Veteran Malayalam actor Nedumudi Venu, who has also played key roles in popular Tamil films like
Indian
,
Anniyan
and
Sarvam Thaala Mayam
, passed away yesterday.
The actor had been a journalist and a theatre artiste before he entered the film industry in 1978. He acted in over 500 films in his four-decade-old career. He had also won three National Awards and three Filmfare Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a constant presence in the Malayalam films of the ’80s and ’90s, infusing every role of his with subtlety, and endeared himself to film lovers.
The 73-year-old actor had recently recovered from COVID-19, but had to be admitted in the intensive care unit of a hospital on Sunday following health complications.
He entered the Tamil film industry with Gnana Rajasekaran’s acclaimed film Mogamul, in 1995, and got noticed for his character as a straightforward CBI officer in Shankar’s 1996 blockbuster Indian, which starred Kamal Haasan in the lead. He worked with the filmmaker once again in Anniyan and was also roped in for Indian 2, which is currently under production.
He was very knowledgeable about musicHe was unquestionably a great artiste. I discovered him during my days in Kerala, and felt that he brought out subtlety, nativity and humour into any role that he played. And he was very knowledgeable about music. This is why when I was casting for the character of Ranganna, a musician, in Mogamul, I decided to approach him. We shot the film in Kumbakonam and he had arrived the evening before the day of the shoot. After hearing the story, he went to his room. That morning, by around 1am, I heard someone knocking on my door. When I opened the door, Nedumudi Venu was standing there. I was wondering what had happened and if there was a problem. He came into my room and then told me, ‘You said my character is a talented but unsuccessful musician, but you didn’t tell me how he views life and society. Does he look at society in a pessimistic manner or as an optimist? I need to know that to shape my performance.’ I was stunned. This quality of his was what made him a great artiste. During the shoot, during breaks between shots, he’d casually go and observe common people and how they behaved. And in one of our conversations, he told me that he learnt how to behave when he did not have any dialogues and had to
observe the other actor from Sivaji Ganesan. And even though we were going to dub his voice, he would still memorise the lines and perform. His demise is a great loss for us.”
—
Gnanasekaran
, the director who introduced Nedumudi Venu in Tamil cinema
‘One of the best persons I’ve worked with’I had a chance to work with a genius like him in Sarvam Thaala Mayam. He was a sweet and warm person to work with. Since we worked on live sound for the film, he used to teach me so many things on set. Things like telling dialogues with pauses and how to use my hands wisely while performing are lessons that I will never forget. The things he taught me are helping me better my performance till today. He was one of the best persons I’ve ever worked with and this is definitely a huge loss.
— GV Prakash Kumar, actor and musician
‘Venu was a legendary actor’Nedumudi Venu was such a legendary actor and every conversation with him was actually a learning experience for an actor like me. We had shot for Priyadarshan sir’s movie, Summer of ‘92, in January. I played his daughter in it and we had a lot of conversations. He was very keen to know how I was going to play my character and prepared himself accordingly. He once asked what kind of garland I’d like for my marriage. I was slightly thrown off, but later realised that he was asking about my character’s preferences. He’d ask a lot of questions about the other characters and their background as part of his preparation. This is how an evolved actor can help a co-actor prepare for their own role and make the whole process inclusive. For him, it was not just about his character, but all the characters who are part of a scene, because he wanted the whole scene to be elevated by the performances. Only a legend like him can help a younger actor prepare psychologically for a role without even making them aware of the fact! Working with him was a wonderful lesson for me, and I think I can share this with the actors who I work with in the future. Priyadarshan sir told me that Nedumudi Venu sir was part of his debut film Poochakkoru Mookkuthi as well, and spoke about how they have been journeying together since then. It was inspiring to hear how he had achieved as an actor over so many years. I feel great to have shared screen space with him.
—
Ramya Nambeesan
, actress