Manorama
is a veteran in the industry. It could be easily said that
she has virtually lived in the industry. She has constantly
reinvented her screen persona so as to stay in tune with
the trend. From her debut as a heroine, she became the leading
comedienne and then onwards a character artiste on whom
the audience showered unlimited love. That is the secret
of her longevity. Records are not new to her. She has acted
with four chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and has appeared
in more than 1000 films. Her legion of fans consists of
people in the age group of six to sixty. Now she has a new
avatar that of a television artiste. She appears as Ammakannu
in Allirajyam now on air on Sun TV.
Here are some
excerpts from her experiences……..
She
is one of a kind. There have been no other women artistes
who became successful like her.
Manorama:
I cannot say that there has not been any other women artiste.
T.A. Madhuram, S.N. Lakshmi, T.P. Muthulakshmi, Angamuthu,
Sundaribai, Sachu, – the list is quite impressive.
But these are old names. In today’s context, there
are not many. Two important things are necessary for success
in comedy – good knowledge of different dialects of
the local language and a keen sense of timing. Today’s
heroines are mostly non-Tamilians. Hence, it is not easy
for them to do comedy roles. Native Tamilian girls are not
interested in comedy. That is the problem. If there is greater
recognition of comedy, may be things will improve.
Humor
is meant to soothe. But today’s trend is quite disturbing.
We have hurtful scenes, double meaning dialogues etc.
Manorama: True,
it is quite annoying. I really doubt whether the audience
would accept such fare any longer. We all have a responsibility
towards the society we live in. Humor and comedy should
help people forget their worries. It should help them relax.
Artistes and directors should realize this.
Comedy
actors also have several tragic tales. Her thoughts….
Manorama: Yes,
several comedy stars have had to go through tragic experiences
in their personal lives. Yet, their efforts at making people
forget their problems has not been rewarded amply. There
is no official recognition in awards selections. Some isolated
prizes are given by a few organizations. What a great injustice
to the medium. Comedy has played a complementary role in
many movies. Therefore, the government should come up with
some schemes for recognizing and awarding merit in comedy.
Her
view of life…..
Manorama: Life
is like a river. It keeps flowing and one cannot stop it.
Therefore, whatever is destined for you will happen to you.
So, keep a cheerful face and take life head on. Be happy
and make others happy.
Her
favorite roles…..
Manorama: Every
film role is like my own child. A mother never discriminates
between her children. In real life, my favorite role is
that of the doting grandmother to my grandson.
Her
view on Tamil cinema…
Manorama:
Cinema is like life breath to me. It has given me all that
I wanted. It has made me a household name and the adulation
is simply overwhelming. I would love to see the industry
grow from strength to strength. We have great and talented
artistes and technicians. Till my last breath, I want to
act.
