Striking the right balance
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
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S.Ve.Shekher performs his roles as actor, politician and family man with élan.
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Photo: K.V.Srinivasan
Multi-faceted: S.Ve.Shekher (right) and a scene from his play, Alwaa.
The office might have relocated next door but it is a clone of the former one. The awards line the shelves above, the walls carry pictures of gods, and family members, and the table has the same clutter.
Politics hasn’t changed the personality of the actor either. The down-to-earth approach and the honesty in fielding the queries are the same.
What you hadn’t bargained for are the dogs — “Bobby,” the Labrador with his Sumo wrestler proportions, and Eve, the Dobberman, who seems to be harbouring the illusion that her mission is to spread love and cheer, size and species regardless. “We named her Eve so that nobody could tease her,” is S.Ve.Shekher’s opening line as he holds her collar and ushers me in.
The actor-politician is busy attending to the needs and demands of his constituency. They are miscellaneous – providing facilities for a shuttle stadium, enabling paths to be available for pedestrians, arranging for the removal of hoardings — small things that can make a difference to the quality of life. He is working on a plan for the Mylapore crematorium which will optimise the use of gas.
We move on to more cheerful matters. The smile cannot be long banished for one who has made it his job, for 35 years, to make people laugh. “I completed my 5,300th show some time ago,” he says. “Despite the pressure of politics, I’m able to stage one or two plays a week. And the response has increased,” he sounds pleased.
“Recently at the Kamarajar Arangam, there were viewers spilling over to the aisles, many of them were watching the play for the first time”.
No repetitions
And what is the secret of his staying power? “Well, 200 jokes in 100 minutes, a satirical look at present day politics, scissoring the plays constantly and updating them to suit the tastes of the present day audience. There is no repetition in dialogue or events portrayed in the 24 plays I have staged. I always compete with the best. When my TV serial ‘Vanna Kolangal’ was made, I considered every programme as a competitor that could take away viewers, including Animal Planet. Similarly now that my son is making his debut, I would like his film ‘Vegam’ to compete with the best.
“If other actors take up one message in a play, I casually introduce ten messages in a single play. Some artistes may be staging more performances but I make sure that the audience attendance does not come down below 80 per cent for mine.”
The actor agrees that the ability to accept criticism has come down in all circles. “I don’t get offended by criticism.” You can well believe that for once on the heels of a critical review came a phone call from him – unoffended and unperturbed.
Why did he not pursue his film career more successfully?
“I want to be in complete control which you can’t in the cinema. Basically I do hero roles in comedy films – I’m not a comedian. I am a super star as far as drama is concerned. One can be a super star in only one sphere. Also, I give a lot of time and priority to the family.”
Creating a record
Shekher is happy that he has been able to accomplish so much.
“Poornam Viswanathan, R.S.Manohar and “Cho” for instance were great actors but I have been able to create records — one lakh cassettes for each drama, 90 sites on the net and my TV serial has been re-telecast eight times. Mine is a unique path.”
He is proud that youngsters come to his plays and the response is really good. “We staged 28 shows in 32 days in the Bay area and the East coast.”
What does he say to the charge that his plays are absurd?
“What about Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and Jerry Lewis? Did they not specialise in arousing laughter through the absurd?” he counters. “I once tried acting in a serious play and it was a flop.”
So he is a prisoner of his image. “Everyone is ,” he replies. His ambition is to do street theatre “with a lapel mike as I suffer from a bad throat.”
Shekher was guided by Suki Subramaniam of AIR to hone his colloquial style of delivering his lines.
A learning experience was when he did a programme as the sound recording engineer for Radio Ceylon with Nagesh, “Nageshai Kelungal,” for 85 weeks. “I consider “Cho” my “maanasiga” guru (The veteran’s typical reaction to this at a function — “Why blame me?”).
But interviews with Shekher do not spill over with witticisms. “I am a very serious person,” he says.
“In fact when I approach, my family members warn each other. Look out, Aurangzeb is coming.’ They also call me “Rules Ramanujam. I am very disciplined and serious.”
Difficult to believe when you watch him on the stage speaking those lines that leave the viewers shaking with laughter.
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