Serious business of comedy
VIJAY GEORGE
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The release of `mimics and parody' cassettes marks the arrival of the Onam season.
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The groups agree that unauthorised copying is the greatest threat to their existence.
ALL EARS FOR ONAM: `Mimics and parody' cassettes sell like hot cakes.
It may well be a battle fought on a different turf. Every Onam, for more than a decade now, two `mimics and parody' cassettes have been competing with each other.
Nadhirshah's `Dey Maveli Kombathu' and Simon J. Navodaya's `Onathinidakku Puttukachavadam,' are out. The hype and publicity with which these cassettes were released resembled the release of film music albums.
"The basic concept of the cassette was mooted 15 years back, when `Onathinidakku Puttukachavadam' was launched with Dileep, Aby and me as the main artistes. In fact NAD group, as it is seen in the `Dey Maveli Kombathu' cassette were the first letters of our names. Later, when Aby backed out, it became Nadhirshah and Dileep," Nadhirshah reminisces.
Bringing Mahabali home
According to him, initially even the producers were not convinced with the idea of "bringing in Maveli (King Mahabali) into issues that hog the headlines in Kerala, in a lighter vein."
The cassette went on to become a whopping success. After bringing out the cassette for years, the `original team,' as Nadhirshah calls the group, decided to bring out a separate cassette with a new title, `Dey Maveli Kombathu.' It is the 12th year in the business for them.
Meanwhile, Simon J. Navodaya, who presents `Onathinidakku Puttukachavadam,' continued to bring out the cassette every Onam, with "the already accepted faces in mimicry and fresh talent."
Simon says that it was in fact his plan to bring out a `mimics and parody cassette' featuring Maveli. According to him, he "got the idea while watching the play, `Naradan Keralathil.' The title that I had in my mind was `Maveli Keralathil.' But it was Aby who suggested the name, which was eventually accepted. And we had originally planned to give the voice of actor Jagadeesh for Maveli. Later it was decided to adopt Innocent's voice."
How has the response of the audiences changed over the years? "It was never tough to find audience appreciation, as the cassette that we bring out every year is better than the previous one.
Almost all the names associated with mimicry in the State have been part of the cassettes at some point of time. Of them, artistes such as Dileep and Salimkumar went on to become major names in the Malayalam film industry. Yet, they earnestly participate in the making of the new version every Onam," says Nadhirshah. Although both the cassettes are competitors, they believe that there is enough space for both.
Soaring popularity
Over the years the popularity of the cassettes have soared, but this is often not reflected in the sale of the cassettes on accoun of rampant piracy.
"Though we offer our CD for just Rs.40, there are illegal copies which are even sold for Rs.50," says Simon. The groups agree on the negative impact of piracy on the trade.
"Unauthorised copying is the greatest threat to our existence," they aver.
"With a number of stars involved in the making of `Dey Maveli Kombathu,' it is like the release of a super star movie. We have the burden of expectations but we have lived up to it," says Nadhirshah, who according to the credit lines is in charge of parody and direction. "Our cassette has been brought out after over three months of thorough preparations and it is evident in `Onathinidakku Puttukachavadam.' This year we have `Anniyan,' obviously inspired by the film, in it too," claims Simon.
The contents of the cassettes this year are issues that are current.
The cassettes may have enough to make listeners laugh; but the makers claim that the kind of success they have notched up is something to be taken seriously.
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