| Thengai Srinivasan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Srinivasan 21 October 1937 Tamil Nadu, India |
| Died | 9 November 1988 (aged 51) |
| Occupation | Actor, Comedian, Singer |
| Spouse | Lakshmi (till his death) |
| Children | Geetha, Rajeswari, Shivshankar |
Thengai Srinivasan (Tamil: தேங்காய் ஸ்ரீனிவாசன்) (21 October 1937 - 9 November 1988) was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai (coconut) after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than comedy. He excelled as hero, villain and also character artiste.[1]
Contents |
His native place was Srivaikuntam in Tuticorin district. He was born to Rajavelu Mudaliar and Thaayammaal on 21 October 1937. He had two sisters. When Srinivasan was seven years old, his family shifted to Chennai. Srinivasan got interested in acting due to his father’s influence, who was a stage artiste staging many plays. Srinivasan’s first stage appearance was through the drama ‘Galatta kalyanam’, his father’s play. Srinivasan became popular by staging this play at various places. Then, he joined the drama troupe, run by writer Ravindar and actor K. Kannan and became very busy as a stage artiste. He earned the prefix Thengai for his excellent performance as a coconut vendor in the drama Kal manam, staged by Kannan. The then popular comedian K. A. Thangavelu, who watched the drama, appreciated Srinivasan for his performance and declared that thereafter Srinivasan would be known as ‘Thengai’ Srinivasan.
Thengai Srinivasan’s first film was Oru viral. He did the role of a CID officer. It was a comedian role. When asked about his favorite movies, Srinivasan said that he liked all his films with Makkal thilagam M.G. Ramachandran. And, he enjoyed acting with Nadigar Thilakam Sivaji Ganesan too. The movies included Kaliyuga Kannan, Porter Ponnusamy, Naan kudithukonde iruppen, etc. And, his films with Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were also unforgettable for him.
When asked about the unforgettable bitter experiences in his life, Srinivasan recalled some with painful memory. He said that many cheques given by producers had bounced. He had outstanding amounts running in crores. He had many health problems, both major and minor and his medicine box used to be a mini medical shop. He wanted to make a film with MGR but it didn’t materialize. But, he produced a film with Sivaji, titled Krishnan Vandhaan. He had more than 900 films to his credit but he remained simple till end. His exclusive gestures and improvised comedy dialogues entertained all groups of cine-goers.
When Thengai Srinivasan went to Bangalore to attend the rituals in connection with his aunt’s death, he had hemorrhage in brain and had stroke. In spite of intensive treatment, he died on 9 November 1988 in an unconscious state at an early age of 51 years. His body was brought to his house at Ramasamy Street in Gopalapuram in Chennai in a van. All the VIPs in film industry and his fans paid their last homage and gave him a send-off with tearful eyes.
Srinivasan was married to Lakshmi. The couple have two daughters, Geetha and Rajeswari and a son Shivshankar. Geetha’s son Yogi and Shivshankar’s daughter actress Srutika have entered the film industry.