Potpourri of tidbits about Tamil cinema - Surilirajan
I got the opportunity to act in the play ‘Kaakithappoo’, written by ‘Kalaignar’. The year was 1962, an election year. The play was staged to aid the party’s election expenditure. I played in various troupes and the ace filmmaker Joseph Thaliyat, who watched my performance, offered me a role in his production ‘Kaadhal padutthum paadu’ and after this movie, success was on a fast track for me. I had appeared as driver, servant, etc. without having any dialogue in MGR and Sivaji starrers but Joseph’s film gave me the break. In MGR starrer ‘Enga veettu pillai’, I had some close-up shots in the song ‘Naan aanaiyittaal …’ I am grateful to MGR because at that time, I was only a junior artiste and it was MGR who told the director to give me some close-up shots. He always used to tell the cameramen and directors to give close-up shots to junior artistes also, he is really great. At this juncture, I got the offer from Joseph. The film released in 1966 and I got recognition. A. P. Nagarajan encouraged me a lot and gave me opportunity in all his films without fail. ‘Moonrezhutthu’, ‘Naan’, ‘Kuzhandhai ullam’, ‘Paal manam’, ‘Anjal petti’, ‘520’, ‘Thirumalai thenkumari’, ‘Thaen kinnam’, ‘Aattukkaara Alamelu’, ‘Vandi chakkiram’, ‘Vaa raja vaa’, ‘Maanthoppu kiliyae’, ‘Nayakkar magal’, ‘Paalaabhishekam’, ‘Thunivae thunai’ followed. With the grace of God, with the blessings of my parents and above all, with the support of the cine-goers, I am sustaining in cinema. My goal is to make people laugh and forget their worries.
My given name is Sankaralingam but in my family they call me Surilirajan in memory of Suruli Velappar, the presiding deity of the Suruli temple and the name has become permanent. My wife Lakshmi is taking care of our three sons Shanmugavel, Kumaravel and Senthilvel and also me. I want to give the best education to all my sons.”
After this interview, I met him once at the AVM studio. But I didn’t get to meet him thereafter. I was shocked to hear the news of his demise on 5 – 12 – 1980. He was an untiring hard-worker. He took to alcohol to relax after his hectic shooting schedules and the habit overpowered him at one stage. He became an alcoholic. Alcoholism told on his health and he met his end despite intensive treatment.
In the year 1980 alone, he had acted in fifty films. Within a very short period he won the hearts of all cine-goers through his inimitable performance, he had around 125 films to his credit. He died at the very young age of 42; he could have lived even up to 80 years if only he had abstained from alcohol. I used to warn those artistes who have become alcoholics and narrate the sad story of the premature death of Surulirajan. But, it is up to them to reform.
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