CHENNAI: The prefix Perambur has stuck like glue to make-up man Kumar since the time he took to the profession. A familiar name like Kumar invariably had a few others in the field and the change was in compelling circumstances. Long ago, Kumar had moved away from his ancestral home of Perambur to Poonamallee.
What’s there in a name, so long as one is successful in the chosen profession? That was for starters from the 75-year-old Kumar, who has seen it all, over five decades. “My time has rolled smoothly, but deep inside me, there was a longing that my only son to take up a career elsewhere. Hard hit by the pandemic, the phase was the worst for technicians, who work backstage. Thankfully, it is all over now and work has been beckoning to the tune of nine dramas at the ongoing Kodai Nataka Vizha,” shares Kumar.
Building a character
Armed with a battery of make-up products, Kumar recalls the time when he joined as an assistant to Munusamy, a leading practitioner of the art. “It was relatively simple to learn the art of make-up in social plays where only a few changes in the persona is needed for the desired effect. But historical plays were a different ball game; a time when there was a clamour for plays of branded names like R S Manohar, Heron Ramaswamy and a few others,” he reminisces. Kumar learned the hardcore lesson early on to focus on the characters and the person assigned for that. “Fair-skinned ones needed only a little touch-up, but the dark-skinned characters were a challenge. Time is the essence when a make-up man has to handle more than three characters during the changeover of a scene,” he notes.
Recalling a fumble inviting the wrath of thespian actor Sivaji Ganesan in the play Thangapadakapam, Kumar said he had the glycerine ready to hand it over to the actor. “Little did I bargain when a supporting character snatched it from me, he being part of that tragic scene. Sivaji sir managed that without the glycerine and it took a lot of explanation from me to convince him of my lapse,” he narrates.
Time is in the details
In an era where female artistes believed in having their own make-up man, Kumar’s defining moment was when the late actress Savithri specifically wanted him to do justice to heavy characters. “Savithri avidly believed in her eyes to do all the talking by way of expression. There are ways and methods to make the eyes look bigger with black eyelashes. P R Varalakshmi was another artiste with the ability to slip into her character with the simplest of touch-ups,” he shares.
Getting an award from Mylapore Fine Arts was worth its weight for Kumar, considering the recognition and merit. “A scene demanded the change of look of the two lead characters to an old get-up in the span of a scene. In just two seconds, the wrinkles had to be reshaped. Our work is mainly eye and hand coordination. Any fumble means losing precious seconds; but it comes with experience. Like a driver applying gear without even looking at it, the long years have taught me that it pays to keep the focus and mind in unison. Any slightest distraction would mean spelling trouble,” he informs.
Awards from Mylapore Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha and from a few others are a reflection of the sway Kumar had on the plays. “You need to attend rehearsals, get a feel of the story and importantly, the artistes playing the varied characters. In limited-budget plays, there is the inevitability of the same artiste in the garb of three characters. It is fine so long as there is a decent interval between their characters. But then, a make-up man needs those challenges to drive out the monotoneity. There are times when a makeshift character has replaced the regulars due to compelling reasons. One should be prepared for any eventualities. A play ending successfully without any hitch is akin to giving birth to a baby for all concerned in the troupe,” he elaborates.
Not without the make-up man
In a team game, Kumar said the job is cut out for the likes of him. “When you do a good job, it is only to be expected from a seasoned hand. Like any profession, we also have our off days. The understanding has to be there from all concerned, including the Sabhas that backstage work is a thankless job. We can make or mar a character and need a little licence to decide on the best effects for a character. An artiste has the support of a prompter to bail out but no such largesse for the technicians. There’s nothing to complain about but only a longing that we are understood. Only then, you will find the next generation taking to the profession,” he emphasises.
When he started, there were around 40 drama troupes with an assured income, as no less than 30 dramas were staged in a month. “Slowly, the numbers dwindled as theatre actors moved over to films, thanks to the endless opportunities on the silver screen. Plays like Gnana Oli featuring the two legends, Sivaji Ganesan and Major Sundarrajan, were a treasure to savour and worth going miles to watch,” he says.
Kumar considers himself to be fortunate to have worked in the 70s and 80s, which is regarded as the golden phase of Tamil drama. “The actors lived with their characters and never shunned the make-up long after the play was over. Such was the passion and longing to leave their mark in front of a live audience. They breathed fire in every dialogue and viewing that from a vantage position was a privilege,” he remembers.
Passing on the art
In the present scenario, there is enough room for optimism with stage plays being revived with the desired audience patronage, he believes. “Kartik Fine Arts has been the pillar supporting theatre since its inception. If only corporations could pitch in their support as they do in the Carnatic music scenario, there is sure to be an emergence of new troupes, waiting in the wings. Schools and colleges could be given a platform where there is enough talent to be tapped,” says veteran make-up artist.
Kumar was specifically called by a drama troupe in Malaysia to do make-up for the play Bheeshmar. Such was his proficiency that the organisers made him teach the art to 100 local girls. “Later, I got to know that the girls found their livelihood in various drama troupes,” he adds.
On imparting his skills to the freshers in Chennai, Kumar says there are no takers for the job, especially women. “There is the remuneration factor, which a newcomer may not be entitled to. The medium is ever a male-dominated one and the scenario has not changed. There are a few all-women troupes like Bombay Gnanam. But the seasoned ones will always settle for established names. I guess that is the vagary of the profession where experience is given precedence,” shares Kumar.
At 75, the flesh is still willing for Kumar to run around with the same enthusiasm as when he first held the brush. “There are yellow, orange and blue sponges we use in tune with the character requirement. Nothing has changed in me except the hair,” Kumar stokes it with a fondness, coming with the owner’s pride.