“Before we hold our loved ones to our chest, think for a moment whether they are our loved ones.” – This statement, which was said by a Greek philosopher long ago, has been coming to my mind from time to time.
Then I remembered about the human mind. My poor mind has no magic power to discover that those who come with the nectar of love and friendship are bitter wormwood. No one can live on this earth without trusting someone. Our short life is based on faith. Although there have been great psychiatrists who discover human psychology, no one has yet discovered what the human mind is.
When some such thoughts come to me, many filmmakers and producers I have met in my long forty-five years of film career come to mind.
Among them there are some rare personalities who I feel are like ‘go straight ahead’. This time I am writing about one of them in this column. The first thing that stood out in my mind was our beloved actor, National Film Award winner and staunch Congress supporter Salim Kumar.
One day in March 1997. I was in Highway Garden and P.G. At the time of writing the script of ‘Suvarna Simhasana’ to be directed by Vishwambharan. Suddenly, a young man entered by knocking on the open door. A peculiar looking man, dark, thin, tall, with slightly raised hair. When I looked at him with a strange look, the party introduced himself: “Good morning sir, I am Saleem Kumar. is a mime artist. He has acted in small roles in a couple of films. Sir and P.G. It came to know from the reception that Vishambharan sir is also going to do a film. I want to give it a chance.
I liked Salimkumar’s unique style of speaking. When I asked him to sit down, the young man sat down on the settee lying nearby, instead of showing great humility like other opportunists. After clearly answering some of my introductory questions, the party told me that Mimic Parade, which I had written, and Kasarkod Kadarbhai, which I had seen, were very interesting films.
Then a doubt entered my mind. I was thinking that if this person, who does not have the appearance of a movie actor, and is an ordinary person, will be saved if he comes to the cinema. Suddenly, another question popped into my mind. Our Mamukoya and Mala Aravindan are great actors in Malayalam cinema despite their beauty.
After talking for a while I said: “Let’s see, Salim. Director Vishwabharan will come after tomorrow. When he comes, Salim should come again.”
Salimkumar went back with great hope.
When Vishwambharan came two days later, Salimkumar arrived on time. I introduced Salim. When he saw Salim’s speech and behavior, Vishwabharan slowly told me, “Doesn’t it look like a good comedy?” Vishwabharan likes comedians. So he gave the green light to give it a chance without showing any lack of interest. Because a friend of Salim Kumar lives in Highway Garden, the party comes and goes there from time to time. Later on some evenings Salimkumar used to come to our room and say some mischievous funny numbers.
Suddenly one day Salim came to our room with a very happy news. “Sir, I got a chance to act in your film in CB Mala. With Dileep, it is a flawless role. The name of the film is ‘Nee Varuvolam’. Bless me sir.
We were also happy to hear that. He blessed Salim and sent him to the location in Kottayam, jokingly saying that one more mime should escape. Two days later, when I was busy with the script, my friend and relative Alexander called from the location of Sibimalail in Kottayam: “Don’t you know about Dennichayan?” Salimkumar, whom you showered your blessings on, left him from the location of CB Malayil saying that he was not good enough to act.
“Um what about?” I was curious.
“They didn’t like Salimkumar’s acting. Indrans is acting as a replacement.
When Vishwambharan came to the room that evening, I told him this information. “Sometimes it’s not the right role for Salim. Otherwise, will you leave it like that?”
The very next morning Salim Kumar came to Highway Garden to meet us. We felt very sad when we saw that Salim’s face showed his disappointment and pain that he went to act with high hopes and was sent back saying that his acting was not good, but he did not show it in his speech, but with a small smile.
Salimkumar was presenting before us like a buffoon in a circus tent the totality of events that happened on location in Kottayam.
Our Amitabh Bachchan and Shivaji Ganesan are the ones who were rejected because they were not good enough to act. There are other actors like him who are known in the world today. An experience story of Shivaji Ganesan Gemini Ganesan once directly told me in Madras. Sivaji Ganesan also came to participate in the artist selection for the film of Gemini Vasan, a famous Tamil producer, director and studio owner. But in the test, Shivaji was sent back saying he did not know how to act. At that time, Gemini Ganesan was the head of artist selection team at Gemini Studio. Gemini wrote in the selection book: “This man will become a great actor in future. There is an actor hidden in his eyes.
And it happened exactly as Gemini said. In 1952, Sivaji Ganesan came and conquered the Tamil film world with ‘Parasakthi’. I told this story to Salim there. I don’t know if Salim remembers all this. Again Vishwabharan and I were comforting Salim by saying one by one. When Salim came down, Vishwabharan said: “Salim, don’t worry. In our new film, Salim will be given a role that people will notice. Be brave and go.”
Salim left there with great hope that day.
What wonders time, with its magic wand, sprinkles on every man. So as I said then, I wrote and made a funny role for Salim that was not in the story. We gave Salimkumar a flawless role in ‘Suvarna Simhasana’ starring Suresh Gopi, Mukesh, Sukanya, Jagathy, Jagadish, Narendra Prasad, Kaviyoor Ponnamma. Salim Kumar played that role very well.
Then in Mera Naam Joker, a very small film I wrote, Salim was also given the role of one of the four friends of Nadir Shah, the hero. Thus, Salim Kumar became the number one comedy actor in Malayalam cinema by playing small roles.
The following years belonged to Salim. Salim Kumar’s roles in films like Meesamadhavan, Tenkashipatnam, Ee Pakkumthalika, Puliwal Kalyanam, Kalyanakacheri, Mazhathulikilukum, Chathikatha Chanthu, Mayavi and Pandipada were filled with so much fun that one could not even think of another actor. After that in ‘Perumazhakala’ directed by Kamal, Salim Kumar played a serious role of a Muslim old man which was very different from what he had done before.
Later we saw that Salim Kumar, who was rejected from CB Malayalam’s location because he didn’t know how to act, was honored by India Maharajya with the National Award for Best Actor. It seems to me that some geniuses are not known at first and history preserves them so that they will be known in the future. That is what happened in the life of Salim Kumar. Following this, Salim Kumar, the youngest son of North Paravoor Gangadharan and Kausalya, has collected many awards including those of the state government.
The special thing I saw in Salim Kumar from that day on, when he came to see me on the first day, was that the behavior and speech from Salim Kumar remained unchanged despite reaching such heights. Salimkumar is a reminder that no one should be looked down upon in cinema.
(to be continued…)