Saritha who debuted in K.Balachander's critically acclaimed film Thappu Thaalangal along side Rajinikanth,proved to be a high voltage actress in quite a number of films,through her fiery delivery of roles.Like in Rajinikanth's case, her black complexion never became a stumbling block to her induction in several challenging roles in many memorable films.Her bold acceptance of controversial roles like that of a call girl in her very first film Thappu Thaalangal, in which Rajinikanth also did the role of a trouncing thug,made her a performance-oriented actor like Kamalahasan and Rajinikanth.
In Thappu Thaalangal both the characters of Rajinikanth and Saritha, were shown as struggling for a reformed routine against many road blocks,that ultimately pushed them back to their original ways of life.Both the actors became exemplary role performers in that film, thanks to the rigorous moulding of their thespian spirit,by the professional hands of the most creative film Maker K.Balachander,who timelessly cherished a critical perception of his own narrative skills and extraction of talent revelation, from his actors and crew members.
Saritha could perfectly mix ferocity with feminine fineness, in the manner of P.Bhanumathi, sometimes even reflecting the jarring voice pattern of the latter.She was a full blown actor in her very first movie,due to her innate involvement in acting and the demanding yardsticks of a task master like K.B.She continued to perform wonderful characters in other Balachander films like Nool Veli,Thanneer Thanneer,Agni Saakshi and Achamillai Achamillai, besides acting in a remarkably pathetic role of a woman subjected to sexual abuse,in the hands of a rich man,in Netrikan{creditably performed by Rajini Kanth in dual roles as father and son}produced by K.Balachander and directed by S.P.Muthuraman.
While Achamillai Achamillai got the national award for best film it also fetched for Saritha the Film Fare award for best actress. Her brilliant role play as a victim of schizophrenia in Agni Sakshi, earned her the best actress award from the Tamil Nadu State Government.
This firebrand actress knows how to put her adversaries in their places, be it men or women.There is an inherent fighting spirit in her,with which she will go to any extent to present her wronged position and seek justice.One would have noticed her aggressive acting mode in films like Achamillai Achamillai and Mouna Geedhangal.In the latter,as the possessive and teasing wife of Bhagyaraj and then as a legal wife claiming to establish her legality in the climax scene, wherein Bhagyaraj arranged his bogus second marriage with a drama artist,it was the ferocity of Saritha's acting brand that came to the limelight.It was with the same aggressive cry for justice,did she deal with her politically opportunistic husband,{Rajesh}in Achamillai Achamillai.From Thappu Thaalangal, Saritha's role performance never withdrew its fighting calibre to establish what is right from the character's point of view.
Saritha would have shared screen space with Sivaji Ganesan either as his wife,or as a vital supporting character,in films like Imaiyam,Iru Medhaikal,Thunai,Avan Oru Sarithiram and Keezh Vaanam Sivakkum.Muktha Srinivasan's Keezh Vaanam Sivakkum celebrated Saritha's pivotal role,taking the Chevalier into surprising challenges not only in terms of contexts,but also in performing her role with an extraordinary grasp of the intricacies involved in her character evolution.
The salient feature of the film was Saritha's unrelenting quest for getting the culprit who spoilt the life of a woman,duly punished by the dead woman's vengeful brother {Jai Shankar} without knowing the fact,that the wrong doer was her own husband.The film elgantly pictured her open efforts to get the criminal punished and the silent struggle of her ophthalmologist father-in-law to save his son,from the visually challenged avenger.These were the most delicate threads of an emotionally heavy story line.
It was beautifully narrated by the veteran film maker Mukta V.Srinivasan.But more than the narration,in was the complexity involved in the role play of Sivaji Ganesan and Saritha and the way they handled the complexity, made it a long standing movie to be cherished in audience memory.There was an absolute transition of a father in law and daughter in law, into the status of an emotional father and daughter.This single movie could be considered as an exhaustive interpretation of Saritha's tremendous acting calibre.
Saritha's other well known films are Vandi Chakkaram,Oru Vellaadu Vengaiyaagirathu, Saattai Illaadha Bambaram and Thangaikor Geetham{all with Sivakumar in addition to Agni Saakshi} Malaiyur Mambattiyaan,Komberi Mookan{both with Thiagarajan}Kalyaana Agadhikal, Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu,June R and Julie Ganapathi.In mother roles her performance struck a poignant note in Vedham Pudhithu as the wife of Balu Thevar,{Satyaraj} and as the mother of Raja,under the eminent direction of P.Bharathi Raja.With her hanging ear holes and her natural delivery of the Madurai dialect of Tamil, she genuinely symbolized the womenfolk of the Mukkulathor community. She also performed an elegant role as the mother of Vijay in the beautiful film Friends,which was Siddique's remake of his Malayalam version.
Saritha has been another magnificent addition to Tamil cinema from the Telugu region,in the line of Savithri,P.Bhanumathi Devika and Vanisri. She is capable of playing her roles with her shrill and sharp voice pattern in different modes, depending upon the varying contextual emotions.With her firebrand, aggressive approach to acting,she has never failed to reach the destination she wanted to.
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