CHENNAI: To make their debut in a Bharathi Rajaa film is a dream for all upcoming actors. Famed dramatist Nanjil Revathi had one such opportunity when she cracked the audition for the evergreen movie Mann Vasanai. But as luck would have it, she had to pass it on as the schedule clashed with her class 10 board exams.
“True, my career graph could have taken a different route. But deep inside me there is the longing to be part of theatre till my last breath, like my mother Nanjil Nalini,” she says. Years later, the stage artiste says she has no regrets firmly believing that Asha Kelluni (renowned film actor and director Revathi) was destined to play that character.
Spotlight on acting chops
Introduced to the world of stage plays at the tender age of three, Nanjil Revathi vividly remembers the time when she was part of the plays of SS Rajendran, Chandrakantha, Kumari Padmini, Typist Gopu, Danal Thangavelu and others. It is indeed a long list and her achievement of being in over 5,000 stage plays in a span of five decades is good enough to enter the Guinness Book of Records.
A dubbing artiste in movies, Revathi had been the voice for the new entrants. But in recent times, she has restricted herself, such being the demand for her on stage. Happy she is to play different avatars in the much revered Ponniyin Selvan staged by different drama troupes.
Either she is Nandini or Kundavai, both characters are close to her heart. “No chance of a mix-up in the dialogues, as even in sleep I can churn out the lines without a slip,” says the 55-year-old. Kadalukku Kann Undu helmed by Anand Srinivasan brought to light the versatile talent of Revathi. For the first time in the history of stage plays, a dual character was created for an artiste.
“One was a docile, God-fearing and the other one was a modern teenager, not giving a damn about the society norms. Possibly, I surprised myself feasting on the modern clothes and letting my hair go. That was a totally unheard side of mine, getting the audience's approbation from all quarters. The play was much like the act of Hema Malini in the movie Seetha Aur Geetha,” she shares.
Though wary of sporting modern clothes, Revathi says she listened to her inner voice which kept her reminding that it is now or never to show the other trait of her acting. “I should thank the director for giving me the freedom to choose the costumes and present them in my style. Every artist has a style and a lot depends on the director to understand that. Thankfully, right from directors K Balachander and KS Gopalakrishnan in the movies to everyone on stage, my journey in both worlds has been endearing. When an artiste understands her character with total involvement, it boils down to sticking to the formula and delivering it in the individual style,” she points out.
Commitment to stage
Revathi has never been one to miss the lines, such being her detailed preparation. “I was against prompting right from the formative years. There had been times when my co-star in the stage plays had fumbled but I used to cover up ensuring the smooth flow. In that fraction of a second, the dia l o g u e had to come out without the audience getting a whiff of it (the fumble). That is a challenge with no luxury of a retake unlike in the movies,” she says.
Historic plays have a special place in Revathi’s heart as the dialogues often stayed with her long after the play was over.
“An artiste has to be grammatically strong to understand the vagaries of a historical play and do poetic justice. Lines are to be remembered and so are facts. I remember an instance where I used an English word in a rare slip and was admonished by the director,” she shares.
History beckoned Revathi when she was part of the three-day Kalki drama festival four years ago. “I met with a freak scooter mishap and against the doctor's advice took the stage to be part of Ponniyin Selvan, Parthiban Kanavu and Sivagamiyin Sabatham,” she adds. Interestingly, Revathi shares, the audience was not in the know that a doctor was backstage and attending to her after every scene.
“The pain was unbearable but no way I let it show in the body language. Not every day an artiste could get to be part of history, in three epic novels of Kalki. There was a voice that kept yelling at me to keep going. For me, commitment was the last word. It would have pained the director to find a substitute at the last moment. A social play could be managed by an emergency replacement but no way in a historical one,” she says.
Revathi finished both the shows of Ponniyin Selvan in Bengaluru three years ago even as the news of her mother’s demise filtered in. “Director Kutty Prakash harboured ideas to cancel the shows but I urged him that the show has to go on. That is how my mother would have wished, and it was the best way to pay my respects,” she says.
Nurturing talents
Packed with a galaxy of awards, the cupboard is full to the brim in Revathi’s house. Media has been lavish in the praise, placing her among the greats of the earlier eras. One of her fond wishes is to be part of the stage till her last breath. Her doors are open to new directors. For talent to blossom, there has to be an expert hand to guide them, is her reasoning. Much like the eminent director K Balachander, who took delight in shaping raw talents, Revathi says she has a moral responsibility to guide the emerging talents. “My experience and expertise should not go to waste.
True to the adage that the show has to go on, there is the imperative need to pass on the inputs to the future generation,” notes Revathi. What has pleased Revathi over the summers is the pool of talent making the grade. She feels honoured to be part of Kodai Nataka Vizha every year. And to walk away with the character award recently for her work in Thayumanavan has been the icing on the cake.
Clearly, in a phase where awards motivate her to do better when she steps on the stage each time, Revathi is content, having seen it all. Much like a marathon runner, stretched to the limits in completing the last 385 yards and beginning his next one. Well, the show goes on for Revathi, and each day a new one in her horizon. From rushing to All India Radio in the morning and keeping her date with the sabhas. An unending one at that, in recent times. Such being the demand.