Those were the days: Kalaivanar with a big heart, NS Krishnan used comedy as reform tool

The pioneering actors introduced to Tamil talkies in its first decade of the 1930s had an incalculable responsibility. They had to chart the paths for others to follow.

Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan took on that ground-breaking role for comedy. As a hangover from silent movies, slapstick comedy was the principal focus in early talkies. People tripping, stumbling or animals charging them brought the laughter relief.

But with the movie having dialogues, humour had to be meaningful. It also had to be clean for family audiences. NSK is hugely responsible for making it thus, almost forcing those who followed in his way to stick to the rules he set. NSK’s humour was rib-tickling and yet thought-provoking comedy. In fact, he used his comedy track to spread his beliefs in rationalism and social reformation.