Scripts of success
CHENNAI : Who is the only individual in theatre to have got the approbation of four chief ministers of Tamil Nadu? The question may not find a place in any quiz contest. But the answer is screenwriter K Arivanandam, a living legend of Tamil drama since the time his talent was spotted as a 10-year-old. Happy to rewind the glorious days, Arivu as he is fondly called in the drama circles, shares his memorable journey with the enthusiasm of a Sophomore student on his first date.
Recalling some epic moments, Arivu notes that his original name, Pillaiyar, got the sobriquet Arivanandam from none other than former chief minister Annadurai, better known as Perarignar Anna. To date, Arivu relishes that as the mother of all compliments coming from the Father of Literature. “I was only 10 when a chance came to render a number in an event to celebrate the success of the famous MGR-Anjali Devi starrer Sarbadikari in Gudiyattam, the ancestral place of my father, a farmer. So impressed was Anna, who was presiding over as the chief guest, at the clarity and richness of my voice. I was too young to realise the magnitude of his praise when he gave the sobriquet of Arivanandam. The name has stood the test of time and all my achievements stemmed from that piece of glory,” he shares.
The magical moment changed the complexion of his life. “Having learned the basics of education from the Padasalai there was the deep desire in me to do something on the creative side. I realised the meaning of the proverb a pen is mightier than the sword when openings came in my way in an era when Tamil theatre was at its floundering best,” he says.
Another game-changing moment for Arivu came when his talent was noticed by stage doyen MR Radha. “Enacting a piece of dialogue as Angadhan from a Tamil play impressed Radha and he promptly took me under his wings as his personal prompter,” he adds.
A voracious reader, Arivu’s defining moments of his early days were in the compilation of poems in a book. “Imagine, a full page allocated to my work in a leading Tamil daily of those days! One thing led to another and in no time I found the platform to present lectures on various subjects. Discourses on Kanda Puranam and Mahabaratham, spanning 108 weeks at Kandakottan had a sprawling audience in numbers and written about in the media,” he shares.
Writing for theatre
Getting called to deliver lectures in Singapore and Malaysia meant the fame of door opening at a rapid pace for Arivu. On how and when his writing skills opened the doors in Tamil theatre, Arivu recalls the time when theatre legend RS Manohar spread the red carpet for him. Starting from Indrajit to Parasuramar, Naragasuran, Dhruvasar, Thirunavukarasar, and Varagunapandian, Arivu’s pen did wonders. “A perfectionist, Manohar always desired to rung in the positive aspects while playing those negative characters. I stuck to the facts but happy to accept that the characters got the extra sheen enacted by an individual blessed with a baritone voice,” he says.
Arivu then moved to serials when Manohar’s nephew S Shivpprasadh presented the famous Naragasuran play in Doordarshan. “I was entrusted the job of dialogues leading to work in 15 serials for various production houses.”
Challenges bring out the best in him, says Arivu, whose dialogues and the research work for the play Vallalar, staged by Shivpprasadh last year, won rave media reviews. “In such plays where the revered due had to be given, there is no room for error. I see it as a God-sent opportunity to render the desired perfection keeping in mind the presence of the younger generation of audience,” he says.
Over the years, Arivu garnered much recognition. Among some of the hit plays is Thirunavukarasar which he remembers for reasons more than one. “There was the time when Manohar found it tough to hold his shows as the sets were expensive and could not break even with the revenues from the sabhas. He was on the verge of calling it a day when the then-chief minister Jayalalithaa summoned him with a request to showcase the merits of Thirunavukarasar in the temples of Tamil Nadu. Supporting that with `5 lakh, she also told him to use my skills as a writer to the best extent. While presenting the Kalaimamani award, she acknowledged my writing skills and wished she had the time to read and do justice to the volumes of my work in Tamil literature. Keep writing those were the words of wisdom stored at the back of my mind,” he recalls.
Even Jayalalithaa’s mentor MGR had words of praise for Arivu when he was on the verge of forming his party. “Indrajit was a roaring success in the way Manohar essayed that where he gave scant respect to the advice of his near and dear ones. Presiding over the play, MGR used the mike to voice his opinion that when the head of the kingdom is not in the mood to listen, it will only reflect on the unhappiness of others. Indirectly, the message was in the DMK chief not giving him the space to express, the reason for his moving out. A defining moment for the audience and the media, who could read between the lines.” Another cherishing moment was when MGR found the time to release a book by Arivu when he was the chief minister. “I was left speechless at his memory with the pat on my shoulder conveying his good wishes.”
When Arivu laid his hands on the ‘Kalaignar Virudhu’ from the then chief minister M Karunanidhi for his work in a drama brought out by South India Book Publishers Forum, the list was complete. He was also bestowed with the Kalaichelvam Award by former Tamil Nadu governor Fathima Beevi.
A move to acting
The transition from historical dramas to social plays was smooth for Arivu, thanks to the storehouse of books he read. “I did not restrict myself when there were a plethora of choices to bank on. That was an era where the writers had the freedom to express themselves. That set the spark in me and the scores of books are a testimony to the confidence of the publishers in my works. People thronged the libraries and the encouraging feedback spurred me no end,” he says.
Penning scripts for movies was only a step away, from getting the introduction call for lyrics. “Velundi Vinayilai as a story and screenplay writer opened the doors to double up as story and dialogue writer in movies like Mooperum Deviar, Vetri Vinayagar, and Meenakshi Tiruvilayadal,” he says.
Setting down his pen, Arivu also dabbled in acting, and he owes that to Durai Balasundaram, who gave him a role of substance in Sri Narasimhar. “There was the license from actor-director Balasundram to give a different colour to the Narada character from the routine blundering buffoon ways. The Narada I played was a clever strategist who made his moves with deliberation. Humorous without being silly was the cornerstone of the character which the media lavishly praised,” he shares.
Rubbing shoulders with ‘Aachi’ Manorama in Meenakshi Tiruvilayadal was enthralling, Arivu recounts. “Manorama played an egoist poetess character and I did the assistant role. While recalling the great names of poets, she added my name much to the surprise of everyone in the unit. A lighter and enjoyable moment where the spot-on improvisation lent the added colour to the lustre of my dialogues,” he says.
The octogenarian is game to do the small characters like the recent one in Pattinathar staged in the temples. Committed to a series of books from the leading publishing houses, Arivu’s hands are full. The pen he has picked from the age of 12 has travelled a long way in the last seven decades.
Blessed by Goddess Saraswathi, and not from Goddess Lakshmi in the uneven balancing factor, you wonder if the genial man has any tinge of regrets. “My wealth is the support of my doting wife Sathyavani, three sons, and five grandchildren. What more could I ask for in one life, blessed with happiness and the unbridled joy of seeing my work in various hues for a live audience? There is a roof above my head and a pen in my hand to weather all storms,” Arivu signs off.