Nagesh Film Career

Film career

It was producer Balaji who spotted him and gave him his first break in films. The most memorable performance of Nagesh out of the 1000 odd films he has acted in is his role in 'Thiruvillayadal' in which he speaks a soliloquy that is one of the most memorable scenes in the film. He played a poet falling on bad times in the film. When Sivaji who played Siva in the film saw it he asked the director to retain it in full without a cut.

MGR with Actors Nagesh & S.A.Ashokan

Directors like Sridhar and Balachander were those who brought out the acting talents of Nagesh. In 'Kathalika Neramillai' Nagesh narrates a story to Baliah and the way it was narrated brought down the theatre in laughter. The movie 'Server Sundaram' portrayed Nagesh in the role of a restaurant waiter who later becomes a successful movie actor; case of life imitating art and art imitating life for this great comedian. Yet another memorable performance was as the villainous comic pimp in 'Thillana Mohannambal' starring Sivaji and Padmini. In 'Apoorva Raagangal' (1975) he plays a drunkard who talks to his shadow and then finishes his dialogue by saying "Cheers" and throwing the cup on the wall. In the theatres where the film was shown the audience imitated him and threw cups on the wall of the lobby during interval.

His professional connection with Kamal Hassan is of great relevance. He was one of the four bad guys in 'Apoorva Sagodharargal' (1989), where Kamal played three characters. In Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), where Kamal played four characters, Nagesh showed his funny side in his impeccable style. His character of Avinashi uttering rib tickling dialogues and great punchlines was an example of his ever lasting brilliance. Later he played a dead man in 'Magalir Mattum' (1993) produced by Kamalhassan.

A perfect accolade that he received was that from Kamal Hassan himself. Kamal Hassan used to say that he was very much jealous about Nagesh. Apparently when Kamal Hassan used to work with Balachander, at instances when he found it difficult to bring the emotions in front of the screen, KB used to say "had this scene done by Nagesh he would have done this in the first shot". This lets us know what a great actor Nagesh has been.

Also once Balachander used to say that, Nagesh and himself were driving very fast in the Radhakrishnan salai (those days it was not that busy as it is now), when KB asked him why are you driving so very fast, for which Nagesh replied "Don't get scared!, I know I have the responsibility that I am holding the life of one of the India's great future directors"