Nagesh (actor)
| Nagesh | |
|---|---|
Nagesh in 2005
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| Born |
Cheyur Krishna Rao Nageshwaran 27 August 1933 or 8 February 1931 Dharapuram, Madras Presidency, India |
| Died | January 31, 2009 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Film actor |
| Years active | 1958– 2009 |
| Spouse(s) | Regina (m. 1957-2002) (until her death) ( |
| Children | Ramesh Babu (b.1959) Rajesh Babu (b.1961) Anand Babu (b.1963) |
| Awards |
1974 Kalamamani 1994 Nammavar Tamil Nadu State Government Award |
Nagesh (born Cheyur Krishna Rao Nageshwaran; (1933-2009) was an Indian film actor, mostly remembered for his roles as a comedian during the 1960s. He is regarded as one of the most prolific comedians in Tamil cinema. He acted in over 1,000 films from 1958 to 2008, performing in a variety of roles as comedian, lead roles, supporting actor and antagonist. Nagesh's style of comedy was largely inspired by Hollywood actor Jerry Lewis. Similarities between Nagesh and Lewis earned Nagesh the sobriquet "Jerry Lewis of India".
Nagesh was born as Cheyur Krishna Rao Nageshwaran to Krishna Rao and Rukmaniamma. He was born in Dharapuram, now in Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu. While his school records give his date of birth as 8 February 1931, and his passport reads 27 August 1933, according to his elder brother’s wife he was born on Maha Navami (Saraswati Pooja).
He left Dharapuram at an early age and moved to Madras city in search of a career. His roommates, the writer Vaali and director Sridhar, later became established themselves as prominent personalities in the Tamil cinema field. He worked as a clerk in the Indian Railways.
Early in his life, he saw a Tamil play, Kamba Ramayanam, enacted by his colleagues, and felt that he could do a good job. He persuaded the secretary of the railway's cultural association to give him the role of a man suffering from stomach pain. MGR, then chief guest, seeing this play, in his speech praised Nagesh for his performance. From then onwards, Nagesh played small roles in various drama troupes.
In 1958, producer Balaji spotted Nagesh and gave him his first break in a film called Manamulla Marudhaaram. The film did not do well at the box office. Moreover, Nagesh had only a small role to play in the movie. In 1960, Nagesh made his debut in Kannada with Makkala Rajya.
Nagesh won critical acclaim for his performance in the 1961 movie Thayilla Pillai. But it was his 1962 hit Nenjil Or Aalayam which launched his career in the Tamil film industry. Nagesh was seen playing the lead role in Server Sundaram (1964) directed by the legendary Krishnan Panju. The movie was a remarkable hit and proved to be a great turning point in his career.
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