Homage to Daniel Balaji
Actor Daniel Balaji, born as T.C.Balaji is no more. With his acting spell encompassing Tamil,Malayalam,Telugu and Kannada films and a couple of TV serials, Daniel Balaji cut out a special profile for himself,to do negative roles. Between April Madhathil and his last film Ariyavan, his journey through the big screen was significantly impressive,though short lived. Balaji had his prefix appended to his name,after his prominent performance in the most popular television serial Chithi,which was his launch pad for acting. After playing the role of a character called Daniel in Chithi,at the beginning of this new millennium,he was cast as Daniel Balaji in his next entry into the T.V serial Alaigal.
Though his first two films were April Madhathil and Kadhal Kondein of Danush (in which he appeared as a cop), it was Gautham Menon's Kaakka Kaakka that stabilized him as a noticeable performer with thespian efficacy. His role play as police officer Srikanth along with Suriya, set the stage for his future film opportunities. Gautham Menon inducted him in three of his next projects like Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu,Ennai Arindhaal and Acham Enbadhu Madamaiyada.After playing as an honest and emotional cop in Kakka Kaakka, he did a despicably crude role in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyadu,unnerving the poise of Kamal as cop,who was seen hunting down drug peddlers and kidnappers.Balaji's uncouth role in Ennai Arindhal was equally emphatic.
Next to Gautham Menon, it was Vetrimaran who gave Balaji, gripping villain roles in Polladhavan and Vada Chennai,(in the latter, more as a reliable and compassionate henchman).His two Vijay films were Bigil and Bhairava.As an uxorious husband and as a brutal henchman of the main Villain Jegabadhi Babu,Balaji did a remarkable role-play in Bhairava.It was the paradoxical mix of the character of a psychopath and an adoring husband brilliantly displayed by Daniel Balaji, that added dramatic dynamism to the racy narration of Bhairava.Incidentally,his character was again named as Daniel in Vijay's Bigil.
Balaji's other mentionable films were Vai Raja Vai,Ippadai Vellum and Maayavan.His character as the motivational speaker Rudhran in Maayavan,carried negative shades too mysterious for the hero cum police officer, to unearth a deep crime serial. It was yet another important film for Daniel Balaji.
No doubt Daniel Balaji was offered certain stereotyped roles. But he made his roles deeply imprinted in the minds of the audience,through his bold,projecting and powerful eyes,and a special mode of tone delivery. He had a distinctly governing voice mould,with a sharply characteristic delivery of dialogues,that made him an easily identifiable performer of roles.It is doubtful whether he was a popular actor among the huge section of the Tamil audience. But those who have watched him perform, would definitely have watched him with a sense of awe and admiration, unable to retrieve themselves from their memory of this perfect performer of weird and crude villain roles.
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...."அவர் தமிழ் பார்வையாளர்களின் பெரும் பகுதியினரிடையே பிரபலமான நடிகரா "... என்ற ஐய்யம் இல்லாத அளவில் தன்னை அடையாளப் படுத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். அவர் ஆன்மா சாந்தி பெறும்🕊️
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