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treasure. Anyone who needs any persuading
need only look at that classic, beloved
scene in Kathalika Nerumillai, when he pitches
a script to his stingy father, Baliah. Not
just Indians unfamiliar with Tamil, but
even foreigners are charmed by Nagesh’s
perfect comic timing here.
His most memorable performances as hero
are from Ethir Neechal and Server Sundaram
(where he plays a waiter whose dreams of
becoming a star come true). As comedian
supporting the hero, there are too many
to list, but what comes to mind straightaway
are those vintage MGR and Sivaji movies,
Anbe Va and Thiruvilayadal (his soliloquy
as a poet here is known by heart by many
Tamil movie aficionados).
In the 80s, when his career had sagged,
K. Balachander had him appear as himself
in Thillu Mullu and his one-liner dialogue
here become famous: “Adhuthan Nagesh”,
and Kamal Hassan in a brilliant casting
coup had him play a villain in Apoorva Sahodaragal.
As villain he gave a galvanizing performance
that clearly told the cinema world Nagesh
was back. Kamal began to regularly cast
him. Nagesh was hilarious in Michael Madana
Kamaraj. Perhaps Nagesh’s most subtle
and powerful performance is again Kamal’s
doing: as the principal in Nammavar who
loses his daughter. That scene where he
is inconsolable and begins talking incoherently,
is one of the most remarkable performances
in Tamil cinema.
Is it any wonder that once Balachander,
seeing Rajini (early in his career) struggle
with a scene, quipped to the Superstar:
“If it was Nagesh by now he would
have given me five expressions.” He
was a natural. Born for cinema, born to
entertain. Born to a Kannadiga Brahmin family,
he left home to try his fortunes in Madras.
There he struggled doing odd jobs (wikipedia
tells us he shared a “one room bed
sit at West Mambalam with lyricist Vaali
and actor Srikanth”) not unlike his
characters in Server Sundaram and Edhir
Neechal).
One day he saw a play and felt strongly
that he could do better. He pleaded to be
in the next play, and MGR who was the chief
guest for the event singled out Nagesh’s
performance. He stayed with theatre for
a long time until his first little break
in cinema. Once he started, there was no
stopping him from rising to dizzy heights
and completing more than a thousand films.
People loved him for the grace and agility
with which he danced – his steps were
something that even the hero could not manage
to pull off. His early role model was Jerry
Lewis, but he soon outgrew that slapstick
phase and found his own style: that poignant
mix of the tragic and the comic. And just
look at how distinguished his career as
been – from acting along with MGR
and Sivaji to Kamal and Rajini. Dasavatharam
was like his swan song and, once again,
it was his old buddy Kamal, who gave this
gift to him.
Well, he was a gift to all of us. We are
grateful to you, Nagesh, for entertaining
us, for moving us, for making us laugh till
we cried.
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