Glowing tributes were paid to the late actor Manorama by some of the stalwarts of the Tamil film industry at an event organised by the Triplicane Chapter of the Humour Club International in the city.
Writer director Chitralaya Gopu, who has directed classics like Kasedhan Kadhavulada (1972) and written scripts for Kaadhalika Neramillai (1964) and Sumathi En Sundari (1971 )recalled the late actor’s dedication as an artiste.
“She was a born actor and someone who was completely dedicated to her craft. Even after she made it big in the film industry, every time we staged a play, she would attend it and also be on time,” said the writer.
He gave an interesting back-story on how the classic Kasaedhan Kadavulada got made into a film. “Manorama had to act in a few plays of another troupe for briefly. So, at that point, we engaged actor Muthuraman to act in our plays and wrote a script for him. However, Manorama was back in 20 days and then we had to write a new play, which provided scope for both of them. That was how the script for Kasedhan Kadavulada developed. When the members of the production house watched it, they were so impressed that they chose to make it into a film,” he narrated.
Director C V Rajendran spoke highly of the late actor, who he said was very committed to her work. Recalling a particular instance, he said, “We were shooting for the film Needhi (1972). It was a portion involving several artistes such as Sivaji Ganesan and Manorama. However, Manorama was unwell that day. She had high fever, almost a 104 degrees. We were in a fix as we could not cancel the shoot. Worried about Manorama’s health, Sivaji generously offered to come another day for shooting. He said that he would request other artistes for another date as well. However, just as we were about to call off the shoot, we heard Manorama’s voice. She had come despite her worsening health condition. Unmindful of the strain, she arrived with full make up and completed her portions and only then left.”
Veteran artiste Chachu turned emotional as she recalled the days she had spent with Manorama. “We were very close. It was in Veera Thirumagan (1960) that I played lead and she played my friend. We would travel together, and she knew my family. She struggled a lot but she was a determined lady,” she said.
Chachu pointed out why Manorama’s contribution was not only significant but also special. “It’s easy when you have to act like you are sad or shed tears. But it’s very difficult to smile when you are in pain. Manorama, despite her difficulties, would never show it and always make others laugh with her acting abilities,” she said.
On the occasion, the club announced that they had decided to institute awards in the name of the great actor starting next year.