Screen presence and portrayal of characters of actresses,mostly depend upon the nature of storyline and the type of character,that they are offered to perform.Variety in role display is actually not only the most fortunate take away of any hero or heroine, but is also a matter of the performance potential of the actor concerned.Generally,the field of cinema easily typecasts actors and actresses,based on their prominent success element portrayed dynamically and applauded loudly by the audience.
As far as Tamil cinema is concerned winnable roleplay of women was in the wishlist of actresses who ruled the silver screen for a substantial period of time.Women like Padmini P.Bhanumadhi,Savithri,Sowcar Janaki,Sarojadevi, K.R.Vijaya and Jeyalalitha cast their indelible impressions as the most dynamic women of Tamil cinema.Others like Vijayakumari,Devika,Vanisri,Sridevi,Sujatha,Radhika,Ambika, Radha,Revathi,Devayani,Kushbu and Simran have made themselves the most deserving women contributors,towards the enrichment of Tamil film field.The latest leading lady in this list has been Nayanthara.
Among the front liners of the last century,one could find a combination of feminism and submission as the striking indicators of womanhood as reflected in celluloid form. Modesty and fighting spirit was proportionately found in Bhanumathi,Padmini Sowcar Janaki and Jeyalalitha.Whereas,Savithri and K.R.Vijaya mostly carried on the meekest representation of womanhood.As Savithri mostly confined her acting career to the enfolding association of her husband Gemini Ganesan,it is K.R.Vijaya who strikes our minds as the most docile woman of Tamil Cinema,spreading her feathers of acting as the successful pair of many heroes of Tamil cinema.
Inroduced by the meritoriously native film maker K.S.Gopalakrishnan,with a promising role play in the sweetly remembered film Karpakam,K.R.Vijaya began to grow in her career,by leaps and bounds.In the titular role that she played as Karpagam,the daughter of a wealthy landlord{S.V.Rengarao}and as the deeply loved wife of Gemini Ganesan.K.R.Vijaya appeared only in the first half of the film to be killed by the horns of a ferocious bull just before the interval.But still even now, P.Suseela's scintillating song"Athai Madi Methaiyadi Aadi Vilaiyaadamma" would instantly bring to one's memory,the amazingly graceful pfofile of K.R.Vijaya,as the affectionate aunt of her brother's kid.
Though K.R Vijaya was first paired with Gemini Ganesan in Karpagam,her films with the king of romance were not many,other than Ramu,Thenmazhai,Kurathi Makan and Chinnanjiru Ulakam.Similarly her films with MGR were also less in number.The most prominent among them were Panam Padaithavan,Thaazhampoo, Vivasaayee,Nalla Neram and Naan Yen Pirandhein.
Her entries with the next generation heroes like Jai Shankar and Ravichandran were also limited to films like Pattanathil Bhoodham,Mukoortha Naal,Akka Thangai, Vayyadi,Soodhaattam,Penne Nee Vazhka and Mayor Meenakshi all with Jai Shankar and Idhayakamalam,Ninaivil Ninraval and Sabadham with Ravichandran.Among these,she overook the two heroes in her role play in films like Soodhaattam,Vaayaadi, Mayor Meenakshi,Penne Nee Vazhka,Idhayakamalam and Sabadham because all these films were heroine oriented.
K.R.Vijaya's commendably winning male pairs were R.Muthuraman and Sivaji Ganesan.In fact,these two heroes had acted together in quite a number of films and the most notable of their joint shows were Nenjirukkumvarai and Raman Ethanai Ramanadi in which K.R.Vijaya was paired with Muthuraman despite the fact that the Chevalier had to gulp the pains of one side love in both the films.Besides these two films,K.R.Vijaya's highly remarkable films with Muthuraman were Panjavarnakkili, Server Sundaram,Kanne Paappaa,Nathaiyil Muthu,Sondham,Namma Veeetu Dheivam and the uniquely sentimental movie Dheerga Sumangali.
Some of the best films of this actress of smiling grace with the Chevalier were,Selvam, Iru Malarkal,Thangai,Thirudan, Oottivarai Uravu,{who can forget her scintillating dance movements for the enchanting song, Thedinen Vandhadhu}Bharadha Vilas, Sorgam,Thava Pudhalvan,Thanga Padhakkam,Paalaadai,Thirisoolam, Kalthoon, Padikkadha Pannaiyaar,Mirudhanga Chakravarthi and Needhipadhi.What was special about this pair was their conjugal intimacy with a profound grasp of man woman relationship and family life.Theirs was a perfectly matching, precisely compatible and beautifully synchronizing conjugal melody.
The transition of K.R.Vijaya from captivating womanhood to caring motherhood on the Tamil big screen,was much early.She started donning the role of a mother of grown up children in Bharatha Vilas itself.This element she excellently displayed in films like Thanga Padhakkam,Mirudhanga Chakravarthi, Thirisoolam,Kalthoon and Needhi padhi.Later,she started playing mother roles in the films of Ramarajan,Raj Kiran and several other heroes.Recently she has also appeared in grand mother roles and the latest one in this list is as Vishal's grandmother in the now released Chakra.Now a days she is also quite busy with T.V.serials.
The outstanding element in K.R.Vijaya's screen performance is her submissive role play with a winning smile almost in all shots.But she also boldy took most challenging roles in the starting spell of her career itself.Some of her remarkable roles were for the films Panjavarnakili,Idhaya Kamalam,and Iru Malarkal.Her later years saw her perform brilliantly in films like Bharadha Vilas,Sorgam,Thanga Padhakkam and Thirisoolam,all with Sivaji Ganesan.
When it comes to emotional outbursts in character portrayal,one could always notice the underlying shivering voice pattern naturally unfolding the fact that K.R.Viajya is never ready to cross the limits of flexibility and feminine grace.No doubt a couple of her earliest films like Pattanathil Bhoodham and Karuppu Panam,were glamour bound.But gradually she built up the thespian acumen to match the grandeur of a legendary hero like Sivaji Ganesan.
She has ever been the one and only woman of Tamil Cinema,who succeeded over her male pairs by defeating herself.However,films like Sabadham{specially remembered for her underplay in order to silently win over the scheming villain, splendidly performed by T.K.Bhagavadhi}Mayor Meenakshi,{outbeating the manipulations of V.K.Ramasamy} and Enna Mudhalali Sowkiyama{throwing potential challenges to the wicked capitalist Major Sundarajan} will cast in our memory,the power of the winning woman.
In these three films cited, K.R.Vijaya poignantly presented herself as the strong willed woman capable of defeating her men rivals,with hidden layers of perception of the power of goodness over evil.All said and done,it is her exuberant roles in the films of Sivaji Ganesan and Muthuraman,that will belong to an exemplary category of a woman of smiling grace,vanquishing her victors,through submission and substance.
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