For Kailash Nath, the long journey from Thiruvalla to Madras and then to Valiyavila on the outskirts of the city, was fulfilling, to say the least. This was why he could continue in the field of acting for more than 35 years.
His journey from a vedic traditional Brahmin to the film field has been rewarding. For one he has acted in 163 films, mostly in comedy roles. Of them 90 films were in Tamil and that too with leading actors. In fact, he was one of the leading comedians in the super hit film ‘Valli’ starring Rajnikanth.
Other notable films that he had done in Tamil included ‘Oru Thalle Ragam’ and 'Palavana Cholai'. Even though he is a Malayali, he has dubbed in all his Tamil movies. Apart from Tamil, he has acted in Malayalam and Kannada movies also. ‘‘In Malayalam I have acted with different generations of actors, from Prem Nazir to Mammootty,’’ said Kailash Nath. ‘‘I was the hero in the children’s film ‘Vidarunna Mottukal,’’ he revealed.
Recently, one of the notable films that featured Kailash Nath was Sethurama Iyer CBI. He is also acting in the film ‘Sreenarayana Guru’ directed by R.Sukumaran as Chattambi Swamikal. However, his association with films does not end there. He had been an associate director with veteran director Sreekumaran Thampi.‘‘I had directed two films in Malayalam, ‘Ithu Nalla Thamasa’ and ‘Ore Raktham’. Though I began the work for my first film in Tamil ‘Manithan oru Bomma’, it could not be completed,’’ he said.
‘‘When Doordarshan came into existence in Malayalam, the standard practice was to sanction 13 episode for serials and other sponsored programmes. In fact, I was the first person to break this tradition,’ he said. Doordarshan sanctioned 26 episodes for Vidarunna Mottukkal a film based programme directed by Kailash Nath in 1987.
‘‘All leading actors of the period including Prem Nazir, Ummer and Bahadur were interviewed in the programme. On the day of Prem Nazir’s death, Doordarshan had repeatedly telecast his interview done for the programme. However, I could not complete the programme as later it was converted into Doordarshan’s own production,’’ he said.
Kailash Nath’s entry into the film field was through the Institute of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. The institute had nurtured many leading lights including Rajnikanth and Sreenivasan. Kailash Nath’s classmates in the institute included Telugu super star Chiranjeevi and veteran actor Nazer.
Kailash Nath was a presence in television serials right from the time commercial television was introduced in Tamil. In Malayalam his notable serials include ‘Minnu Kettu’ and ‘Ente Manasa Puthri’. However, he is agitated by the recent trend of branding actors as television actor and film actor. ‘‘Being bracketed as television actor, I am being denied offers in films. There are differences in technical side of both television and films. However, there are no differences in terms of acting. The difference is only in the perspective,’’ he said.
Kailash Nath also said that there is discrimination. ‘‘If someone, who is acting in films, worked for serial he had to report only at 10 a.m. and can return at 5 p.m. On the other hand, television actors have to work round the clock. I had the experience of reporting for work by 6.30 a.m. and returning the next day at 4 a.m,’’ he recalled.
He is more than satisfied by the fact that he has been playing the role of a Kathakali artist in the serial Purappaddu. I did Ekalochanam the famous Kathakali technique for the serial. The technique was perfected by Kathakali geniuses like Thottam Sankaran Namboodiriapad. The posture of Ekalochanam is portraying sorrow in one eye and happiness in the other.
‘‘The Kathakali tradition in my family helped me in the effort to portray Ekalochanam,’ he said. ‘‘My mother’s father was a Kathakali actor. One of my uncles is also a Kathakali actor and another uncle a chenda player for Kathakali. Apart from that he had acted in role of squint-eyed person in two films and a serial. The role of squint eyed is also very difficult to portray,’’ he said.
He said that apart from working in films, he had worked as a faculty for acting and directing in Madras Christian College and NIFT. Some of the known serial directors like Krishnakumar, Sobhi and Sundraram are his students. Apart from acting, being a member of a family with vedic tradition, he also undertakes pooja. ‘‘The present Sabarimala Melsanthi Vishnu is my nephew,’’ he said. ‘’Traditionally, our family does shanthi at Chenganoor Mahadeva Temple. However, my father was a doctor,’’ he added.
He lives in his home Neelamana, at Mythrinagar in the city along with his mother, wife and daughter.
sablooThomas@epmltd.com