Thilakan, Malayalam cinema's thespian who defied norms and superstars

With the death of veteran actor Thilakan, Malayalam cinema has lost a stalwart that nobody could match in the industry. A man who was passionate about his art, volatile in his behaviour, highly refined in his skills, and shamelessly immodest about his abilities - Thilakan was indeed a colossus of Malayalam cinema. He straddled the words of both arthouse flms and mainstream cinema, with unparalleled commitment and verve. He was also a darling of the masses who challenged majoritarian norms in society. [caption id=“attachment_466172” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The actor made other superstars of the industry look good. Image courtesy ibnlive.in[/caption] A hugely popular stage actor before his entry into films, Thilakan had been around since the early 1970s; but his real calling came in 1981, when he literally stormed the scene with renowned director KG George’s Yavanika for which he also bagged a state award. Since then, he had been an indispensable part of Malayalam cinema, notching up more than 200 films over the three decades since his debut. He also acted in some notable Tamil films. He was last seen in a brief, but unforgettable role of an alcoholic in a film titled Spirit, and as an old man representing the virtues his generation in Usthad Hotel. The thespian, was in fact, making a brilliant comeback with author-backed roles after being banished by some vicious caucuses in the industry for a couple of years for his outspokenness. It’s impossible to describe Thilakan’s histrionic skills, simply because neither his predecessors nor contemporaries matched him. Not even by the talented and hugely celebrated superstars. On screen, he was extremely powerful, yet subtle; so true to life, yet dramatic; chokingly emotional, yet understated. The tragedy of Thilakan as an actor was that he was sandwiched between the two superstars, Mohanlal and Mammootty, who controlled the business interests of the industry for more than two decades. Unfortunately, he rose to fame, when the superstars were also rising. His space was very limited, yet he stood tall and often amplified the performances of the stars. For instance, in Kireedam (1989), it was he who stole the show on screen, but Mohanlal bagged the award for best actor. In fact, Mohanlalal looked brilliant, whenever he was pitted alongside or against Thilakan in films such as Spadikam, Kilukkam, Narashimham and Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal. The mere presence of Thilakan in the same frame simply raised the bar for other actors. Superstars benefitted the most from him, but reportedly felt insecure and tried to bridle him with industry-muscle. For the same reasons, awards and recognitions were few and far between. He was adjudged the second best actor by the Kerala government six times, but won the best actor award only twice. Interestingly, in both the films he was the main protagonist. Apparently he was close to winning the national award twice, but lost out to superstars for irrational reasons. Reportedly, his best chance in 1991 was spoiled by a jury that favoured Amithabh Bachchan for Agneepath. Thilakan was not a star, but an actor; hence he played everything except a star. The characters he played demonstrated his immense range - he was immaculate and all authority playing the gentry and as revolting, playing a lecherous drunkard or an incestuous stepfather. He was heartwarmingly lovable as a father and equally comical as an escapee from a mental asylum. There was no genre that he couldn’t handle. The last few years had been extremely stressful for the great actor that perhaps landed him in bad health. His inability to conform to the dubious double-standards of the industry saw him being “banned” from films. Unfazed by the bans, he went back to his first love, theatre, and appeared in more than 80 stages across the state. However, some of the “new generation” directors and actors defied the ban and brought him back to pivotal roles in their films. In fact, there were more in the pipeline when he suffered a stroke and fell unconscious. But Thilakan celebrated his comeback in style and had the last laugh. The industry and the aging superstars definitely have egg on their face.