A HOMAGE

“Onnumey puriyaley ulagatthiley... ennamo nadakuthu marmama irukkuthu...!" (“Kumara Raja”)

“Pirakkum podhum azhuginraai...irakkum podhum azhuginraaii...oru naalaagilum sirikka maranthaai maanidaney....!” ("Kavalai Iillatha Manithan” )

So he sang in two of his movies, and the lines in his famous songs express the state of his mind, heart and soul, and also his life, and living.

Chandrababu, the celebrated singing and dancing star comedian of Tamil Cinema was on top for a few seasons before he faded away into near obscurity and poverty to which he contributed himself more than somewhat. His attitudes, his sharp tongue, and also the compulsive desire to kick at sacred cows of the Tamil film world did not endear him to movie land folks.

An evening at the Rajakumari Cinema (now sadly vanished) in Madras city. “Maaman Magal” in which he had acted was being was released on the day and the producer-director, a much respected senior film person of south Indian Cinema, R. S. Mani was standing in the compound to greet moviegoers and find out their opinions after seeing the first show. Along with the crowds out walked Chandrababu and his friend V. Gopalakrishnan towards the smiling director. Much to the shock of Mani, Gopi and everybody else, Chandrababu held the filmmaker’s chin with both hands and pinching his cheeks he exclaimed loudly, “Ennamma
kannu, epdikiirey” Poor Mani speechlessly turned red in the face while the comedian nonchalantly walked away with another pinch of his cheeks to his car parked a few yards away. Such was the man behind the comedian.

Another similar incident, much more shocking took place in 1965 at Delhi soon after the Indo-Pakistan war had come to a close. To
entertain the army heroes a large contingent of movie persons of south India went to Delhi. The team included top star Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesh, Savithri, Jayalalitha, Padmini, Devika, P. Susheela, Kannadasan, Al. Srinivasan, M. S. Viswanathan, P. B. Sreenivos and many others. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan invited the team from Madras to Rashtrapathi Bhavan for an evening and chatting with the stars and others, Radhakrishnan asked MSV to sing a song. A harmonium was brought and while MSV played, Chandrababu sang his famous hit song “Pirakkum podhum azhuginraai...” Deeply touched by the song and the way the comedian rendered it, the President showered praise on the singer and the lyricist Kannadasan. Much to the surprise and shock of
those around, Chandrababu jumped onto the President’s lap (all were seated on the floor) and pinching his cheeks exclaimed in Tamil, “Kanna, nee periya rasiganda!” The philosopher took it in his stride, thoroughly amused of course, while others watched in shock and dismay. That was Chandrababu.

Indeed he was the first comedian in the history of south Indian cinema to command a salary of Rs. 100,000 per film, something unheard of in those days when even cult figure comedians like N. S. Krishnan received only at best five figure salaries.

He held sway until he was overtaken by another talented comedian K. A. Thangavelu who received such a high fee.

Chandrababu’s entry into movies was equally dramatic. A day in 1952 at Gemini Studios canteen… it was crowded as usual when in walked a slim young man and asked the canteen-in-charge Gemini Manian for a glass of water. Somewhat impressed by the young man he gave him the water which he drank in a corner swallowing something he had in a small packet. Crystals of copper sulphate, a deadly poison. Within few minutes he collapsed, frothing at the mouth, and soon Gemini Studio executives and others removed him for medical attention. One of them was the studio’s casting supervisor R. Ganesh, later Gemini Ganesh. Information was given to the police and he was removed to nearby Ranga Nursing Home where Dr. Sankaran gave him first aid bringing the poison out. Later he was taken into custody by the police and a letter in his pocket handed over to the cops. In it Chandrababu wrote that he was anxious to act in movies and could not meet S. S. Vasan in spite of his best efforts and thus he was ending his life. He requested that his body should be handed over to the noted Tamil writer, playwright and film person B. S. Ramaiah.
(Chandrababu’s maiden appearance was in a small role in Ramaiah’s “Dhana Amaravathi” which few remember today).

He was produced before a Presidency Magistrate who took a liking to the accused ,and much to the surprise of many he permitted the future star to do a mono-acting scene from a Shakespearean play. Immensely impressed, the Magistrate bound him over for good conduct without sending him to jail and asking him to report to a nearby police station every week.

The Gemini Studios boss came to know about it and gave him a single sequence role in his film “Moondru Pillaigal” (1952) in which his performance was stunningly remarkable and Vasan told his friends that this boy would go a long way. He of course did it.

(This writer is grateful to his friend and well wisher ‘Gemini Canteen’ A. N. S. Manian who narrated the above in graphic detail.)

Joseph Pichai Chandrababu was born in Thuthukudi in 1929 into a well known Indian Christian family. His father was deeply involved in the Freedom Movement courting imprisonment often. The family was related to the well known Congress leader of that area Joseph Roche Victoria. With the father being away from home often the son’s education did not take off as expected and he was packed off to Colombo where the family had relatives. Here he went to school for sometime but felt drawn to the heady atmosphere of the highly Westernised city. Ceylon was a crown colony of the British Empire unlike India because of its
strategic importance, and a highly westernised ambience prevailed in that country and more so in its capital.

Chandrababu was drawn deeply into such ambience and he honed his skills in western dance and singing, which would help him in a big way later in his career as a singing star in Tamil cinema.

Indeed to this day the only singer in south Indian cinema who could yodel during a song (done by Kishore Kumar in Hindi cinema) was Chandrababu.

After the Gemini Studios production he met singing star and producer T. R. Mahalingam and acted minor roles in two films during 1951 under his umbrella, “Mohanasundaram” (A. T. Krishnaswami) and “Chinnadurai” (Mahalingam). It was in this film he sings the song “podaa raja podinadyaaga…” in which he yodels driving a horse carriage, which became popular. He also had the privilege during this year of acting in “Kusumalatha” an early Tamil film produced by Sri Lankans in which he sang the popular song, “Oh my love…”

After a few films in 1953 he attracted attention as a singer in the 1954 hit, “Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachari”. Produced by B. R. Panthulu and directed by Pa. Neelakantan, Chandrababu did not appear in the movie but lent his voice for Sivaji Ganesan and the song “jolly life jolly life…” (T. G. Lingappa, lyrics K. D. Santhanam). This song too became a hit.

During 1954 he lent his voice rather surprisingly for S. Balachandar (himself a good singer) in the AV. Meiyappan production “Penn” directed by M. V. Raman starring Gemini Ganesh, Anjali Devi and Vyjayantimala. The song “Kalyanam…..venum…” became a hit.

(Years later Balachandar told this writer that even though he himself was a singer, he’d suggested that Babu should sing this comical song because he felt he would render it better. He proved right and the song became a hit.)

In 1955 came R. S. Mani’s “Maaman Magal” with Gemini Ganesh and Savithri in lead roles. Chandrababu sang and danced a popular song “Gova maambazhamey, malgova maambazhamey…” a duet with comedian T. S. Durairaj.

“Fabulous Senorita” , a not so popular Hollywood movie with the Latin American actress Estelita was a surprising success in India and ran to packed houses in Madras city. It was made into a movie in Tamil (“Manamagan Thevai”) and Telugu “ Varudu Kavaali”) by P. Bhanumathi and her husband P. Ramakrishna in 1957 and Chandrababu acted in the Tamil version. A song he rendered in the film was “Bambara kannaaley…” (Lyrics K.D, Santhanam). The same year– 1957 he acted in another hit movie “Pudhayal” written by Mu. Karunanidhi and directed by Krishnan-Panju. In the movie Chandrababu’s performance attracted much attention in spite of Padmini and Sivaji Ganesan doing the lead roles. Music by the fast rising composer duo Viswanathan-Ramamurthi was a
major plus point and two songs rendered by Chandrababu “Hello my dear Rami…”… “Unakkaaga ellam unakkaaga…” with lyrics by noted lyric writer of the day who died young Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram, became super hits.

His fame began to ripple out and he acted in many films during the late ‘50s like “Kaathavaraayan”, “Nadodi Mannan” and “Pathibhakthi”.

His songs, “Thadukkadhey ennai thadukkaadhey” (“Nadodi Mannan”, music Atmanathan)…, “Rock rock rock, rock and roll…” (“Pathibhakthi”, lyrics Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, music Viswanathan-Ramamurthi) a duet with V. N. Sundaram and a dance number proved extremely popular and Chandrababu came to be associated with that song as a brand!

During 1958 he was paired along with Sivaji Ganesan as his poor friend in B. R. Panthulu’s comedy “Sabaash Meena”. He played a dual role, the hero’s friend and a look alike, a typical Madras rickshawkaaran who speaks the characteristic lingo associated with such folks. Not surprisingly perhaps he virtually stole the film in spite of Sivaji Ganesan. B. Saroja Devi was cast as his heartthrob.

Noted Karnataka stage and screen idol and icon, Gubbi Veeranna made a bilingual film the Tamil version being “Sahodari”. It was bankrolled by AV. Meiyappan who as an excellent critic of judging a film felt that something was lacking in the movie after it was shot halfway through. He suggested to Bhim Singh the director that Chandrababu should be brought on board and when the comedian demanded an astonishing salary of Rs. 100,000 the producers had no option than to accept. A major role was created for him as a Madras-style milkman in which he touched rare heights and the song “Naan oru muttaalunga…” became a very big hit contributing to the success of the film.

The same year he played an important role in a thriller, “Maragadham” written by Murasoli Maran, directed by S. M. Sreeramulu under his Pakshiraja banner. With Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini supported by S. Balachandar and Sandhya, Chandrababu held his own as a butler and a duet he sang along with Jamuna Rani picturised on him and an attractive starlet Lakshmirajam, “Kungoomapoovey… konjum puraavey…” turned out to be a huge hit, still popular even after half a century. (Indeed a recent Tamil film had the title of the first line.)

1960 witnessed Chandrababu becoming a hero with films like “Kavalai Illaadha Manidhan”… “Kumararaja” (1961)… “Kavalai Illaadha Manidhan” produced by Kannadasan gave the lyric writer a lot of ‘kavalai’
(worry) because of problems created by Chandrababu. The song rendered by him in this film “pirakkum podhum azhuginraai” became the theme of his life and not a mere movie song.

*  * *

Meanwhile tragedy came crashing into his personal life with his disastrous marriage. He chose as his bride a pretty young woman
belonging to a wealthy Indian Christian family of Coimbatore and sadly the marriage crashed on the rocks even before it began. It broke Chandrababu to smithereens and plunged his life into unfathomable gloom and grief from which he never really recovered. He sought an escape hatch through the proverbial bottle and connected attractions which did not help him in his professional career. He became an incurable cynic and spoke openly, often to the gleeful press, making caustic comments about Tamil cinema superstars which landed him in unfathomable financial worries and ultimate ruin, leading to an early demise.

However life had to be lived and he continued to act and worked in movies like “Annai” (1962) in which his song “buthiyulla manidharellam vetri kaanbadhillai…” (music R. Sudarsanam, lyrics Kannadasan) an AVM hit movie directed by Krishnan-Panju… “Policekaaran Magal” (1962) a Sridhar film, Chandrababu’s song “Porandhaalum amballaiya…” (music Viswanathan-Ramamurthy, lyrics Kannadasan)… “Yarukku Sondham” (1963) a Modern Theatres production. His song “Ennai theriyillaiya…” (music Veda, lyrics Marudakasi)… “Kadavullai Kanden (1963) directed by A. S. A. Sami. Babu’s song “Konjam thallikkanum…” (lyrics Kannadasan) proving to be big hits.

In 1966 he directed a film “Thattungal Thirakkapadum” taking a line from the Bible in which he also played the lead role of a poor
deaf-mute who is witness to a murder. Featuring R. S. Manohar, K. R. Vijaya and others it was well narrated with a gripping performance by the filmmaker-hero. He sang a song “Kanmani paappa…” which was filmed as a tune coming over the radio. However the film did not fare well at the box office because of its offbeat storyline and the absence of conventional box office elements, invariably present in movies of that era.

He continued to act in films like “Vaaliba Virundhu” (1967), director Murasoli Maran… “Adimai Penn” (1969) an MGR movie directed by K. Shankar with Jayalalitha as the female lead… “Raja” (1971) a K. Balajee production directed by C. V. Rajendran in which Chandrababu played three roles.

Then came his misadventure in production “Maadi Veettu Ezhai” in which MGR and Savithri in lead roles. During that period he had some misunderstanding with MGR over some sarcastic comments he had made about him in the press which did not of course endear him to the iconic movie star. The film never really took off and had to be abandoned for obvious reasons, landing him in deep debt and ruin. ( As he told his friends like this writer he really became an ‘ezhai’ and his ‘maadi veedu’ (storied house) disappeared into thin air.)

When in distress he found that he had hardly any good friends and nobody came to help him. The merciful end came to him in 1974 when he was hardly 45.

Thus the Chandrababu era in Tamil cinema came to a sad end. But even after three decades and more his films and songs are popular and audio and video cassettes of his songs and movie sequences still sell well…