A Tribute to Tamil cinema's greatest comedian EVER!!

Tamil cinema has seen different epochs of comedians and nature of comedies right from the age old days of N.S.Krishnan with meaningful and thoughtful comedies to the present day slapstick and seldom meaningful ones. One man has however stood the test of time and remains in the hearts of young and old alike. Yes, I am talking about the one and only Nagesh, who in my opinion the greatest comedian the tamil film industry has ever produced till date.

If there was one man who could make you both laugh with his rib tickling comedy sense and cry with his unbelievable acting it would be this man. Personally Kadhalikka Neramillai is up there among the most hilarious movies I have ever seen. Nagesh cemented his place in our hearts with his role as Chellappa, a wannabe director and a prodigal son of a wealthy estate owner played by T.S Balaiya. The scene where he narrates his film’s story to his father(with special effects J) deserves special mentions and you can’t help but appreciate Nagesh’s acting and portrayal of the spine chilling effect the narration has on Balaiya. The image of Nagesh with his conductor-like bag in his hand as the owner of “oho productions” has been etched in our memories for ever. His role as “tharumi” in Thiruvilayadal won him great acclaim as a comedian and the scene featuring him questioning Sivaji Ganesan( as Lord Shiva in poet’s disguise) about his poetic prowess and the soliloquy he indulges in are scenes that you never get tired of watching.

Nagesh was surprisingly not all about just comedy sense and his funny actions. His versatility saw him snatch stardom even in films that demanded of him serious and making-people-cry roles. In this regard two films come to my mind.. Ethir Neechal and Major Chandrakanth. Ethir Neechal portrays Nagesh as an orphaned, poor college student Madhu who barely manages to pay off his fees and feed himself. The story goes on to deal with the various problems he faces in life and how he overcomes each of them to finally taste success. You can’t help but feel sorry for Madhu in the scenes where he comes begging for food saying “Madhu vandhuirukkein”. This movie is a must watch and be warned of some really moving scenes, it can make people cry. The latter of the aforementioned movies features him as an aggrieved brother of a cheated sister (played by Jayalalitha) who eventually commits suicide. He seeks justice for his sister and vows to avenge her death. When he does find out the cause of her death he goes in search of the cheat to kill him. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself sheltered by the father of the man he had killed (played by Major Sundarrajan). This film showcased his immense acting talents that were not reserved just to the humour side. This again is a must watch film if you want to catch a glimpse of some immensely heart wrenching acting from Nagesh.

Server Sundaram which portrays him as a struggling waiter who attains stardom in the cine world and his life’s ups and downs is another film worthy of mention. Thought to be loosely based on his real life story this movie is among the top ones he’s acted in. Be it supporting roles, protagonist or comedian roles his prolific acting has seen him win many a laurels and many hearts. Some of his other memorable movies include Pattinathil bootham, Bama Vijayam, Vietnam Veedu and Thillana Mohanambal.

Later in his career he also acted as the main villain and also as sidekick antagonist in many films like Aboorva Sagodharargal, Adhisaya piravi among others. In his cameo role as the dead body in Magalir Mattum he stole the limelight without even uttering a single word with his memorable mock fight with thalaivasal vijay.

Nagesh has carved himself a special place in the world of tamil cinema and is remembered even today for his memorable roles and unforgettable comedy snippets. He’s probably the most multifaceted actor the industry has ever had and has forever cemented his place in the hearts of tamil cine lovers.

Hats off!!