Blossom

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Your expertise in mimicry is well known. Who are your favorites?
I have mimicked almost all the artists in the cine field, in the seventies itself, well before the arrival of full time mimicry artists. I used to perform in the orchestras and marriage functions.

We heard that you are good at singing Chandrababu cine songs. Why did you pick him specifically?
I think his voice suits me perfectly.

In college days, we tried to form one music troupe. There were many to sing in the voices of SPB / KJY but my typical pop type voice in Chandrababu songs was a major attraction among the students. Particularly that ‘Bambarakannalae’ song…In fact, I have been repeatedly asked to perform it ‘once more’ many times.

I was thorough in almost ten to fifteen of his songs.

Is ‘pattimandram/pattumandram’ popular among youngsters? Will they survive in the generations to come? [For eg. Villupattu has almost died away]
‘Villupattu’, Bommalattam’& ‘Poikalkuthirai’ are the three most valued traditional arts of our Tamil culture. Among them ‘Villupattu’ is a phenomenon. One cannot perform that art without toil. The main performer needs a very good hand and eye coordination with his troupe members both in singing as well as background scoring. It is simply a multitalented art and if one wants to learn ‘Villupattu’ he needs to spend all his time with the master just like an ancient gurukulam. That is why, in this fast world there are very few takers for ‘villupattu’.

Whereas, in ‘pattimandram’, the theory is so simple. You require some skills in public speaking and a bit of GK to boot. If you are able to apply your presence of mind, that is more than enough and you can become a ‘pattimandram’ speaker.

Of course, youngsters are very much interested in ‘pattimandram’ these days. They even want to give it a stint. Wherever I complete a programme, within a week or so some enthusiastic youngsters form a ‘pattimandram’ troupe in their towns. And they start functioning at small level temple functions. Of course, it is their stuff that helps them thrive. A minimum of five to ten group are forming up regularly.

Can we say that “They are taking a leaf out of your book”…?
To some extent, yes! But we cannot and should not forget the services rendered by the patrons of this art like Sri. Thavathiru. Kundrakudi Adigalar & Sri. Soloman Pappaiah and others to this field. May be, my colloquial language, simplification of ‘pattimandram’ titles and selection of mass reaching subjects, all play a part in my success. And my success can prompt or generate many youngsters to give it a try in this field

So, you are becoming a role model for many; Congrats! Well, who is your own role model?
Though I respect Messrs. Kundrakudi Adigalar, Soloman Pappaiah and others of that clan, my first inspiration and role model was my Tamil teacher ‘Pulavar’.Ramasamy Sir. He was the one who infused, inculcated this thirst in me during my early days of schooling. I treat him as my ‘Guru’.

What are the qualities required for the participants of ‘Patti/Pattumandram’?
See, People are so tired of things happened around their work places or in their own houses. So, naturally they prefer lighter subjects as titles and hope for at least three hours of entertainment when they turn up for these shows. Well, as a speaker cracking jokes is okay; people laugh at that, but you cannot do the same thing all the time because at the end of the day, you will be not be remembered. Of course, a humorous speaker can survive but what I’d like to insist is that humour alone will not take him to seventh heaven in his career.

You must be subject oriented. You must learn to touch the subjects that are to people’s liking, in a simple and elegant way. You should always get yourself updated in current affairs. If you are able to apply a touch of humour to these things on stage, you will enthrone yourself in the heart of the audience.

How ‘Patti/Pattumandram’ is useful for the society?
Once we decide on the title, our hectic preparations start. Not a single speaker comes to the dais with limited knowledge of that subject. And on the D-Day, all our preparations go public. Some laugh, some yawn and some get a point or two. That is it. We work sincerely. We do our best. After all, it is an entertainment and we all are entertainers. People are so eager to listen to ‘talk shows’ or ‘pattimandram’ these days. I get minimum two to three thousand members in the audience for a single programme. It’s a welcome trend. Television too plays a phenomenal role in promoting these shows.

You are doing live programmes, TV programmes, your teaching profession and you are an actor too. Which one is your choice? And which do you find tedious?
Without doubt, I like my role as ‘pattimandram naduvar’ very much. And it should be a live programme… because I am the script writer there. The judgment-giving power itself is with me. I can exercise total control over my audience for three full hours. And above all, I can do what my conscience orders me to do. So, definitely that is my choice.
As far as the TV programmes are concerned, Okay. That is all.

I cannot talk freely in that medium. Instructions from the respective top brass about do’s and don’ts would affect my flow of speech dearly. But, I cannot deny the fact that my TV programmes are viewed by many, all over the world.
Actor – I simply do what the script requires me to do. So, here also not much choice left but to some extent you can show off your talents in the areas of voice modulation and dialogue delivery.

Teaching profession is the one I find it very tedious to cope with. I have been teaching the same thing for the past seventeen years. The same old simple pendulum, screw gauge, vernier caliper [He works as a science teacher in Dindigul St. Mary’s school].

It does not mean that I hate that profession. In fact, I love to see those sixty fresh young faces daily and love to fulfill my duty to the best of my knowledge as their teacher. But, one cannot relieve oneself from the monotony of this job. That is what I mean. Many of my friends suggested that I resign when my ‘pattimandram’ career clicked. But, I brushed aside those suggestions and I’ll remain as teacher until I retire.

As a ‘pattimandram judge’, do you go to the stage with a premeditated judgment in your mind or act on the weight of the arguments?
[Laughs]
I never judge it by the audience’ response alone. In that concluding speech I’d make all the necessary points in support of my verdict and in the process I would even convince the audience at the end of the show. I can say that it depends on occasions.

Have you ever faced criticism for your verdict?
Umpteen times. Well, I remember an incident. It was a ‘pattimandram’ titled “Nimmadhiyai tharuvathu”… “Kadhal Thirumanama”? “Nichayikkapatta Thirumanama”? I judged in favour of “Kadhal Thirumanam”.

At the end of the show, many elders expressed their displeasure in the judgment. I patiently explained to them once again on what grounds I recommended that love marriage in my verdict.

Eloping with a boy or girl against their parents’ wish is not what I meant.

Love marriage is a marriage in which I’d like to see the merger of hearts and thoughts and definitely not notes. Choose your life partner yourself, get your parents’ consent and get into wedlock. I firmly believe that this is the only way to end the caste and religion conflicts among the people.

You have been a severest critic of cine songs cinema in toto. How did your co-stars of tinsel world feel your presence when you yourself landed up there?
I have almost met every one in the field. It was really an opportunity for me to mingle with all the glitterati of the trade and I had some deep discussions too with quite a few people. They seem to have taken it sportively.

In between breaks, once I saw technicians were cheerfully listening to my audio cassette. It was one of the recordings of my programmes , one of the strongest possible satires of Tamil cinema.. I was really stunned to see them enjoying every moment of it, clapping their approval in between. I also saw people in one of the dubbing theatres watching my Vijay TV ‘pattumandram’ programme so enthusiastically. I asked them how. They replied, “You simply said the truth”. Some well-wishers advised me to avoid naming the persons in the programmes. Thereafter I started making general comments only in the stage functions.

You know, actor Karthik was a big fan and he introduced my cassettes to several cine persons. Actor Prabhu also joined the list. Then I heard from my cine friends that Sri. Sivaji Sir was also a big fan of my programme cassettes. Once when we met in a wedding function he gave me a warm hug and praised me heartily. I still feel it’s a honour for me to get wishes from the great doyen of Tamil cinema.

It is still a practice in schools and colleges, students who participate in elocution competition to speak in a conventional way. Do you think colloquialism should enter here too?
It’s already on here and there. But, I think it’s purely dependent on the judges for the events. If the judges are purists, they cannot tolerate colloquialism and their marks would surely go to a student who vomited what he crammed earlier.
But, we people are looking at the performer about how well he impressed the audience with his arguments. How ever, things are gradually changing. And I am all for the change.

Do you have any idea of conducting training camps for the students and youngsters in effective public speaking?
Though I am not conducting it personally, my involvement is there in my school. Recently, I conducted a ‘pattimandram’ in my school involving both teachers and select students. Taking a cue from our school HM, I planned and executed that ‘pattimandram’. It was a grand success. The students who participated were largely benefitted. It was aired on the local TV also. Now the students are busy attending some small temple functions as speakers.

You have acquired a ‘star status’ now. How do students react to your presence in the school?
I am one of the teachers in the school. That is all. And I am like any other teacher for them. Quite a few enthusiastic students would ask for an autograph in private. Otherwise, I am always within their reach. And I remain so.

(concludes next week)