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Thilakan

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Thilakan
Born
Surendranath Thilakan

(1935-07-15)July 15, 1935[1]
Ayroor,[2] Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India
DiedSeptember 24, 2012(2012-09-24) (aged 77)
Thiruvananthapuram, India
Years active1979 – 2012
AwardsPadmashri, in 2009

Surendranatha Thilakan (Malayalam: സുരേന്ദ്രനാഥ തിലകന്‍ (15 July 1935 - 24 September 2012), known mononymously as Thilakan, was an Indian film and stage actor who has starred in over 200 Malayalam films. Thilakan is regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema, and popularly mentioned as the Perumthachan of Malayalam Cinema. [3][4] He is known for his excellence in character roles. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009 for his contributions towards the arts.[5]. Thilakan died on 24th September 2012, following a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

Career

Theatre

File:Thilakan during early days in Theatre.jpg
Thilakan during early years in Cinema

He started his career in acting as a theatre artiste when he ventured into full-time acting in theater after leaving intermediate college mid-way in the year 1956. It was during his years in theatre that he honed his skills in acting. During this period he and a few friends formed a drama troupe in Mundakayam, where his father was working as an estate supervisor, and the troupe was called the Mundakayam Nataka Samithy. He worked with Kerala People's Arts Club till 1966, followed by stints in Kalidasa Kala Kendra, Changanacherry Geetha, and P. J. Antony's troupe. He also performed in several radio plays presented by All India Radio. Thilakan completed fifty years in acting.

Thilakan died[6] on September 24 2012 following a heart attack.

Cinema

Despite his long association with theatre, Thilakan became a household name only after his foray into Malayalam cinema. He began his career in cinema with a role in P.J.Anthony directed malayalam movie 'Periyar' (1973). He then worked in 'Gandharvakshetram'. However the role in the film Ulkadal (1979) was the first noticed. His first role as a lead character was as Kallu Varkey, a drunkard in Kolangal (1981). Thilakan established himself as an actor after he got his first State Award in 1981 for his role in Yavanika.

In 1988, he received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Rithubhedam. Again in 1994, and in 1998, he won State awards for Santhanagopalam and Gamanam. He was strongly favoured[7] to get another National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in the movie Perumthachan. As noted in the rediff interview, the award was steered away from him to Amitabh Bachchan due to strong lobbying, as Amitabh announced his retirement that year.[7] The film Kireedam was a milestone in his career; in this film he portrayed a helpless policeman silently watching the fate of his son, played by Mohanlal, who was made into a rowdy by society. Some of Thilakan's other notable films are Sphadikam, Moonnam Pakkam, Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal, Mookkilla Rajyathu, Chenkol, Randam Bhavam, Kaattu Kuthira and Yavanika.

He has also acted in other South Indian languages, such as Tamil.

Thilakan has portrayed a range of characters. The most popular roles have been with Mohanlal when they portrayed a father-son duo. These included Kireedam, Sphadikam, Narasimham, Evidam Swargamanu, Pavithram and Chenkol. He has also played father roles to other popular actors, including with Mammootty in Sangham, The Truth, No. 1 Snehatheeram Banglore North and Pallavur Devanarayanan, with Jayaram in Veendum Chila Veettu Karyangal and Sandesam, with Dileep in Meenathil Thaalikettu, with Kunchacko Boban in Aniyathi Pravu and with Prithviraj in Sathyam. He has also played many negative roles. His roles of underworld don in Randam Bhavam, Karma and Kaalal Pada were memorable. He has played comical roles in films like Nadodikkattu and Pattanapravesham (as a coward underworld don), Mookkilla Rajyathu (as a breakout from a mental hospital), Kuttettan (as a pimp) and Naaduvazhikal (as a good-for-nothing, vain person). He has played lead roles in many movies including Ekantham, Perumthachan, Santhanagopalam, Kaattukuthira, My Dear Muthachan, Mukhamudra (double role), etc.

Thilakan fell ill at the beginning of the 2000s and was hospitalized for a long time. After recovering he slowly returned to acting. He subsequently made a series of statements in interviews criticizing prominent figures of the Malayalam film industry.[citation needed]

In 2007, he acted in Ekantham, for which he received a special mention from the jury.[8] Even the film technicians’ guild, MACTA, made an exception recently and honoured him, though he is not a technician.[9]

Controversies

Thilakan has been suspended and/or issued show cause notices several times by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), which made Thilakan an open critic on association's activities. He has also had issues with other film organisations such as the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) and the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA).

In February 2010, it was reported that the producer of the movie Christian Brothers excluded Thilakan from the film at the request of the FEFKA, the predominant film technicians association. Thilakan had been earlier signed for a role in the film. The exclusion was reportedly due to Thilakan acting in a film by director Vinayan, who till recently headed the rival association MACTA. On February 3, 2010, Thilakan publicly protested against the unofficial ban enforced on him by FEFKA and blamed a major actor for engineering the ban. The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) issued a show cause notice to Thilakan for bringing the issue into the public domain. Thilakan accused AMMA, of which he too is a member.[10][11] On February 20, 2010 the issue gained political colours when CPI's trade union wing, AITUC, came out openly in support of Thilakan, while a senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member K. E. Ismail expressed reservations about his party getting involved in the tangle.[12] Controversy led to the dismissal of the actor permanently from AMMA association after being asked several times by the AMMA's committee, headed by noted actor Innocent, to issue an unconditional apology, which he refused. He stated that unless and until he gets justice regarding why he was removed from the role in the movie Christian Brothers, he would not give an apology.

Thilakan was originally cast to play an important role in a UAE-Indian co-production film Dam 999.[13] He was later replaced, following a notice from FEFKA stating that if Thilakan acted in the film, the association would boycott it. Sohan said they were forced to seek for a substitute for Thilakan when it came to the point that shooting might be disrupted.[14] Eventually, Rajit Kapur was cast instead of Thilakan.[15] There were reports that Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) also had intervened in Thilakan's replacement.[15] In a related development, Thilakan and his supporters had a march toward the shooting location of the film at Alappuzha.[16]

During this time, Thilakan decided to come back to Drama. Thilakan directed and played the role of the main character of a freedom fighter - SuryaNarayanan in the play "Itho Daivangalude Nadu" (Is this the land of God) for the Drama troupe Alappuzha AksharaJwala.

In the middle of 2011, AMMA revised their decision of his dismisal after which he came back strongly with fantastic performance in malayalam film INDIAN RUPEE directed by famous Director Renjith, co acted by young star Prithviraj. His performance got applauses from all audiences even though the lead role has been done by Prithviraj.

Personal life

Thilakan was the second among six children of Palapurath T.S. Keshavan and Deevayani of Plankamon in Ayroor Panchayat in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. Thilakan also lived in Plankamon until he started acting in movies with which he moved to Ernakulam. The house where was born, brought up and lived most of this life before getting into movies, is at Plankamon junction next to Velliyara school.

Death

Thilakan was admitted to a hospital in Thrissur on August 21st, 2012 after he collapsed during the shooting of the new film "Scene 1 Nammude Veedu". He was then shifted to KIMS hospital, Trivandrum and was in critical condition after suffering two heart attacks. Besides having cardiac problems, Thilakan was suffering from pneumonia. The actor had been put in a ventilator since then. Thilakan passed[17] away on September 24,2012 at 3:35 IST from complications resulting from his health problems.[18] Thilakan is survived by his sons Shaji Thilakan, Shammi Thilakan, Shibu Thilakan, Shobi Thilakan and daughters Sonia Thilakan and Sophia Thilakan. Thilakan had been battling for life at the hospital where he was admitted on August 23 after he had suffered two heart attacks. He had been on and off ventilator since then and had an attack of pneumonia. The end came at 3.35am on Monday, September 24th. [19]

Awards

Civilian Awards:

National Film Awards:

Kerala State Film Awards:

  • 1982 - Second Best Actor - Yavanika
  • 1985 - Second Best Actor - Yaatra
  • 1986 - Second Best Actor - Panchagni
  • 1987 - Second Best Actor - Thaniyavarthanam
  • 1988 - Second Best Actor - Mukthi, Dhwani
  • 1989 - Special Jury Award - Various films
  • 1990 - Best Actor - Perumthachan
  • 1994 - Best Actor - Gamanam, Santhanagopalam
  • 1998 - Second Best Actor - Kaattathoru Pen Poovu

Filmfare Awards:

Asianet Film Awards

Other awards

Filmography

Malayalam films

Tamil films

References

  1. ^ http://www.manoramaonline.com/advt/movie/Tribute-to-Thilakan/index.htm
  2. ^ http://www.manoramaonline.com/advt/movie/Tribute-to-Thilakan/index.htm
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ Press Information Bureau English Releases
  6. ^ Zee News. "Veteran malayalam actor thilakan passed away". Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Interview with Thilakan".
  8. ^ "54th National Film awards" (PDF). Press Information Bureau (PIB), Govt of India. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  9. ^ Thilakan: Master of Expressions | Just Jo
  10. ^ Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - India
  11. ^ The Times Of India http://movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/regional-/malayalam/Thilakan-protests-Malayalam-film-body-demands-apology/articleshow/5554845.cms. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ http://www.ptinews.com/news/527887_Thilakan-issue-spills-on-to-political-domain
  13. ^ "Thilakan to enter Hollywood". One India. Feb 3, 2009.
  14. ^ "It's official; Thilakan is out of Dam 999". Nowrunning. Mar 1, 2010.
  15. ^ a b "Rajath Kapoor replaces Thilakan in Dam 999". One India. Mar 11, 2010.
  16. ^ "Malayalam film body gives Thilakan another chance". Times of India. Retrieved 8 March 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) [dead link]
  17. ^ Bollywood Life. "Veteran malayalam actor thilakan passed away at the age of 77". Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  18. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/malayalam-thespian-thilakan-dead/article3931223.ece
  19. ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Malayalam-actor-Thilakan-passes-away/articleshow/16524941.cms
  20. ^ "Filmfare Awards South Lifetime Achievement Awards".
  21. ^ "The 59th Idea Filmfare Awards 2011(South)". The Times Of India. July 8, 2012. Retrieved 08-07-2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  22. ^ "Bharat Gopi Award for Thilakan". The Hindu. Chennai, India. June 9, 2010.
  23. ^ "Vayalar Ramavarma Chalachithra - Madhyama Awards 2011 announced".


http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?contentId=12481375&programId=1073753760&tabId=11&contentType=EDITORIAL&BV_ID=@@@

Remembering great actor Thilakan.. Watch video interview Part 1 and Part 2 as he talks about his life, acting career and theatre experience http://video.webindia123.com/interviews/actors/thilakan/index.htm http://video.webindia123.com/interviews/actors/thilakan2/index.htm

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