Tamil Cinema has not been lacking in dynamics of comedy and humour at any point of time, ever
since its inception. Even during its founding years, Tamil films were reputed
for vibrant comedy, displayed by amazing comedians such as
N.S.Krishnan, Kali.N.Rathinam, T.S.Dorairaj and later by great actors like K.A.Thangavelu, Nagesh and V.K.Ramasamy. It was these people who took verbal comedy to its decent and enjoyable
heights. But even among these comedians, we would not have seen a continued team
spirit, in the line of the Hollywood famous Laurel and Hardy.
However, there are two comedians of Tamil Cinema,who launched a team show and went on well, with
unusual gusto and exuberance, calling for spontaneous audience admiration, for nearly two decades. Strangely, both these
actors began acting on an independent track.By a touch of fortune,they came
together to reach new heights in commendable verbal comedy with an intermittent spell of physical comedy
necessitated by contextual compulsions.These two comedians Goundamani and
Senthil will ever stay tuned to the
memory of a large section of the Tamil audience,who were fortunate as movie watchers, during the
Nineteen Eighties and Nineties.
As far as their independent comedy roles are
concerned, Goundamani would have scored more credits than Sendhil because of his extraordinary
verbal force, which he would have sensibly used teaming up with all heroes
including Kamalahasan {Singaravelan and Indian need a special mention} and
Rajinikanth [ Padhinaaru Vayadhinile, Uzhappaali, Mannan and Baabaa in
particular}.Goundamani’s grand show of verbal comedy took several U turns and
stomach curdling curves whenever he joined the company of Sathyaraj. Some of
the special films in this regard are Thirumadhi Pazhanichami,Vela Kidachuduchu,Walter Vetrivel, Bramma, Nadigan, Pangaali,Vallal,Thai Maaman,Kungumapottu Gounder,Maaman
Magal and Malabar Police. I think Goundamani would have acted maximum number of
films with Sathyaraj as hero. Goundamani's role as a political aspirant in Sooriyan {with Sarathkumar as hero} was another feather on his cap with a performance full of lively wit vibrant satire.He also celebrated his solo comedy in films like Payanagal Mudivadhillai and Naan Paadum Paadal.
For Sendhil without Goundamani, it is not
that easy to display his intrinsic
humour potential. It is the presence of Goundamani that inspires him to make
a marvelous show of his cheeky side of humour taking his senior comedian
casually for a ride, every now and then. Tamil audience can never erase from
their memory hard drive, the most hilarious scenes from films like
Kattabomman, Chinna Gounder, Chinnavar, Manasukketha Maharaasaa, Thangamana Rasa, Naattaamai
, Gentleman,Jaihind. Karna, Indian, and the most famous Karagaattakkaran. The
banana scene from the last film mentioned here, would stay as an epoch making
comedy scene like that of K.A.Thangavelu
narrating his bogus award winning function to his wife M.Saroja, in Kalyana
Parisu and Naagesh narrating the ghost tale
in his proposed film to his father T.S.Balaiah, in Kadhalikka Neramillai.
There is a remarkable scene in a movie in which Goundamani would have explained the
meaning of cholera as an evil spirit. Subsequently fearing the spread of
cholera, Goundamani will travel on the pillion of the cycle pedaled by Sendhil . When Goundamani’s foot gets stuck to the back wheel, he will shout ‘kaalraa
Kaalra’[my foot man! my foot] Senthil will coolly say that he knows it is
cholera and that is why he is riding fast so that both of them can escape from
it. In another film, Sendhil will watch Goundamani consoling a bereaved son at a
funeral, stating that the dead man was not only a father to his son but also a
venerable father to everybody in the village. Soon in a similar context,Sendhil will be seen
consoling a bereaved husband, stating that the departed wife was not only a
beloved wife of her husband but a loving wife of everyone.How much
Sendhil gets thrashed for this, is
anybody’s guess. Senthil will then innocently think, why when Goundamani says such things
he is not beaten by anybody, forgetting the context and its
requirements of behaviour and manner of talk.
In another film Goundamani will be selling tender coconuts and Sendhil as his
assistant driven by the temptation to become a coconut seller will soon
indulge in stealing Goundamani’s tender coconuts, using a rope and pulling them
one after the other, to another place installed by him as a shop. He will do
this with the help of Vadivelu. In Jai Hind, every time when Goundamani{ a cop, in that film}goes to sleep, Sendhil will appear in his dreams, goading him to do the
unwanted, thereby causing a demotion or some other punishment in his job.
Through out the film, Senthil will be a nightmare for Goundamani. Who, other than
Sendhil ,will have the temerity to argue that he an eight standard passed out candidate, is
superior to Goundamani, a tenth standard failed person, because a pass is always superior to failure in an examination.
The collateral damage
that Senthil causes to Goundamani in several movies, is the creamy layer of
hilarious comic situations ending up in thunderous applause from the audience.
The most unforgettable comedy in this category is from K.S.Ravikumar’s
Naattaamai wherein, Sendhil plays the notorious womanizing father of Goundamani. While Goundamani will be helplessly looking for a girl for himself to be his wife Sendhil will effectively thwart the former's attemptsThe other noteworthy aspect of Goundamani's search is his desire to know who his mother is. Whenever Sendhil addresses Goundamani as'My son' Goundamani will retort by calling him'Dei Thagappa'}.Though
Naattaamai was a grand show in all respects, one could firmly acknowledge the
dynamic reach of Goundamani Senthil comic anecdotes adding to its historic
victory at the box office.
At one point of
time or the other any trend has to meet
its natural end. This dynamic duo could not be said to have parted ways.
But the audience preference began to
move towards newer display of laughter quotient and comedians like Vivek and
Vadivelu took over the screen for the evolution of social concepts and contextual display of
physical comedy combined with verbal banter. However, Sendhil like Goundamani ,established his individual might of comedy, by his special
association with the Superstar in films like Muthu,Arunachalam and Padayappa
and the comedy segment of these films was a clear indicator of what Senthil
is independently capable of .
Goundamani, who was
introduced by Barathiraja, continued to remain a constant addition in most of
the films of this epoch making film
maker. His talent has also been successfully utilized by many able hands like
R.Sundarajan, Manivannan, Ramarajan, Ve.Sekar, P.Vasu, K.S.Ravikumar,R.V.Udhyakumar
and Shankar. Besides he was regularly
included in the films of the Motherland pictures. Sendhil being almost the
alter ego of Goundamani would have been there in most of the films directed by
the above film makers.Perhaps Shankar would have inducted him in a few more
films like Jeans and Boys.Sendhil has also been a special favourite of actor
Thiagarajan who gave him the first opportunity in Malayur mambattiyaan.
Like Nagesh whose comedy show dominated Tamil
Cinema for more than two decades, the humour
component of Goundamani and Senthil
flew high wielding their welded
wings to newer zones. Trends might change every now and then. But each age has
a special message to pass over to posterity. It is this message that makes
history. In this regard the message
passed on by the duo is that, if two individuals set aside their ego, they can
create new records in joint ventures with a dynamic reach of their joint show.
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