Potpourri of titbits about cinema - Thangavelu

They made me beg … I was introduced to actor K. A. Thangavelu by Jaishankar. I utilized all the opportunities to get closer to him. He used to tell me about the travails he faced in his childhood days as well as in his career. My eyes used to well up with tears listening to his pathetic story. I am sharing some of that valuable information with you …

‘Danaal’ Thangavelu - “I was born and brought up in Karaikkaal. I lost my mother at a very early age. My father left me in the custody of his relatives and settled down in Singapore. My relatives treated me very badly; they treated me like a servant. I had to bathe and feed the cow, clean the cowshed, wash the clothes of all the members of the family and do the entire household work. Only after finishing all my work, they would serve me food. In the middle of this suffering, I would sing and dance whenever I hear film music. And, I used to get beatings from my relatives even for this small enjoyment. One day, I fled to Nagappattinam where I had some relatives to escape from this cruelty. But, they didn’t allow me even to enter their house. I cried due to hunger. You won’t believe, some beggars on the street gave me food and made me beg along with them. I couldn’t accept that and I went back to Kaaraikkaal. The owner of Karunanidhi theatre helped me join the drama troupe of ‘Yadhaartham’ Ponnusamy Pillai. I was given the role of Anjaneya in the play Ramadas. I got the chance for acting in the film Sati Leelaavathy through M. K. Radha. But after that opportunity, I didn’t get any chance for seventeen years. After this long gap, I got re-entry with the help of ‘Kalaivanar’ N. S. Krishnan. I’ll not be here today but for him. Each and every rice I eat belongs to that great Samaritan. He is my preceptor, he is my guide. (Thangavelu showed his dollar in which NSK’s photo had been fixed). I had thus far acted in 887 films. But I’ve not acted in films of other languages, the reason being my love for Tamil language. Apart from NSK, I am indebted to actors Jaishankar and M. N. Nambiar as they had also helped me a lot. They are my very good friends; I couldn’t forget them till my end. I’ve two wives – Rajamani, M. Saroja. I’ve three daughters. Saroja is very simple; she is not arrogant that she is an actor.”

Thangavelu’s extraordinary histrionic talents got him a special place in cinema. ‘Panam’, ‘Amarakavi’, ‘Alibabavum 40 thirutargalum’, ‘Arasilangkumari’, ‘Uththama Puththiran’, ‘Gulepakaavali’, ‘Karpukkarasi’, ‘Mangaiyar thilakam’, ‘Kalyana parisu’, ‘Engal veettu pillai’, ‘Bhooloka Ramba’, ‘Rambaiyin kaadhal’, ‘Thillaanaa Mohanaabpaal’, ‘Manaivi Ready’ etc. are some of his films in which he made waves. ‘Singaari’, a stage play was made into film with the same title. Thangvelu would repeat the word ‘danaal’ very often in that film and the word became his ‘prefix’ when the film became a hit! His given name was Thangam. He added ‘Velu’ to it to become Thangavelu. He owned a drama company and staged a number of plays. He delivered speeches on all the three days at the DMK Conference, held at Madurai on 29, 30, 31 July in the year 1994. He breathed his last on 28-9-1994 at his house on Rajabadar Street, T. Nagar, Chennai. He was 77 when he died.