Friday, December 10, 2021

Anandraj from Auto Shankar days.

 



    Villains are of different kinds.There are smiling villains,sadistic villains,stealthy villains and sub-human villains. Shakespeare says "one may smile and smile and still be a villain".Whatever be the reflective course of villainy,its impact is that of a downing syndrome on the audience,on account of its devious schemes and devilish deeds. 

     Among the four types of villainy mentioned above,it is sub human villainy that leaves its brutal  blood stains,on the minds of the viewers.Villains like P.S.Veerappa,M.N.Nambiyar,FEFSI Vijayan,Ananad Raj and Pasupathi would belong to this category.The first two are even posthumously adored.FEFSI Vijayan's roles on the bigscreen are not many,when compared to Anand Raj and Pasupathy.Between the two,Pasupathi has moved on to playing character roles from Villainy and Anand Raj has slowly shed his ruffian demeanour of villainy and satrted playing comedy-mixed villain roles.

  Though Anandaraj started his acting career with Oruvar Vaazhum Aalayam and did villain roles in fims like En Thangachi Padichava and Sendhoora Poove,his weight of villainy was first felt in the horrid and very crude villain role that he played as Dharma,an auto driver,in R.K.Selvamani's most remembered film Pulan Visaranai.The role of Dharma was a replica of Auto Shankar{Gowry Shankar}who made news in real life as a serial killer in Chennai,during the Nineteen Seventies and was hanged in Salem central prison after his charges of serial murders were proved.The role of Dharma paved the way for Anandraj,to continue his film journey as one of the deadliest villains of Tamil cinema.

   After this,some of the prominent villain roles that Anand Raj played were for great films like Manakara Kaaval,Vandicholai Siinarasu,Simmarasi.Baashaa, Makkalaatchi,Arasiyal,Arasaatchi, Giri,Paattaali,Janaa,Pokkiri,Villu and Sooriya Vamsam.Anandaraj also did some lead roles in films like Manivannan's Government Maappillai and Senthil Nadhan's Pokkiri Thambi.

    With Sathyaraj,besides Vandicholai Sinnarasu,his other notable films were for Velai Kedachiduchu,Ulakam Pirandhadhu Enakkaaga,Maman Mahal and Malabar Police.After Sendhoora Poove and Manakarak Kaaval,his effective innings with Vijayakanth were for, Bharadhan,Puthu Padakan,Periyanna,Moonrezhuthil En Moochirukkum,Rajadhurai, Kannupada Pokudhayyaa,Vaanathai Pola,Thirumoorthi and as an honest police officer{DCP Kesavan Nair}in Perarasu.

  The other notable entries of Anandraj are Jallikattu Kaalai,Kattumarakkaaran,Mr.Madras{all with Prabu}Nandavana Theru,Edhir Kaatru,Pooveli {with Karthik Muthuraman}Ezhumalai, Adimai Changili {with Arjun}Paattukku Naan Adimai,and Thangathin Thangam{with Ramarajan}.His most recent,comedy mixed roles were for films like Iravukku Aayiram Kangal, Maragadha Nanayam,Silkkuvarpatti Singam,Bigil and Jackpot.

   Fortune did not favour Anandraj with hero roles as it did in the case of Rajinikanth and Satyaraj who first came as villains and then rooted themselves strongly to the roles of heroes.But as a Villain it is an indisputable fact that Anandaraj created a niche for himself in his own original style,first as a villain's hefty henchman and then as a horrid villain of singular mode,with his characteristic punch in dialogue delivery and suitable physical fixations to each and every scene,with an adorable body language.

  An element of horror would ever stay in audience memory while recalling the climax scene in Manakara Kaaval when Anandaraj as the hired killer to carry out a minister's plan of killing the Prime Minister, would be shot dead by Vijayakanth,the dedicated police officer-cum guardian angel of the Prime Minister.The indelible mark of the scene was,that Anandraj who was repeatedly hit by the bullets of Vijayakanth,would struggle to get up again to complete his mercenary mission,but would soon sink his head down and die after clapping his hands.That was the grand style of villainy of Anandraj and it is where he keeps intact,his stunning stamp of villainy.

  From the Auto Shankar days,Anandraj has been making calculated  and determined moves, towards making his villainy as impressive as possible.The best part of his acting is his calculated dialogue delivery with a clean and clear pause,where it is necessary.He has a distinct style of promoting direct villainy through his bold eyes and forthright utterances.Anandaraj is always a face-to-face villain and back stabbing villainy is out of his mission. Perhaps that is why comedy mixed villainy comes easy to him like child's play as he has casually essayed in the most recent Santhanam film Dikkilona.What a transformation it is, to see him slide casually from the brutality of Pulan Visaranai to a rib-tickling and self-defeating,ridiculous position in Dikkilona!         

                                      +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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