

Beginning her journey in Tamil theatre and then moving on to films, Lakshmi worked on a style that showed moderation rather than melodrama, something that was not very common among artistes of her generation.

In her career spanning over seven decades, she performed with stars such as M.G.Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and Nagesh in some of their best films, and later with top actors of the next generation, particularly Kamal Haasan. He is said to have had great confidence in her, periodically giving her fascinating roles.

“Colossal talent”

Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from the sets of ‘Viswaroopam' in Mumbai, Kamal said: “I was very close to her and have admired her. To be honest, I feel she is like a family treasure that I inherited from the KB school. She was a colossal talent!”

Recalling her performances in some of his films, he said it was hard to believe that the lady who played the kleptomaniac in MMKR was the one who played ‘Periyaatha' in ‘Thevar Magan, or the old woman in ‘Virumaandi'.

“I would joke with her that she was made to play mother even as a little girl. ‘Amaam thambi, appadithaan ayiduchu' (yes, that's how it was), she would laugh. She has acted as mother of R.S.Manohar, Sivaji, M.G.R.…several heroes across generations.”

At a time when many are racing towards mediocrity, actors of a higher order such as S.N.Lakshmi, Nagesh and Kaka Radhakrishnan may have gone unnoticed after the 1960s. “I did not want that to happen, as such talent should be celebrated. I celebrated her when she was alive, and will continue to do so henceforth too.” Observing that she would instantly understand what was required of her, Kamal said: “You just had to tell her what the character was, she would take care of everything and do a brilliant job.”

Lakshmi had rich experience in theatre as well. Having performed in over 2,000 plays in various troupes, including those of Gnanadesikar, N.S. Krishnan, S.V. Sahasranamam's Seva Stage and K. Balachander's Ragini Recreations, she could draw upon different schools. According to chronicler ‘Film News' Anandan many of the plays produced by Sahasranamam were later made into films later and Lakshmi got to act in them.

Her initial years in the field present a rather colourful picture. She performed fascinating stunt sequences, including a fight with a leopard for the MGR film ‘Baghdad Thirudan'. Such courage was not something she acquired for the profession, but something she had even as a child.

Unhappy with the way her brothers treated her after her father's passing away, she decided to leave home when she was barely 11 years old to find her true calling. Though she later reunited with her family, Lakshmi preferred leading an independent life, acting in television serials, driving around.

She would take her car and go on long drives when time permitted. She loved being on her own.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...24626698_n.jpg

: bow my head : RIP

Very natural performer.MMKR,TM and MN will be the movies which I will always remember her for.

மறைந்த மூத்த நடிகை எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமிக்கு ஜெயலலிதா இரங்கல்
செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை, பிப்ரவரி 21, 2012, 9:08 [ist]

சென்னை: மூத்த நடிகை எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமியின் மறைவுக்கு முதல்வர் ஜெயலலிதா இரங்கல் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இது தொடர்பாக ஜெயலலிதா வெளியிட்ட இரங்கல் செய்தி:

பழம்பெரும் நடிகை எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமி கடந்த 19-ந் தேதி இரவு திடீரென்று மூச்சுத்திணறல் ஏற்பட்டு, சிகிச்சை பலனின்றி இயற்கை எய்தினார் என்ற செய்தி அறிந்து சொல்லொணாத் துயரமும், மிகுந்த மன வருத்தமும் அடைந்தேன்.

சிறு வயதிலிருந்தே மேடை நாடகங்களில் நடித்து வந்த எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமி, நடிப்பின் மீது மிகுந்த ஆர்வமும், ஈடுபாடும் கொண்டவர். தன்னுடைய 13-வது வயதில் திரைப்படத் துறையில் காலடி எடுத்துவைத்த எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமி, எம்.ஜி.ஆர். உள்பட பல முன்னணி நட்சத்திரங்களுக்கு தாயாக நடித்து தனக்கென ஒரு தனி முத்திரையை பதித்துக்கொண்டவர்.

நான் நடித்த திரைப்படங்களிலும் அவர் நடித்து இருக்கிறார். பார்ப்பதற்கு எளிமையானவர், பழகுவதற்கு மிகவும் இனிமையானவர். தமிழ்நாடு அரசின் "கலைமாமணி'', "கலைச்செல்வம்'' உள்பட பல்வேறு விருதுகளைப் பெற்றவர்.

சினிமா துறைக்கு பேரிழப்பு

1,500-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட திரைப்படங்களிலும், 6,000-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட நாடகங்களிலும் நடித்த எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமி, கடந்த சில ஆண்டுகளாக சின்னத்திரை மூலம் தன்னுடைய நடிப்பாற்றலை வெளிப்படுத்தி வந்தார். எஸ்.என்.லட்சுமியின் மறைவு திரைப்படத் துறையினருக்கும், நடிப்புத் துறையில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளோருக்கும் பேரிழப்பாகும். நாடகத்துறையிலும், திரைப்படத் துறையிலும் இவர் ஆற்றிய பணி மகத்தானது.

அவரை இழந்து வாடும் அவரது குடும்பத்தினருக்கு எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபத்தையும் தெரிவித்துக்கொள்வதுடன் அவரது ஆன்மா இறைவனின் திருவடி நிழலில் இளைப்பாற எல்லாம் வல்ல இறைவனைப் பிரார்த்திக்கிறேன்.

இவ்வாறு அந்த இரங்கல் செய்தியில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Equally at ease with comedy and serious roles
The m-i-l in Mahanadhi and the MMKR pAtti (kadandhakaala pAttiyAkkum :lol:) - what variety.
And extremely quick timing as seen in kAdhalA kAdhalA - ippadi dhaan kiLLi kiLLi viLayANdukittu irundhaaha :lol:

Surprising that off the 1000(??) odd movies she has supposedly done,everyone keeps referring to the three or four movies that she has done with Kamal.

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Originally Posted by Cinefan

Surprising that off the 1000(??) odd movies she has supposedly done,everyone keeps referring to the three or four movies that she has done with Kamal.

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age...

Personally I cannot forget her "aadura maatta aadi karaikkanum paadura maatta paadi karaikkanum. nee thaaliya kattudaa...."