Wacky roles, eccentric hairdos, spoof videos ... it’s all fair play for these ‘young at heart’ veterans!
Nassar
Age is just a number — and as the times move on, so do they. Kollywood’s senior actors may have made their name playing stock characters expertly decades ago, but have proven more than apt at reinventing themselves. Wacky roles, eccentric hairdos, spoof videos ... it’s all fair play for these ‘young at heart’ veterans!
Radha Ravi:
Tamil audiences last week were delightfully surprised when they saw actor and pantomime villain Radha Ravi in a new promo music video for the upcoming wacky film Jil Jung Juk — rapping his heart out and dressed madly! The 63-year-old has been acting for over five decades; with performances in legendary films like Annamalai against Rajinikanth, cementing his place as a classic baddie — not to mention his recent drama during the Nadigar Sangam elections.
The son of legendary actor MR Radha, Ravi followed in his father’s footsteps, coming up with stunning performances in movies like Guru Sishyan, Chinna Thambi too. Once a nightmare villain for top heroes, Radha Ravi made his presence felt recently in Pisasu by impeccably portraying a lone father tracing the killer of his daughter. Now, his appearance in the song Shoot the Kuruvi from Jil Jung Juk proves that he is not one to retire anytime soon.
Nassar:
Nassar is a synonym to versatility, thanks to his selection of various challenging roles, and has always mesmerised audiences with his adaptability and quirky makeovers. The dreaded naxalite in Kuruthipunal, flirtatious office manager in Magalir Mattum, the adamant father-in-law Bombay are few of his memorable characters in the history of Tamil cinema. It’s not surprising that he pulled off the role of a comic-villain in Settai, a role which appeals to the so-called new generation set of film buffs. Apart from Tamil, the actor who is a prominent figure in Tollywood too, has excelled in whacky roles in Telugu flicks and has gone a step further performing slapstick comedies in Aagadu, which came out last year.
Anand Raj:
His towering height coupled with daunting glances and a fiery screen presence — Anand Raj was always a tailor-made badass who gave stiff competition to top heroes on screen in several yesteryear Tamil films. Pulan Visaranai, En Thangachi Padichava and others brought out the be(a)st in him, winning the actor laurels for his negative portrayal.
Even after donning lead roles in a few flicks, the actor returned to what he’s best at, with movies like Rajadurai. The character he essayed in the recently released Naanum Rowdy Thaan was a treat for movie buffs, as well as a welcome change for him from his usual portrayal of negative roles. Noone would have expected the actor, who made his B’town entry recently, to play a role with a tint of humour in a musical-romantic flick that had freshness and vigour written all over it.
Delhi Ganesh:
Known for his suave and intricate portrayal of supporting characters of pretty much every kind that ever existed, Delhi Ganesh raised the eyebrows of youngsters and others alike when he appeared as in the smash YouTube viral video What if Batman was from Chennai, a satirical glimpse into the life of a middle-class desi Batman. Playing the Dark Knight’s father figure of sorts (he keeps getting called ‘Alfred’ in the video, much to his displeasure), Ganesh was at his atrocious best in the clip, channeling the role of a frustrated senior, trying to show Batman the right path — something he’d excelled doing with many a memorable Tamil movie character before!
One who stood his own alongside heroes with solid roles in movies like Nayagan, Sindhu Bhairavi, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, etc., the actor with a theatre background to his credit proves that apart from subtle emotional characters, he can definitely get delightfully self-indulgent with his choices and keep up with the times.
Ganesh sir, more power and respect to your fantastic career!
Manobala:
The characters played by Manobala, who has been donning greasepaint for more than three decades in the industry, have never failed to evoke laughter. Having tried his hand at direction and production too, the gifted actor who has been a part of many successful films, is one of the seniors in the industry who shares a great on-screen chemistry with the younger crop of stars like Dhanush, Sivakarthikeyan, and others.
Be it the the one-eyed Nick Fury (albeit a localised version), who sets up the S.H.I.E.L.D initiative in the comedy sketch What if The Avengers were from South India, or the ever-romantic character who loses his memory at an elder age in horror-comedy flicks like Aranmanai, or the hilarious Minister in Kaaki Sattai — Manobala continues to prove that he is someone who can be relied on, by the younger breed of filmmakers when they have a weird and amusing character in mind.
His quirky mannerisms and quips have become the stuff of folklore, as Mano continues to constantly reinvent himself and his repertoire of emotions with every passing flick. All hail Colonel Fury!
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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