Chennai: “Dialogue is our forte. It must reach the audience. Even if it is antiquated, I’d like to retain it. I’ve never thought of ways to ruin success,” Cho Ramaswamy, conspicuous with bright streak of vibhuti applied across his forehead, once remarked. Perhaps, he out surpassed this.
He made everyone laugh through his witty remarks and his political satires were well received and savoured by a multitude including numerous politicians. He was known more as a popular comedian, actor and playwright and rather than as lawyer. Cho Ramaswamy aka Srinivasa Iyer Ramaswamy, who boldly asked BJP patriarch L. K. Advani to step down and allow Narendra Modi to lead the nation, is no more.
Cho Ramaswamy’s body lying in state at his residence on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)
His dedicated band of admirers, readers and well-wishers are greatly distressed when he passed away on Wednesday at Apollo hospital where former CM J. Jayalalithaa had breathed her last on Monday. He was 82.
Cho, born in a Brahmin family of lawyers, on Oct. 5, 1934, began assisting his father — Srinivasa Iyer and grandfather — Arunachala Iyer and uncle Mathrubootham and practiced in the Madras High Court.
In 1964, he became the legal advisor at the T. T. Krishnamachari Group of Companies in Chennai; and he served the post for 15 years. Later, he ventured into films and finally made his mark as a journalist by launching his own magazine — Thuglak.
He made a mark for himself much before he took to journalism. His work in the popular theatre was laced with political and social criticism. The attempts of the Congress government under M. Bhaktavatsalam in the late 1960s to censor the script of his play Sambavami Yuge Yuge drew popular attention and his political satire Mohamed Bin Thuglak was a runaway success.
DMK leader Stalin paying his last respects to Cho Ramaswamy. (Photo: DC)
Spectacular film career:
The versatile personality made his debut in 1963 with Paar Magale Paar as comedian. From 1963 to 2005 he acted in 190 Tamil films.
He had worked with former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa in 19 films. He paired with Manorama in 20 films including Malligai Poo, Annaiyum Pidhavum, Dharisanam, Anbai Thedi and Ninaivil Nindraval.
He is perhaps the only personality who had acted with a galaxy of stars and also boldly criticised political leaders. Apart from acting with Nagesh, Cho had the popular matinee hero and AIADMK founder MGR — Petralthaan Pillaiya, Sangey Muzhangu, Rickshawkaaran and Thalaivan. His witty remarks while acting with T.S. Balaiah in Manam Oru Kurangu, with M. R. Radha and actors like V.K. Ramaswamy, Nagesh, Manorama and Sachu are noteworthy.
He had served as a Rajya Sabha MP from Nov. 1999 to Nov. 2005. He is survived by his wife Soundara Ramaswamy, son Rajivakshan alias Sriram and daughter Sindhu. Cho was hospitalised in January 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms. Jayalalitha had called on him then.
Apart from scripting about 23 plays including Mohammed Bin Thuglaq where he resurrected Sultan Thuglaq from his grave to become the prime minister of India, Cho — a name from the character he enlivened on the stage in the play Thenmozhiyal, had acted in 200 films, directed four and scripted another 14.
