Clockwise from left: M.R. Radha, T.S. Balaiah, S.A. Asokan, P.S. Veerappa
M.R. Radha: Madras Rajagopala Radhakrishna Naidu, popularly known as “Nadigavel” M.R. Radha, was known for his brilliant performance in the cult film “Raththa Kanneer”, released 60 years ago. Radha’s frequent changing of his voice with a peculiar style of delivering lines with socially-relevant messages earned him global recognition. Wherever his plays were staged or movies released, fans thronged the venue simply for his presence. His chemistry with legendary Sivaji Ganesan in the comical thriller “Bale Pandiya” was outstanding. His evergreen dialogues/songs include “Adiye Kanthaa” and “Kuttram Purinthavan Vazhkayil” from Raththa Kanneer.
M.R. Radha in Ratha Kanneer.
P.S Veerappa: With his screen presence with a good physique and a villainous laughter made P.S. Veerappa a class apart. Veerappa, who played as villain in innumerable films was however soft-spoken, mild-mannered and kind-hearted off screen. His “Shabhash sariyana potti” in his characteristic style in Vanjikottai Valaban (1958), during the famous dance sequences between Padmini and Vyjayanthimala, have been deeply etched in the memory Tamil movie lovers. Veerappa is also known for his role as a murderous prisoner in “Kaithi Kannayiram”.
T.S. Balaiah: Very few actors excelled in all roles, as villain, comic and character roles. Tirunelveli S. Balaiah is one among them. Introduced by Ellis R Dungan in Sathi Leelavathi in the 1930s, Balaiah was an undisputed king of character roles in the late 50s and 60s. He shone along with legendary Sivaji Ganesan in the classics – Ambikapathy (as villain), Thiruvilaiyadal and Thillana Mohanambal (comedy). His conversation with Nagesh, -- also one of the best comedians and character artists of Indian cinema – in Sridhar’s trend-setting comedy classic “Kaadalikka Neramillai”, was a huge hit.
S.V. Ranga Rao: Though born in a Telugu-speaking family, SVR was a most sought-after actor in the 1950s in Tamil as well. As Gatothkaja, in the Telugu-Tamil bilingual “Mayabazar” and as Hiranyakasapu in “Bhakta Prahlada”, SVR fitted easily into mythological roles. His stellar performances in “Padikaatha Medhai”, "Kai Kodutha Deivam", “Naanum oru Penn” added new dimension to his career.
Thangavelu: Known for his impeccable timing, ‘Danal’ K.A. Thangavelu shot into fame after Sridhar’s "Kalyana Parisu", in which he played a compulsive liar, trying to make her wife believe that is he a writer who had just returned from a felicitation function. His alliance with the silver screen ended with Pandiarajan’s “Manaivi Ready” in 1987.
M. Saroja and Thangavalu in "Kalyana Parisu".
Chandrababu: With his Chaplin-style slapstick comedy, actor-dancer-singer J.P. Chandrababu popularised the “madhras bashai”, notably in “Sabhash Meena”, in which he co-acted with the legendary Sivaji Ganesan. It was believed that Chandrababu during his peak career drew more salary than two giants – MGR and Sivaji – but that the actor, after performing in more than 70 films died as a pauper is a sad history.
S.A. Asokan: Graduated from St. Joseph College, Tiruchi, Antony aka Asokan was often viewed by critics as an actor who performed more than what he was paid for. Asokan started as a villain, played character roles and ended his career as a comedian. Known for his typical modulation in between dialogues, he was the one who introduced the villainic comedy concept in Tamil cinema in “Naan”, which was later revolutionised by Satyaraj, Ananda Raj and others.
‘Thengai’ Srinivasan: Adopting the title “Thengai”, after acting as a coconut seller in a drama, Thengai Srinivasan is a delight of mimicry artists. Though he started his career as a comedian, ‘Thengai’ performed in all genres including antagonistic roles. His rhyming “Chilaang chikkan silukku Chikkaan” (literally a word which has no meaning) showed Thengai’s distinctiveness. His role as a fake saint in “Kasethaan Kadavulada” became a trend-setter for saint-spoof comedies. His role as an innocent industrialist in the K. Balachander’ laugh-riot “Thillu Mullu” with superstar Rajnikanth is Tamil cinema’s one of the all-time hits.
Surili Rajan: If there was another actor who had a distinctive style of dialogue delivery after M.R. Radha it was Suruli Rajan. In 1980 alone, before his death, ‘Suruli’ acted in nearly 50 movies. His body language with sharp and jerky gestures is his typical style. His role as a hardcore miser in “Manthoppu Kiliye” was a huge comical hit in the black & white era.
Raghuvaran: Debuted as a hero in “Ezhavathu Manithan” (1982), Raghuvaran played villain and character roles in all south Indian films and in Hindi. A peculiarly slow dialogue delivery made Raghuvaran distinct from others. The famous “I know” dialogue, which he uttered over 30 times in psycho-thriller "Puryitha Pudhir", directed by debutant K.S. Ravikumar, was much talked about in industry circles in the 1990s. But for his early demise in March 2008, Tamil cinema would have got more fascinating roles from Raghuvaran.