Comedians turning heroes isn’t a new concept in Tamil films. We have had Chandrababu and Nagesh, yesteryear’s towering comedians, playing lead roles in many significant films. Then it was the turn of Goundamani, who ruled the roost as the leading comedian for more than two decades, to try his hand out at playing the lead role. Vadivelu too attempted to play the hero in some films but except for ‘Imsai Arasan…’, all other films bit the dust at the box-office. Vivek’s ‘Solli Adippaen’, in which he has played the hero opposite Chhaya Singh, is yet to release. Comedian Karunas gave two super-hits Dindukal Sarathi and Ambasamuthiram Ambani as a hero. Santhanam and ‘Ganja’ Karuppu jointly played the lead roles in ‘Arai Enn 502-l Kadavul’. It appears that now the time has come for Karuppu, who recently became a proud father, to turn a solo hero!
‘Ganja’ Karuppu has been signed up to play the lead role in an upcoming film titled ‘Mannar Valaiguda‘ in which he plays a fisherman. The film would be directed by Dhanasekaran, an erstwhile assistant of director Maadesh.
Dhanasekaran is confident that his film would do well and says that the film deals with a commoner’s tale and traces his reaction when he is exploited to the hilt by the society. “Karuppu has fitted the role perfectly; it would be a very different ‘Karuppu’ that one would get to watch in the film. At the same time, his trademark comic sequences would also be there,” assures the director.
Last heard, Karuppu would have not one but three (?!) heroines opposite him. All the three would be newcomers, it is learnt. The film was launched yesterday at a function attended by directors Sasikumar, Samuthirakani, Vetrimaran and many others
The problem with comedians turning heroes is that the audience seldom takes them seriously enough, as they have always been seen in rib-tickling roles. We have to wait and watch to see Karuppu’s luck..
