Friday, December 26, 2014

Kollywood Kisnan - 8

As a 'haanarable' member of Mylapore Thiruchabai, Kollywood Kisnan will fail in his duties if there's no write up of the epic 'Gnana Oli' on this auspicious 'Good Governance' day.

This is one movie that does its annual rounds on Tamizh Tollaikaatchi every Christmas. While the songs have made it to the Xmas Oliyum Oliyum playlist every year since 1973, the movie is played every year on Christmas Day on Jaya movies, Jaya max, Murasu, Sun Life and so on. Such is the power of the performances of Lawrenceee and Anthony played by Major and Nadigar T respectively.

This movie has tremendous repeat value because it doesn't have the usual over-thadavaging, mega lip pursing Nadigar T and K.R.Vijaya type 'ennanngaa' heroines. It has this Father-daughter paasam between Nadigar T and Saradha, friendship, kaamedy, betrayal, emosion and all Navarasams portrayed by Major, Nadigar T, VKR, Manorama.

The Tamizh makkals, particularly the elitist Madras gumbals that goes gaga over the 2nd word in the 4th para of Rangan's review of Kamalagassan's Englees have failed to acknowledge the greatness of Nadigar T's English. Here's the greatest example of Nadigar T's greatest accent in this greatest scene.

Major comes to ask for Saradha's daughter's hand for his son. Major (Inspector Lawrenceee) is after Nadigar T who escaped as convict Antony and is now 'Kodeeswarar' Arun. Major wants to take Arun's finger prints and thus prove he indeed is 'pazhaya' friend turned foe Antony. Sarada (Arun/ Antony's daughter) brings kaappi and serves everyone. Nadigar T happy-a has kaappi. The director puts his touch using close-up shots of Major having kaappi to indicate to the audience that something dramatic is going to happen.


Major finishes kaappi, quietly takes the tumbler puts in his pocket and leaves. As he says tata bye bye Nadigar T asks...

Nadigar T - "Inspector, Mattravargal seidhaal adhu periya Kutram. Adhaye neengal seidhal adhu gnabaga maradhi illaya?"
Major - "What do you mean?"
Nadigar T - "I mean the silvah tumblah"

Kindly note the twirl in the tongueh of the silvah of the tumblah. Wonder if any actor in India has / had this natural accent. Watch the scene here

 There are plenty of other examples of Nadigar T's Englees the best one (only after Silvah Tumblah) being "Lawrenceeee is a combination of a cobrah and a wounded Tiger". The many expressions of Nadigar T in this yet another epic scene is captured here as a collage.


I hope these channels follow it up with the telecast of the other two in this Nadigar T-P.Madhavan 'epic' trilogy - Gauravam and Thanga-p-padakkam.  I demand a belated National award (if not an Aascar avarrdu) for Nadigar T for Gnana Oli. He certainly deserves one. Don't youh agreeh folkhs?


2 Responses:

Ganga said...

Guess they did play Thanga Padhakam yesterday..

Nalini said...

Hi, Thanks for the fantastic post! Agree with Aascarr avaardu for Nadigar thilagam :)... By the way, I was looking for the movie clip where the dialogue goes - "Kadalla kappal irukku, bankla panam irukku"... where he is trying to prove how rich he is by saying these things... I only remember the dialogue, but not the movie name. If you know this dialogue, it would be great if you could let me know the movie name or the youtube clipping if any of this dialogue... Sorry, I realise I am imposing on you, so please feel free to ignore!