Potpourri of titbits about cinema - Sasikumar
Today, when we hear the name Sasikumar, we’ll immediately think of Sasikumar of the film ‘Naadodigal’. But there was a Sasikumar of yesteryears, who had found a permanent place in the hearts of the cine-goers … some interesting titbits about the hero of yesterday …
Sasikumar was an army man before entering the celluloid world. He was born on 8-12-1944 to the couple Radhakrishnan – Savithri in Kumpakonam. Radhakrishnan had worked as a Hindi professor in Trichy National College. From his early years, Sasikumar displayed staunch loyalty and love to the nation, Tamil Nadu and fine arts. After completing B. Sc., he joined the army, served for ten years and rose to the rank of captain. He won medals for his gallantry during the war with China in the year 1962 and with Pakistan in 1965. After these wars, he resigned from the army and founded a drama troupe of his own and started acting in his own stage plays. Director A. P. Nagarajan, who happened to watch one of his plays, introduced him to cinema through his film ‘Thirumalai thenkumari’. Then followed ‘Arangetram’, ‘Punnakai’, ‘Aval’, ‘Malai naattu mangai’, ‘Vellikkizhamai viratham’, ‘Bharatha vilas’, ‘Kaasethaan katavulataa’, ‘Kalyaanamaam kalyaanam’, ‘Samarpanam’, ‘Pirayachitham’, ‘Suriyakaanthi’, ‘Thirutan’, ‘Rajapart Rangadurai’ etc. he was dear to all in the industry.
He used to visit his parents and relatives at Kumpakonam. My native place is also Kumpakonam and I wanted to meet Sasikumar there during one of his visits. I was studying in the 11th Std. (SSLC) and I met Sasikumar with the help of his relatives. He was happy when I reviewed his films. But when he noticed my school-books and notebooks, he understood that I came to see him during my class hours. He advised me very strongly that it was not correct to sacrifice classes for the sake of seeing film people or watching movies and that education should be the first priority. I met him again at the premises of Nadigar Sangam in Chennai. When I reminded him about the Kumpakonam incident, he repeated his advice in a warm tone. When I asked him for some details about his personal life and career, he asked me whether I had joined any cinema magazine. I told him that after finishing my studies, I intended joining the print media.
