Resplendent in a pink silk sari, her hair tied into a bun with jasmine flowers around it, a glinting nose ring, and a cheerful smile — Aachi Manorama welcomed me into her hotel room in Coimbatore. It was in August 2007. ‘Are you feeling tired?’ She had completed a busy morning schedule and our meeting happened close to lunch time. She just smiled and gave me a go-ahead.
She spoke softly, clearly, giving a thought before answering my questions on her journey in films. I remember discussing her roles in films like Nadigan , ChinnaThambi, Unnal Mudiyum Thambi , ChinnaGounder , KizhakuVaasal … and of course, Jil Jil Ramamani in ThillanaMohanaambal.
She had already made it to the Guinness Record for acting in the maximum number of films (1,200 then…) and she was still busy. At that time Manorama was acting in back-to-back movies in Tamil and Telugu; she was also the Vice-President of South India Cine Artists Association. She spoke about leaving for Singapore shortly to participate in the 75th year celebrations of Tamil cinema there.
When I met her she was just short of 50 years in the film industry. During the interview, she made it a point to mention how ‘Aal Paadhi Aadai Paadhi’ the right costumes and make-up are important for comedians to live the characters.
The veteran actor mentioned the names of Kalaivaanar NSK, T.R. Ramachandran, Chandrababu, Thangavelu, Nagesh, Cho, Suruli Rajan, Vadivelu, Vivekh. She was proud of the fact that Tamil Nadu produced such super comedians. But she was also sad that there aren’t enough women comedians, and made it a point to appreciate the work of Kovai Sarala.
She mentioned the names of five Chief Ministers with great respect — Annadurai, MGR, N.T.Rama Rao, J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi— and the opportunity she had to work with them.
“There is no better medicine than laughter. Comedy means big responsibility. Making the audience laugh is not easy. In a circus, they call the comedian komali . He laughs and entertains, but has a deeper understanding of the things around him,” she told me.
I also learnt about her Aachi title. She credits it to the Sugi Subramanian’s ‘Kaappu Katti Chatram’, a radio serial in the 1960s. She played the role of a Chettiar girl. In Chettiar tradition, women are addressed as Aachi. The serial was a big hit, and the Aachi title stuck.
As I bade her good bye, she told me “You have read up everything about me before coming to meet me. Keep up the good work.” RIP Aachi.
