Crazy Mohan, who passed away aged 67 following a massive heart attack at Chennai's Cauvery Hospital on Monday, had done it all in the field of comedy.
A screenwriter, playwright, and actor - all rolled into one - his goal was "to make people laugh."
In an interview to the New Indian Express a year ago, Mohan (Rangachiri) said he was grateful that he had the opportunity to follow his passion for decades. "I really enjoy meeting people - in particular, those who understand and appreciate humour. It makes me feel good," he had said then.
He remembered his beginnings in comedy during the interaction, and termed all the success he had as quite accidental.
"I did mechanical engineering and was dabbling with theatre as a hobby. My first skit, Great Bank Robbery, became a hit. I persisted, and received the best director-writer award from Kamal Haasan. He was an established actor even then, and I was a nobody. I never thought in later years I'd work with him," remembered Mohan, whose collaborations with Kamal Haasan resulted in some enduring comedies like Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Sathi Leelavathi, Avvai Shanmughi, Panchathanthiram, and Pammal K Sammandham.
Accidental beginnings it might have been, but Mohan believed that comedy was always his calling. “Adulation gives me a high, and I've always been attached to the idea of being part of stage shows," he had stressed.
At the time of the interview, one of his most famous plays, Chocolate Krishna, was gearing up for its 1000th show - a milestone it went on to pass. “Plays are like babies. You don't analyse them too much. You don't ask if they are fair or dark. You simply enjoy them," he had observed.
He pointed out that the trick was always to stay relevant. “And that can happen only through experimenting," he insisted.
Mohan was confident of Tamil theatre regaining its popularity. He drew on the Bhagwad Gita to explain. "It's all a cycle. It will flourish once more. When Krishna spoke the Gita, Arjuna was the only audience. But see its audience today."
Mohan was always reflecting - on his misses, in particular. He remembered a moment in the superhit movie Apoorva Sagodharargal that didn't work as much as it was expected to. "Appu (Kamal Haasan) gets down from a taxi, and the driver says, "Meter ku mela pottu kudunga sir." He replies, "Naane meter ku keezha thaane ya." During shooting, the whole unit was in splits. But the audiences didn't respond as well to that dialogue. Later, the film's editor, B Lenin, suggested that maybe Kamal should have remained closer to the auto in speaking that line."
His association with Kamal Haasan was the stuff of pop culture. "It was only after Apoorva Sagodharargal that cinema became my full-time profession. Kamal told me that he would take care of my future," he had remembered.
He was always grateful for what Kamal had done for him. "Everything I am today is because of the freedom he gave me. I'm not a nasthigan (atheist), or an asthigan (theist). I'm simply a haasthigan," he had said.
Mohan was a big fan of Laurel and Hardy, and Goundamani and Senthil.
"I also like PG Wodehouse, O' Henry, Cho, Ki Va Jagannathan, Kothamangalam Subbu and Devan. I miss artistes like Nagesh and Vaali, people who made a genuine effort to make people laugh."
Sathish and Chaams were also his favourites and "not just because they were once part of his troupe", he had insisted.
He also liked to paint and write short stories. This from a man who written dialogues for almost 40 films - including Arunachalam (after permission from Kamal Haasan) and scripted many plays for television.
Revisiting the interview for the inimitable replies to the quick questions for him:
Why the name Janaki for the lead female character in his plays?
It's definitely not an ex-girlfriend or wife. It was the name of my teacher.
Ever been been envious of other comedians?
Yes, many, many times.
The most frustrating aspect of being a comedian?
That awkward silence after a joke when you don't know if the audience will laugh.
Comment on the audience he had seen?
They are less tolerant, and quickly expressive of their feelings through platforms like Facebook and Twitter.