The astuteness and acumen of actor Sivakumar who has been making giant strides as an orator on various literary podia in the past few years need no introduction. Astuteness that includes this star speaker's infallible memory and skill at skirting irksome issues and acumen that helps him glean less known info about stalwarts and present it in a manner that arrests the attention of a large audience! Sivakumar's talk at the recent Erode Book Fair exemplified it. You can check out the veracity of my observation on the morning of Deepavali (October 26) on Vijay TV (7.30 – 9 a.m.) when the speech, ‘Thavapudhalvargal,' will be telecast. A noticeable feature of the monologue is the editing. Much care has gone into presenting it as a watch-worthy module that sustains viewer interest throughout.
Artist, actor, now speaker
Amidst deafening applause Sivakumar announces that it is the annual book fair in Erode that has transformed the actor and painter that he was into a seasoned speaker. The words set the mood and momentum for the downpour of facts, thoughts and conclusions, as always, without an iota of reference material on him! The subjects – Gandhiji, Uttam Singh, Vanchinathan, Velu Nachiyar, Dheeran Chinnamalai, Omandur Ramasamy Reddiar and Kamaraj – seem to come to life as Sivakumar, actor that he is, delivers his address with the right mix of emotion and voice modulation. A style that lends distinctness to his oration! Along with anecdotes from the lives of the leaders, pertinent details of personalities such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King are brought in. Colloquial in tone and strong in content Sivakumar's articulation is spellbinding.
With sheer word power and a few clippings and pictures he transports listeners to the scenes of the Jallianvalabagh massacre, the gunning down of Collector Robert William Ashe at point blank range by Vanchinathan and the ensuing mayhem at Maniyachi Junction, and also the humble home of Kamaraj's mother. Much has been said about Gandhiji's martyrdom, so Sivakumar, among other things, prefers to concentrate on his sons Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devadas and the martinet their father was. “To such great patriots family was never the primary concern,” he says, as he draws parallels between Gandhiji and Kamaraj! Though Sivakumar could have compared and contrasted the political heads of the past with those of the present, not once does he do so. And if he mentions a good deed of Kalaignar, so does he refer to a commendable act of the now Chief Minister. Tact and diplomacy rules ‘Thavapudhalvargal'!
The DVD opens with a few highlights from the lecture. And going back to the editing of the entire hour and a half show, among the cuts to the reactions of the audience you can catch a glimpse of the broad smile on the face of Sivakumar's wife as she listens to her husband's address – a rare picture!
