Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan - Part 5

There was a function to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Veerapandiya Kattabomman's release, which was held on 16 May 2009 [Veerapandiya Kattabomman was first released on 16 May 1959.]

A special day postal cover was brought out for the occasion.

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Sivaji's contribution to the art world is firmly entrenched in the annals of history!

pix courtesy of Murali Srinivas
Concept by our own Mohan Ram

NOV - I need the online link to the site so that I can post to the article in PFC. Can you do that pls?

Thanks app and NOV.

NOV, a special thanks for posting the image of the special day postal cover. It looks great on screen.

One or two interesting tidbids that I heard.

There was a meeting organised in Madurai on the anniversary day by the fans in a hall and there were no special guests or speakers. Still, in spite of it being a working day, more than 300 persons turned up it seems.

The Madurai fans had printed posters in 15 different patterns and pasted it everywhere and Tirunelveli fans went still further and there were 33 different posters it seems. An unconfirmed report says that in Tiruchi a 32 bit mega poster was put up, biggest in recent times.

Regards

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Plum

rangan, as Prabhu Ram's case outlines here, fair play if this sort of spoofing gets a few of the next generation to actually catch up on NT movies, and some among them realise his greatness. Now, you can tell me that for every Prabhu Ram, there will a hundred ignorant fools. But then, that one Prabhu Ram is what we want, right?

Long and short, the fact that a movie made 40-45 years ago is beign spoofed shows its impact, and if it opens the eyes of a 15-20 year old guy to that movie, and that guy is sensible, you get a new fan for NT!
No need to fret!

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Plum, mischievous you are as Murali sir quoted, but this is no mischief either because I see you have a serious point to make there. Yes, you are right, but allow me to make a few points here.

Firstly, we are glad to get a Prabhuram but then definitely not at the cost of insulting or degrading NT when there are so many other decent & genuine methods where you can easily get hundreds of Prabhuram's.

In order to get one Prabhuram, the feelings & sentiments of millions of true NT fans is being crushed. Ok, now that's not at all a big deal as NT fans are used to such attacks & humiliations for a long time now. But the point is, we are getting 100 fools in return and that is what makes me worry !

As years roll by, just imagine the ratio of Prabhuram's versus fools !!! Isn't it quite alarming ??? Now, where's the question of passing on NT's greatness to the next gen ?? Of course, it will be passed on, but unfortunately, not in a way it is supposed to be.

My serious concern is that, majority of the children who are watching such spoofs and that too by a comedian with a huge children's fan following, are tempted not to take NT seriously. And lets say after 20 to 30 years time they will see NT as an actor who is fit enough only to be casted in such spoofs. And in such " fool filled" world what do you expect a hand full of helpless Prabhuram's to do ???

Secondly, I feel that in majority of the cases only NT is being subject to such humiliation (pls don't say that it's one of the ways of still being popular !! ). Has anybody got the guts to include a scene in a tamil film which seriously criticises or mocks Makkal Thilagam ? They can get only so far as to talk like him or raise their hands & imitate him. But even in such cases, the dialogues would be preachy & dignified & will never get down to 3rd degree leve.

Now, don't ask me that I'm expecting such spoofs on MGR ! Not at all. They are all legends & have achieved great heights during their lifetime and they must be revered & respected.

Of course, likes & dislikes continue to exist as it is inevitable in this world and without it there is no excitement. But one should not cross the limit is what I'm trying to say.

And finally, when not a single soul from the tamil film fraternity cared to raise their voice against such atrocity, I thought may be, at least from the fan's side we could raise an objection and so I made that post.

Plum, I infer thru your earlier posts that you have high regards for NT and I only consider your post as a catalyst to express my thoughts more elaborately. I'm not at all a close-minded guy who is totally against any form of criticism. But at the same time, I can never take it so light when a great person like NT is brought down to such low levels.

NT is a rare treasure and as his fans, we are responsible to protect & pass on this legend with due respect to the next generation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jaiganes

NOV - I need the online link to the site so that I can post to the article in PFC. Can you do that pls?

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I got it by attachment Jai and I hosted it in my Flickr.
Feel free to use the link. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/3751649101_11175734ef.jpg?v=0"

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2450/3752441856_cd4f61c43f.jpg?v=0"

MS, if one day I start a non-political NT club in Malaysia, I will expect you here. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NOV

MS, if one day I start a non-political NT club in Malaysia, I will expect you here. :D

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Thanks NOV for the invite. Will make it on the D-day.

Mohan,

One of the rare occasion that you had written a long post and an emotional one too. A very logiically argued case and you are right on target. But nobody from the film fraternity would raise their voice. Why go that far? The Nadigar Sangam for instance did not even arrange for a "Malar Anjali" in their premises for NT on 21st. Forget that he was an actor. Atleast he should have been given the honours as an ex-President of the Sangam. The building that stands tall there in Habibullah Road today would not have been there but for NT. Only commercial considerations rule the roost. It is only the fans who think about him without any hidden agenda.

Regards

rangan, I didnt mean to say that we shouldnt be hurt. These are feelings, and only people who grew up with NT's career can feel it - for all the fandom we juveniles bring, we can only stand outside and observe. I dont certainly question that.
I was just trying to create a coping mechanism. Let me get sentimental and ask is it possible to hide the Sun with your hands. That is what is happening here. I have enough confidence in the underlying intelligence of the so-called 'mass' to go beyond the spoof, and appreciate the man behind it as he deserves to be.

Again, why MGR is not spoofed beyond generic gestures is a nice question - well, is it beause his acting talent was limited, and there is no particular memorable character that can be spoofed, except the generic do-gooder 'MGR '? Whereas, with NT, he lived his roles, and people dont see a Gopal as Sivaji Ganesan - he is just Gopal, the man who killed his wife, and coped with the resultant ghosts. So, I'd take that as a spoof on that character, not NT himself. With people like Vivek, I dont see disrespect intended - only desperation to milk their memories of the great man. Pozhaichu pOgattumE, yaanai irundhaalum aayiram pon, irandhaalum aayiram pon.

I agree that MGR spoofs are very respectful in general but I guess that's the advantage with 'not becoming the character you portray'. But again, I grew up on some unprintable "MGR" jokes, so it is not as if he is given a free rein.

In the end, the fans are who matter, and that was seen in that YGM function last week, wasnt it?

P.S: I believe one Prabhu Ram, one Murali Srinivas can convert a hundred "ordinary" folks, so atleast, thats where I come from when I say these spoofs dont bother me, and I dont think that anyone can demean NT's legacy.

சென்னைவாசிகளான நடிகர் திலகத்தின் ரசிகர்களை மேலும் பொறாமைப்பட வைக்கும் ஒரு செய்தி. நடிகர் திலகத்தின் நினைவு நாளை முன்னிட்டு மதுரையில் அந்த வாரத்தில் [ஜூலை 17 வெள்ளி முதல் 23 வியாழன் வரை) தங்கப்பதக்கம் திரையிடப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. படம் முதன் முதலில் வெளியான அதே சென்ட்ரல் திரையரங்கில் வெளியாகி ஓடியிருக்கிறது. ஞாயிறு மாலைக் காட்சி வழக்கம் போல் மிகுந்த சிறப்புடன் நடந்ததாக செய்திகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன.

இரண்டு மூன்று வாரத்திற்கு முன் மதுரையில் ராஜா ஓடியதைப் பற்றி குறிப்பிட்டிருந்தோம். அந்த ஒரு வாரத்தில் விநியோகஸ்தர் பங்கு மட்டும் முப்பதினாயிரம் ரூபாய் வந்திருக்கிறது[Distributor's share Rs 30,000/-]. பழைய படங்களுக்கு வரி விலக்கு கிடையாது. ஆக கேளிக்கை வரி, தியேட்டர் வாடகை போக இந்த அளவிற்கு பங்கு வந்திருப்பது பெரிய விஷயம்.

அன்புடன்

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Plum

rangan, I didnt mean to say that we shouldnt be hurt. These are feelings, and only people who grew up with NT's career can feel it - for all the fandom we juveniles bring, we can only stand outside and observe. I dont certainly question that.
I was just trying to create a coping mechanism. Let me get sentimental and ask is it possible to hide the Sun with your hands. That is what is happening here. I have enough confidence in the underlying intelligence of the so-called 'mass' to go beyond the spoof, and appreciate the man behind it as he deserves to be.

Again, why MGR is not spoofed beyond generic gestures is a nice question - well, is it beause his acting talent was limited, and there is no particular memorable character that can be spoofed, except the generic do-gooder 'MGR '? Whereas, with NT, he lived his roles, and people dont see a Gopal as Sivaji Ganesan - he is just Gopal, the man who killed his wife, and coped with the resultant ghosts. So, I'd take that as a spoof on that character, not NT himself. With people like Vivek, I dont see disrespect intended - only desperation to milk their memories of the great man. Pozhaichu pOgattumE, yaanai irundhaalum aayiram pon, irandhaalum aayiram pon.

I agree that MGR spoofs are very respectful in general but I guess that's the advantage with 'not becoming the character you portray'. But again, I grew up on some unprintable "MGR" jokes, so it is not as if he is given a free rein.

In the end, the fans are who matter, and that was seen in that YGM function last week, wasnt it?

P.S: I believe one Prabhu Ram, one Murali Srinivas can convert a hundred "ordinary" folks, so atleast, thats where I come from when I say these spoofs dont bother me, and I dont think that anyone can demean NT's legacy.

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I have not seen the pudhiya paravai imitation of vivek. But desperately wanted to get my hands around his neck for his 'MudhalMariyadhai' spoof in Parthiban Kanavu - a blemish in an otherwise nice film.