Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair

Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair (16 October 1916 – 11 March 1997) was an Indian poet, playwright, script writer, lyricist, orator, film director and actor, though he is best known as an actor in Malayalam cinema. He is the recipient of Padma Shri from the Government of India, which is one of the highest civilian honours in India. In a career that spanned about 47 years, he acted in over 700 films. He is considered to be the "first superstar of Malayalam cinema". In 1993, he was honoured with the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.

Early life

Sukumaran Nair was born on 16 October 1916 in the village of Thikkurissy, Nagercoil, then part of Travancore. The village of Thikkurissy is now in Nanchilnadu, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. He was born to N. Lekshmi Amma and M. C. Govinda Pillai of the Mangat house, an aristocratic Nair family. He was a good writer and an orator even when he was doing his schooling in Marthandam Government Boys School. He wrote his first poem at the age of 8 and his poem was published for the first time when he was 14 in Dhakshina Bharathi. His poems were collectively published as a book named Kedavilakku when he was 20. His parents wanted him to secure a government job, but he launched his career in writing and arts even before he completed his studies. Incidentally, his sister L. Omanakkunjamma was the first female magistrate in India.

Career

He launched his career as a playwright. His plays Mareechika and Kalakaran were hugely successful. He then went on to write three more—Sthree, Maya and Sheriyo Thetto—that revolutionised the professional play scenario in Malayalam. He replaced the melodramatic romantic musicals, which ruled the roost till then, with dialogue centred prose plays having themes of realism and social importance.

He entered the Malayalam film industry in 1950, which was in its early years with only about 10 films produced. He debuted in the industry with the film adaptation of his breakthrough play Sthree. He produced the film and played the protagonist as well. It failed to make much impact at the box office, the film scene in Kerala then being ruled by Tamil and Hindi films. Thikkurussy's next film Jeevitha Nouka (1951), produced by K and K Productions and directed by K. Vembu, was a turning point in Malayalam film history. It dealt with the theme of ego clashes in a joint family and was a big commercial success: It is touted as the first superhit in Malayalam film history. The success also made Thikkurissy the first superstar of Kerala. Jeevitha nouka was dubbed into four languages including Hindi. In 1952, he acted in Navalokam with a socially significant theme with Miss Kumari, who would later become the pet of the masses after the success of Neelakkuyil (1954). Navalokam did not make it big at the box office, but Thikkurissy cemented his superstardom with a big hit in the same year.

Visappinte Vili had Prem Nazir, then a novice. Thikkurissy coined Prem Nazir's screen name (his actual name was Abdul Khader). In 1953, another landmark of his Sheriyo Thetto, was released. It was a film adaptation of his play of the same name. Sheriyo Thetto had him handling the story, screenplay, dialogues, lyrics and direction departments besides playing the pivotal role. With that Thikkurissy established himself as an inseparable element of Malayalam film industry. In 1968, he acted in the first full-length comedy film, Viruthan Shanku, directed by P. Venu. He was credited with lyrics, screenplay and direction in many films. The 13 films for which he was the lyricist includes Sthree, Palunku Paathram, Devasundari, Urvashi Bharathi, Poojapushpam and Balloon. He wrote story and screenplay for Muthalali and Aana Valarthiya Vanampadi. He directed the films Sheriyo Thetto, Poojapushpam, Achante Bharya, Palunkupathram, Saraswati, Nurse and Urvashi Bharathi. His major acting ventures are Jeevithanauka, Navalokam, Visappinte Vili, Iruttinte Atmavu, Swayamvaram, Umma, Bhakthakuchela, Nadi, Thulabharam, Maya, Abhijathyam, Surveykkallu, Avanazhi and Aryan.

Screen-naming

Thikkurussy coined screen-names of many actors in Malayalam cinema. Actors who were renamed by Thikkurissy include

Prem Nazir; actual name: Abdul Khader
S. J. Dev (stage actor and father of Rajan P. Dev); actual name: Devassia
Madhu; actual name: Madhavan Nair
Jose Prakash; actual name: K Baby Joseph
Bahadoor; actual name: Kunjali
Kuthiravattom Pappu; actual name: Padmadalakshan

Personal life

Thikkurissy was married three times. His first wife was Sarojini Kunjamma, the daughter of Madhavan Unnithan from the Samudayathil family in Karuvatta, Haripad. They had two daughters: Shyamala Devi Kunjamma, also known as Lekha, who worked as an executive engineer in Ernakulam, and Geethadevi Kunjamma, a housewife in Pujappura, Thiruvananthapuram. After his separation from Sarojini, Thikkurissy married stage actress Ambalapuzha Meenakshy Amma. They had a son, Rajahamsan, who now lives in Chennai. This marriage also ended, and Thikkurissy later married K. Sulochana Devi, a singer and dancer. This third marriage lasted over four decades until his death. They had a daughter, Kanakasree, who was interested in poetry like her father. Tragically, Kanakasree passed away in a motorcycle accident in 1989. In his later years, Thikkurissy suffered from various health issues due to his age. He passed away on 11 March 1997, at the age of 80, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, due to kidney failure.

Awards

The major awards that he received are:

Padmashri from the Government of India − 1973
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South − 1986
Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor − 1972
J. C. Daniel Award (Kerala State Film Award for Lifetime Achievement) – 1995
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship − 1983
Mannathu Padmanabhan Award − 1989
Film Readers Gallup-poll Award − 1963
All Kerala Social Service Association Award − 1971
Bombay Nirthya Sindhu Award − 1991
Guru Chengannur Award 1991
Prem Nazir Award − 1992
N.Krishna Pillai Award 1992
Palakkad Film Festival Award − 1995
Pushpasree Award − 1995
Bangalore Kalavedi Award − 1994
Film Critics Association Award − 1995
Kerala Kaumudhi Readers Club Award − 1994
Film Guidance Society Award − 1996
Government of India Emeritus Fellowship for Contribution in the field of Art and Literature From 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1998
Talents of Universities Creative Heights Award − 1996
Navachedhana Award − 1994
Soorya Award − 1994
Travancore Devaswam Board Award. – 1972
Sree Moolanagaram Fine Arts Society Award − 1997
Abhinaya Saamrat − 1991
Nataka Chakravarthy − 1991
Chalachithra Prathibha − 1993
Chalachithra Rathnam − 1994
Chalachithra Acharyan − 1994
Malayala Chalachithra Kulapathy 1994
Sarasadrutha Kavi − 1994
Kala Vibhooshan − 1994
Bheeshma Charya − 1994
Sarvakala Sarva Bhouman − 1994
Guru Karanavar − 1995
Kala Jyothi − 1996
Sarasa Vachaspathy − 1996
Sadasya Thilakan − 1996