S. A. Ashokan
| S. A. Ashokan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Antony Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu |
| Died |
November 11, 1982 Chennai |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli |
| Occupation | Film actor |
| Known for | Negative and Supporting role |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Gnanam (original name Saraswathi) |
| Children | Vincent Asokan[1] |
S. A. Ashokan (born as Antony), often simply referred to as Asokan, was an Indian film actor, who worked mainly in Tamil cinema.[2] He was popular mainly for playing negative roles, but was also a successful character artiste.
Early life
Ashokan was born as Anthony in Trichy. He showed interest in stage plays and frequently took part in oratorical and writing competitions during his childhood. He finished his degree at St. Joseph College, Trichy.[3]
Career
After completing his degree, he met director T. R. Ramanna who introduced him to the film industry. Anthony changed his name to Ashokan upon Ramanna's request, and maintained the same name for life. Ashokan made his acting debut in a minor role in the film Avvaiyar, but he got his first break only with the film Kappalottiya Thamizhan in 1961, where he portrayed the role of Collector Ash. Later films which featured him in the lead, were however moderately successful. Active mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, he acted mainly in villainous roles, but also did character roles opposite many leading actors of those times.Ashokan despite being more than 10years younger than Mgr he had acted as father and big brother to mgr in most of mgrs movies.He made a strong impact in the Tamil film industry with his "high pitched voice and sustained dialogue delivery."[3]
His performance as a helpless traveller who gets conned in Vallavanukku Vallavan, and as the historical Indian character Duryodhana in the mythology film Karnan were well received. His performance as Professor Bhairavan in the M. G. Ramachandran starrer Ulagam Sutrum Valiban was considered a "landmark performance". Some of his other well-known performances include the role of Soorapadman in Kandan Karunai (1967), an intriguing character role in the AVM Studios hit Veera Thirumagan, and important roles in Attukara Allamelu, Adimai Penn, Anbe Vaa, Kaanji Thalaivan, Vivasayee and Raman Thediya Seethai.[3]
Other work
Ashokan also worked as a singer in the film Iravum Pagalum, for the song Iranthavanai Somanthavanum. The film also marked actor Jaishankar's debut. He introduced filmmaker A C Trilokchander to AVM Studios, and this helped the filmmaker to make his mark. Ashokan, along with Jaishankar, and a troupe of popular artistes, often toured all over Tamil Nadu with the purpose of conducting cultural programs.[3]
Personal life
Ashokan was married to Mary Gnanam (originally named Saraswathi), despite her parents' disapproval. They had two sons. On November 11, 1982, he died when his son Vincent Asokan was still young. Vincent is now an actor, portraying villainous roles in Tamil films.[3]
Legacy
In 2012, director Soundarya Rajinikanth announced that she would re-create Ashokan, along with several other late actors like P. S. Veerappa and M. N. Nambiar through sophisticated animated techniques for her upcoming film. Although only Nagesh's role was in the movie Kochadaiyaan.[4]
Notable Filmography
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1961 | Kappalottiya Thamizhan |
| 1962 | Veerathirumagan |
| 1968 | Uyarndha Manithan |
| 1969 | Adimai Penn |
| 1966 | Anbe Vaa |
| 1959 | Athisaya Penn |
| 1964 | Karnan |
| 1965 | Vallavanukku vallavan (1965 film) |
| 1980 | Billa |
| 1969 | Nam Naadu |
| 1974 | Netru Indru Naalai (1974 film) |
| 1960 | Parthiban Kanavu |
| 1979 | Allauddinum Arputha Vilakkum (1979 film) |
| 1981 | Thee |
| 1981 | Ram Lakshman |
| 1972 | Raman Thediya Seethai |
| 1971 | Rickshawkaran |
| 1981 | Savaal |
| 1978 | Thai Meethu Sathiyam |
References
Potpourri of titbits about Tamil cinema - Actor Asokan
- ↑ Lata Srinivasan (February 21, 2012). "Where are the K town villains?". Times of India. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ↑ "Find Tamil Actor S.A. Ashokan Filmography, Movies, Pictures and Videos". Jointscene.com. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 S A Ashokan - Cinema Ghar. "S A Ashokan | Cinefundas.com - One Stop Cinema Portal". Cinefundas.com. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "Are Veerappa and MN Nambiar the new villians for Rajini?". Behindwoods.com. 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2012-06-24.