Thilakan
C P Aboobaker
Thilakan, the deceased Malayalam Cine Artiste was not an ordinary actor. He was a real genius among the hundreds of mediocrities that sit on the throne of Superstars and Stars. Thilakan was not a star, but an artist. Like a colossus he reigned supreme over the hearts and minds of serious film viewers. From his first important film Yavanika to his last important film Indian Rupee the artist has captivated human minds. For him acting in a film or play was not a histrionic gimmick, but his life itself. He has created a tradition of acting in which the actor does a very good homework to create his character. He could display all microcosmic emotions and sentiments not only in his eyes or body, but in his rendering of the dialogue. He could be a villain while at the same time he could represent kindliness of the superb order.
His demise is a great loss to the Malayalam film industry although the formal organizations found no excuse to avoid a quarrel with him. They dismissed him for his opinions, his freedom of thinking and for his courage. History shall have to prove them wrong.
We pay tearful tribute to the great actor.
C P Aboobaker - C.P. ABOOBACKER, editor of thanalonline, belongs to Calicut in Kerala. His interests include writing, publishing poems, essays, and many more literary things. Latest writing is about Channels and Globalizations. He is a retired professor of history.
e-mail: cpaboobacker@gmail.com
