The Two Famous Banana Scenes .

 

  Scene 1

              Tamil audience would have been very much familiar with the most popular joke of Goundamani and Senthil over the issue of banana in Karahaattakkaaran. It was all about a number issue’ and how Senthil manipulates in handling the issue. That Gaundamai gives one rupee to Senthil and asks him to buy two bananas is known to the audience and is not disputed by Senthil himself .But the issue is about the absence of one  of the two bananas. Starting from Gaundamani everybody asks in their own style and manner what had actually happened. Goundamani asks him how much he gave. Senthil says it was one rupee.Then  comes the next question if he went and asked the shopkeeper for two bananas.Senthil is also asked if he got two bananas. Senthil’s answer to all the questions is in the affirmative. Finally when Gaundamani says one banana is here and where is the other banana,pat comes the reply from Senthil that what they see is the other banana.Every time when every one asks the question in different ways Senthil's answer is the same.This scene became a blockbuster comic sequence in Tamil film history. But I do not know how many among the Tamil film goers are familiar with the other famous comedy scene concerning banana in a very famous film released during the Nineteen Sixties and the scene is narrated below..

    Scene 2

           The striking comedy scene appeared in the historic Sivaji film Padikkadha Medhai. The memorable humorous event is as follows. Sivaji playing the role of innocent Rengan, an orphan brought up by a rich family headed by S.V.Renga Rao, is sent out of home all of a sudden under enforced circumstances.The helpless Rengan goes to a petty shop and plucks a banana from a bunch, without asking the shopkeeper {played by Nambirajan}.The fraudulent shop keeper, demands twenty five rupees for the banana and threatens him with dire consequences if he does not pay the money. Sivaji grudgingly pays the money with his eyes full of tears. At this juncture, there comes T.S.Dorairaj,one of the amazing comedians of the last millennium. He enquires about the happenings. Meanwhile, Dorairaj also notices the shopkeeper’s goat eating the banana skin. It is here ,the wisdom of Dorairaj begins to capitalize the situation. He endorses the payment of twenty five rupees for the banana but asks for the banana skin, that is also legitimately due to the buyer. The shop keeper says as the goat has eaten the skin, it cannot be given. Then Dorairaj demands that the buyer be given either the goat or fifty rupees, as compensation for the loss of the banana skin. The shopkeeper is inescapably caught in a trap caused by his greed and is forced to part with fifty rupees, of which Dorairaj takes twenty five rupees and gives the other half to Sivaji Ganesan.

            Though the audience would have enjoyed both the banana banters,a comparison of the two scenes cited,will clearly vindicate the presence of common sense behind the comedy situation, in the latter.But the gusto of banter would certainly have dominated the popular viewing in the former, thanks to the contemporary element of human intelligence involved in fooling the opponent, apart from the collective energy levels, displayed by Gaundamani,Senthil,Sarala and others.

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