Sivakumar&Sons

    'Sivakumar&sons' is an exhilarating three in one formula of Tamil Cinema.Even in the case of Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan,his elder son Ramkumar halted as soon as he started the journey of acting and it is Prabu who has sustained the gusto and legacy of Sivaj Ganesan,as luminous as possible.The Sivaji hierarchy seems to be an enlivening continuity with the emergence of its third generation actor in Vikram  Prabu.The same is the case with the R.Muthuraman hierarchy through the succession of heroes from its family tree,in the form of Karthik Muthuraman and Gowtham Karthik.Interestingly,while Prabhu has been earnestly struggling to retain the Chevalier glory,Karthik in a way outshone his father by his fabulous performance in films like Varusham 16,Kizhakku Vasal,Gokulathil Seethai,Mouna Ragam and quite a few other films.Karthik certainly added felicity and profound nuances to acting when compared to the direct,down right way of acting of his father,R.Muthuraman. M.R.Radha and his children belong to another galaxy of acting,with sons and daughters,creating a starry cluster of dynamism and variety.
   As the Superstar said in the Kaappaan song release event,Sivakumar is really a blessed man and a bonny hero,carrying the deserving pride of having groomed two distinct actors,from his own genes.Throughout his acting career,Sivakumar has remained as the incarnation of sweetness and grace,combining in himself the fascinating charm of Gemini Ganesan and the captivating voice vibration of Sivaji Ganesan,without of course incorporating the open thrust in the voice mould of the latter.I have been a constant admirer of the modestly mesmerizing elements in the acting style of Sivakumar,who never let these elements fade through out his acting career.Looks and manners are both inherited and inculcated. Sivakumar has beautifully retained the positive factors that he inherited and has also successfully added his own cherished norms of life,before transforming into an ideal actor.He has mostly played soft roles.Even a couple of characters with negative shades that he performed in films like Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri and Saaindhaadammaa Saindhaadu,{both were beautiful stories from the hands of Maharishi}did not fail to reflect his innate sweetness in demeanour.
    Sivakumar has been a prolific actor,sharing screen space with top most heroes like MGR {Kavalkaran &Idhayaveenai}Sivaji Ganesan{Several films of which Uyarndha Manidhan  Kaval Theivam and Kandhan Karunai will stay immortal},Jaishankar,Muthuraman, Ravichandran and A.V.M.Rajan and later on with Rajinikanth,Kamalahasan and Mohan, despite the fact that he was a much senior actor to these heroes.The one remarkable fact about Sivakumar is that,he has never been craving for Single hero films,nor has he ever hesitated to do second hero or even supporting roles in many films.But it should be said in a similar vein, that he has also given us most memorable hits like Sollathaan Ninaikirein,Ponnukku Thanga Manasu,Pudhu Vellam,Rosaapoo Ravikkaikari,Eni Padikal,Vellikizhamai Viradham,Annakili Aattukkaara Alamelu,Paadha Poojai,Vandi Chakkaram, Chittukuruvi,Badrakali,Sindhu Bhairavi and Thangaikor Geetham.
    Though he has done only two films with the Superstar{Kavikuyil and Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri} he has frequently acted with Kamalahasan.{Then Sindhuthe Vanam,Panathuk kaaga,Sollathaan Ninaikirein,Pattikaattu Raja,Kumaasthaavin Makal,Melnaattu Marumagal, Thangathile Vairam and so on}Those were times when Rajini and Kamal were at the starting spell of their career and Sivakumar was already an established actor of hero material.The two films he has done with Mohan are Naan Paadum Paadal and Paasa Paravaikal.Now Sivakumar is a fully blown senior citizen and he has made his mettle in paternal roles as the father of his own son Suriya {Uyirile Kalandhadhu} and as the loving dad of Vijay {Kadhalukku Mariyaadhai} and Ajith{Poovellaam Un Vaasam}.He was also very sweet as Vikram's elder brother in Bala's  Sethu.
   The one unforgettable role he did with Sathyaraj was for the film Malabar Police.Unlike his contemporary heroes Jaishankar and Ravichandran,Sivakumar boldly took up roles that demanded delivery of chaste Tamil dialogues in films like Raja Raja Cholan,Kandhan Karunai, Thirumal Perumai and Thirumalai Dheivam.In mythological profiles Sivakumar was not only compact,but also looked truly divine as Lord Muruga in Kandan Karunai and as Lord Vishnu in Thirumal Perumai and Thirumalai Dheivam.
   Coming to the thespian career of his two sons,a lot has been done by both of them on the big screen and a lot more is expected of them too.While Suriya is more an 'urbanized,exquisite Sivakumar',Karthik Sivakumar,{more familiar as Karthi} is out and out a genuine rural stuff,despite his higher education abroad. Suriya has consistently displayed the delightful parameters of style and elegance.Barring some of his initial films like Nerukku Ner, Kaadhale Niimadhi,Periyannaa and Sandhippoma,one could see multi shades of style in looks and performance in films like Friends,Aaru,Mounam Pesiyadhe,Pitha Magan,Kaakka Kaaka,Gajini,Ayyan,Maatraan,Anjaan,Ayudha Ezhuthu, Thaana Serndha Koottam and the most recent Kaappaan.In terms of performance,there was a lot of vigour delivered in the Singam series besides his action packed high power drama Aadavan,and the robust mischief beautifully portrayed by his role,in Pithamagan apart from the cheeky and sober dimensions of character,he impressively delivered in dual roles in AVM's Perazhagan.Three films of Suriya that have shown him move on the screen with incomparable speed are K.V.Anand's Ayyan and Kaappaan and K.S.Ravikumar's Aadhavan.
   Some of his characters that carried profound emotional layers and poignantly inward looking dispositions, were in films like Bala's Nanda and Gowtham Menon's Varanam Aaayiram.As a police officer he stiffly imbibed the inimitable crease of the uniform in body and mind and performed brilliantly in films like Kaakka Kaakka and the Singam series especially in the first instalment of Hari's serial shows.While Surya's  Sillunnu Oru Kaadhal was a tale of fascinating romance his Thaanaa Serndha Koottam was a casual street show of humour coupled with anger against the stashing of black money,by a section of the unscrupulous bureaucracy, including that of the investigating agencies.The two notable,disappointing failures of Suriya were 7aam Arivu and NGK. However, in Kaappan he has again exhibited his self determined vigour and dynamism in several respects.
    The voice vibration in Surya's dialogue delivery is of a captivating mould which is capable of unfolding the inner anguish as we excitedly witnessed in Nanda,whenever he called his mother "Amma".The same voice could roar with a ranting force in Singam.It would be a great missing point if I do not mention the multi dimensional psychic complexities he let loose in Gajini under the incomparable direction of Murugadoss. Gajini is a governing pointer to the growth trajectory of Suriya as an inspired and invigorating performer,with a matchless manifestation of a mind,laid up with the trauma of hallucination and erratic memory power.One could very clearly perceive the impact of memory,playing the truant on his brain,subjecting and forcing him to a series of brutal physical assault.In a way Gajini could be rated as the magnum opus of Suriya's acting career.
    Unlike Suriya,Karthi is made up of rugged stuff that he has effectively revealed in his debut film Paruthiveeran itself.Though no one can grudge Priya Mani getting the best actress National film award  for her brilliant performance in that film,the same way,one can affirm that Karthi also deserved the best actor National film award,for his commendable role play in his very first film. Nevertheless, he got  an award from other creditable agencies.From his very first film,Karthi continued to reflect the rugged rural resplendence,in most of his portrayal of characters in films like Aayirathil Oruvan,Alex Pandian,Saguni,Naan Mahanalla,Madras, Komban and his other rural hit Kadaikkutti singam.While Naan Mahanalla and Madras exhibit remarkable ruggedness and macho might,Komban and Kadaikutti Singam are Karthi's extraordinary rural shows,narrated with gripping realism and splendid emotional involvement.
   The climax scene of Kadaikutti Singam,with the meekest and self defeating demonstration of emotions by karthi,would have made many family oriented film watchers dumbfounded and sentimentally struck down. Komban was another milestone in Karthi's career,neatly establishing the mild threads,interlinking the most dignified relationship between a son in law and father in law.The special charm of Karthi is his capacity to pour out exalted emotions through a rough and tough exterior.Much in contrast to these roles,he breezily performed as a very soft hero,in the two most celebrated films Paiyaa and Thozha.Payya was of course an indescribable musical treat from Yuvan Shankar Raja.But it was also an enchanting road show of romance, passing through a turbulent storm of successive threats to the life of both the hero and heroine. Lingusamy's road show in Payya retained the gusto,changing the track he set for a reckless race,in his earlier film Run.
   Thozha could be rated as one of the cleanest films of this new age with Nagarjun and Karthi getting mutually drawn to each other,through a natural course of spontaneous trust and sense of empathy. Like Kamal in Vasool Raja trying to heal the medico's wounds caused on a coma patient,Karthi struggles to revive the morale of the imbecile and wealthy  Nagarjun. All was well in Thozha excepting the physically challenged stature of Nagarjun.Subtle humour {between Karthi and Prakash Raj} and soothing romance were the singular attractions of Thozha.The other most challenging role that Karthi performed,was that of a dedicated cop travelling along a perfectly narrated story line,in Dheeran Adhikaaram Onru. 
   Karthi's Kaidhi,has shown how he could be simultaneously meticulous and casual in delivering the desperate role of a just released convict,waiting and wanting to meet his adolescent daughter put up in an orphanage.It is a solid narration of an ex convict's plight in the hands of a police officer,facing the unavoidable predicament of saving a host of poisoned cops,from a serial attacks by gangsters. Karthi has breezily borne an arduous role on his shoulders,in his own inimitable style of mixing roughness with rhythms, radiating poise,in an action packed thriller kind of film.Ruggedness,effortless excellence and subtle charm,are ever the singular profiles of Karthi.
   Thambi, Karthi's latest release has enrolled him for a very specially sparkling performance, with a fantastic combination of white-lying and valued perception of the entanglements he is facing.Within his character's flair for fraud,there lies hidden,a genuine compassion and love for those with whom he gets associated and this makes him draw a clear line between good and evil.It is a multi dimensional character and Karthi has essayed it with shades of innocence, mischief,stubbornness and inbuilt courage.Besides Jeethu Joseph's clean screenplay,the comprehensive role delivery of Karthi has exalted the status of Thambi,to its appealing and commendable reach.
   Both Suriya and Karthi have come across ups and downs and both have carved a niche for themselves in their own independent might and manner.The one striking note of difference between the two actors is,the eternal dazzling spark in Suriya's performance,pretty much in contrast to the ever enchanting casual ease, that has been the steady determiner of Karthi's style of acting.It is not that they have travelled enough on the road of Tamil Cinema.They have more to travel on the highways and crooked streets of the celluloid world. But their travelling experience has made them deserve their own characteristic space in acting, by proving their grease calibre, as the worthy sons of a worthier father.While the father spread a lot of natural fragrance in acting,his sons have imbibed it,so as to develop it into an all pervading aroma of the body and soul of acting and fulfill the aspirations of the new generation,that they represent, as naturally as they can.
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