She spent her childhood in Pune as her father was serving the Indian Army there. Acting in school plays continued even after shifting to Chennai.
A trained dancer and singer, Parimalam was a regular in stage performances. She remembers the praise heaped by MGR, who watched her at the Museum Theatre.
She had completed her rehearsals for a new Tamil play on Sekkizhar at Vani Mahal when this writer met her. She was recently honoured by Kartik Fine Arts for her contribution to Tamil theatre. “This is the first time a Chennai sabha has recognised me and now I am going to be honoured by Narada Gana Sabha on Sunday with a lifetime achievement award. Recognition of this kind is like elixir for hard working stage artistes,” she says. Parimalam’s major breakthrough came when ‘Dhideer’ Kanniah offered a full-fledged role in his play. At the age of 16, she made her debut at the Museum Theatre. She mentions Thengai Srinivasan’s encouragement. Another source of inspiration was Savitri.
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How come she was not noticed by filmmakers? “Oh, there were offers, but my parents turned them down and I have no regrets. After the demise of my parents, I came under the care of my uncle, who watched over me during rehearsals and shows,” she says.
Actor S.S. Rajendran, known for his flawless Tamil was impressed by Parimalam’s diction and roped her in. Soon, R.S. Manohar, who was making waves through his historical plays, wanted her to join his National Theatres.
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“He was a father figure to all of us. A strict disciplinarian, he had high regard for women. Thanks to him, my daughter was educated and is employed. It was a sad moment, when the troupe folded up.”
But Parimalam’s journey continued with Heron Ramaswamy, a product of National Theatres, offering her the role of Akkamma in the play Tirumalai Naicker. With Heron’s passing she started freelancing and acted in the historical plays of Uthirapathi, Srihari, Hari, Senthamarai and Palanichamy.
Turning point
V. Gopalakrishnan offered a challenging role in his play, which was a turning point. “It was Vivek Shankar’s play. Impressed by my acting he gave me advance for a hundred plays. The last time we acted together was at The Music Academy, three days before his sudden demise and this was a big blow for me,” Parimalam turns emotional.
How does she manage her dates among various groups? And the dubbing she does for TV serials? “So far I have not let anyone down,” says Parimalam.
“I am clear in my objective — to act as long as my health permits. R.S. Manohar trained me in body language and stage positioning while Heron Ramaswamy honed my acting skills. I have reached a point, where I cannot remain idle and will continue to do what I love most — acting on stage,” she signs off.