Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan Part 9

[shankarbharath]

Dear All,

I wish to share my personal experience and opinions. This is very nostalgic for me. I am now 31, but my experiences start from the early 1980s, right from the time I was 3 years old.

Back then, we had the VHS players and I loved watching commercial entertainers like Sakalakala Vallavan and Murattu Kaalai. I came to know about Sivaji Ganesan around the same time as Kamal or Rajini but was clearly told that his films are mostly "Black and White", which as a child, I did not prefer watching. As a child, I was more attracted to color films and did not watch Sivaji films till I was 6.

My first Sivaji film that I watched on VHS was the eternal classic Thiruvilayadal. My mother was clear on bringing me up with happy comedies or entertainers and she shielded me for a long while from sorrowful melodramas in family setups. But Thiruvilayadal had a mythological theme, was colorful, had great songs and she was happy to play it for me. I watched it again and again and again. I could not get enough of it. I was told by my mother that "None of us have seen god. But if Sivan was born in this earth, he is definitely more likely to behave in the fashion that Sivaji has shown in his acting".I specifically remember a majestic, yet stylish walk that Sivaji would depict, when he plays the role of the fisherman. Nothing much - just a BGM and he walks on the sand. But what body language!

In 1985-86, I still remember one evening. My dad, mom and I had gone to mount road for evening tiffin. My dad got out of the car and sent us all home. He said he will watch a film and come back after 3 hours. I asked him which film he was going to watch - he told me it was a Sivaji film called "Sadhanai". I cried but I was not taken to the film. Yes, I watched it much later and enjoyed it, but I look back at that evening and laugh today.

And then it happened. By the time I was 10, I started asking for older films and watched entertaining/comedy films like Galatta Kalyanam, Uthamaputhiran, Ooty varai uravu, etc. I still remember getting scared and turning off the radio if "Engey nimmadhi" played on it. TMS' voice was so scary in that song for me as a child.

Today, I can say with utter respect and dignity that I grew up watching his later films, but watched all his classics as an adult. That helped me understand the cinematic techniques, technology, trends and socio-economic situations at the time of his older films. That helped me establish a clear context in which his classics were released. That logical thinking is what has helped me enjoy the acting dictionary (or course guide) called Sivaji Ganesan. I am happy to say I am not a fan or fanatic of any actor. I njoy good films when I see them.

I also grew up listening to Ilayaraja songs and would do anything for an evening of his songs on my home theatre. And it is in this context that I listened to "O Vaanampadi" from Sadhanai and fell in love with the situation of the song, Sivaji's dialogue with Ilyaraja just preceding the song and also the way he acts and shows Prabhu in the video. Utter class.

And I never saw rich or upper class people in the 1960s. By the time I was 3 or 4 years old, people who were rich in the 1960s were nearing 70-80 years old and were a shadow of their younger selves. But I saw one brilliant film called Uyarndha Manidhan when I was 15 (I was seeing it for the 20th time, but this time, I watched it with keen intent). Now I know that is how upper class people in the 1960s would have dressed, walked, behaved, smoked a pipe, talked with servants, etc etc.

I have zillions of learnings to take from his films, in terms of behavior, dressing sense, etc. Kings, lawyers, Doctors, freedom fighters, old people - you name it and Sivaji will have at least one brilliant portrayal of that character across his career.

I know I am digressing a bit in terms of what I wanted to say here - but without being a fan of any actor, I still say his films are enough to show who a true actor is. And my memories of Sivaji will always be how amazed I was at my father, uncles, family doctor, etc who were all such great fans of him.

May his soul rest in peace and may his fame never rest, but spread far and wide for as long as possible.

[joe]

Shankarbharath enjoyed every bit of your writing . So happy to read the experience of youngster like you and your take on NT . Pls keep coming .

[vasudevan31355]

15-4-2012 அன்று peppers tv சேனலில் ஒளிபரப்பாகிய AVM ராஜேஸ்வரி திரையரங்கில் நடைபெற்ற 'கர்ணன்' வெற்றிவிழாவினை பதிவு செய்திருந்தேன். இப்போது நம் அன்பு உள்ளங்கள் மகிழ இணையத்தில் தரவேற்றி இதோ...

பள்ளி ஆசிரியையும்,பள்ளிக்கூட குழந்தைகளும் அளித்த ஆர்ப்பரிக்கும் பேட்டி.



திரு.சொக்கலிங்கம் அவர்களின் பேட்டி.



திரு.Y.G.மகேந்திரா, திரு.M.L.கான் அவர்களின் அசத்தல் பேட்டி.



அன்புடன்,
வாசுதேவன்.

[vasudevan31355]

எல்லோருக்கும் என் அன்பு வணக்கங்களும், நன்றிகளும்.

என்றென்றும்
உங்கள் வாசுதேவன்.

[Gopal.s]

வாசு சார்,
நான் தங்களிடம் ஒரு சகோதர உரிமை எடுத்து பழகினேன். சிறிது காலமே ஆனாலும் ஒரு இறுகிய நட்பு மலர்ந்துள்ளது.ஆனால் உங்கள் தொட்டார் சுருங்கி குணம் என்னை மிரட்டுகிறது. எனக்கு என்ன பதிவு போடுவது என்று பயம் உள்ளது.இந்த விஷயத்திற்கு இவ்வளவு பின்விளைவா என்று என்னையும் உறுத்துகிறது.நீங்கள் ஓய்வு எடுக்க விரும்புவது வேறு.விடை பெறுவது என்பது வேறு.விடை பெறுவதனால் தங்கள் மன வருத்தத்திற்கு காரணமான நான்தான் விடை பெற வேண்டும்.நீங்கள் சிறிது ஓய்வெடுத்து உங்கள் பணிகளை தொடருங்கள்.நான் இடையில் வந்து இடையில் போனவனாக இருக்கட்டும்.உங்கள் விடை பெரும் முறை என் வாழ்நாள் உறுத்தலாக இருக்கும்.நான் மனதால் கூட யாருக்கும் செய்ய விரும்பாத தீமையை உங்களுக்கு செய்ததாக இருக்க வேண்டாம்.நல்ல சக்திகள் உலகில் குறைவு.அதனால் நல்ல சக்திகளுக்குள் பிளவு என்பது இதயத்தை பிளப்பது.இதற்கு மேல் என் இதயத்தை பிளந்து காட்டுவது கடினம்.உங்கள் உழைப்பையும்,நேரத்தையும் செலவழித்து நீங்கள் சிந்திய ரத்தத்தை என் ஒரு பழி சொல்லால் நான் அதன் மேன்மையை குறைத்ததை உணர்கிறேன்.மனமார வேண்டுகிறேன்.நட்புக்கு சிறிது இடம் கொடு.

[joe]

Vasudevan sir,
Thanks a lot for the videos .

பெருந்தலைகளின் கோரிக்கைக்குப் பின்னரும் நீங்கள் விடைபெறுகிறேன் என்று சொல்வது வருந்தத்தக்கது ..உங்கள் சொந்த காரணமெனில் வற்புறுத்த முடியாது ..ஆனாலும் நேரம் கிடைக்கும் போதெல்லாம் நீங்கள் தொடர்ந்து பங்களிக்க வேண்டும் என்பது என் விருப்பம் .நன்றி.

[sankara1970]

instant coffee or fast food pola, sameepa kalamaka, intha thiriyil,

Thiru. Ragavendra, Thiru Pammalar, Thiru. Neyveli Vasudevan intha moovarum niraya

visuals vazangi vanduleerkal

Kurippaka, ellorum poramai padumpadi, Vasu avargal order seyyamale, rasigarkalukku,

instant aha, virundhu padaithu varukirar-nanum konjam computer vishayangalil edupadu

ullavan than. analum Vasu(enna full time intha velai thana) avargalin vegam edu enai illathathu

Ippothu etho kan pattu vittathu.

Please come back-we want ur services

[parthasarathy]

Dear Mr. Shankar Bharath,

What a write-up! Wow!! Great going indeed!!!

Please continue to enthral us.

Regards,

R. Parthasarathy

[shankarbharath]

Thanks to Mr. Joe and Mr. Parthasarathy for the kind welcome.

I do contribute to posts on younger actors also, on other threads, but there is something when I post about Sivaji, MGR, Muthuraman, Vyjayanthimala, etc. - you can't help but think about the sheer power in their character portrayals. That they acted in many black-and-white films is the reason why their expressions are that much more impactful even today. Yes, I am equally appreciative of Kamal or Mohanlal also - I am not comparing or starting any discussion here - but when it comes to that era, the power of the characterization stands out with aplomb.

I will continue posting about specific films and what each of those meant to me. Thanks again.

[ajithfederer]