The timeless humour of Narasimharaju

He played Rajkumar’s foil, and lit up the screen with his good-natured banter. A birth centenary tribute

Narasimharaju and Rajkumar debuted together in ‘Bedara Kannappa’ (1954), and their association lasted several decades.

Spend a day with a Kannadiga and you will say they are generous in praise and magnanimous in criticism. Yet, they are firm when it comes to their heroes. It is perhaps this latter attribute that has led most of us to unhesitatingly back a mediocre cricket team for 15 years and counting. However, more often than not we are rational in our choices and our heroes are cherished for they are special. Thus, 100 years after his birth, Narasimharaju continues to rule the roost as a comedian since he made us laugh like no other.

With commercial cinema treating humour as just another ‘ingredient’ to get things done, comedians don’t often get their due. However, it is impossible to think of Rajkumar’s ‘Satya Harishchandra’ (1965) without Nakshatrika, the steadfast follower of Vishwamitra, who acts as a constant irritating reminder for Harischandra of his debt, played to perfection by Narasimharaju. Another case in point is ‘Sri Krishnadevaraya’ (1970), where the comedian brings to life the legendary Tenali Ramakrishna through his natural gift. The actor’s performances far exceed the limited box-office concerns in such cases, as they set models of historical and mythological characters for posterity to base its imagination on.

The actor was as big a force even in modern settings, as is evident from his performances in ‘Anna Thangi’ (1959), ‘Gaali Gopura’ (1961), ‘Thumbida Koda’ (1964), ‘Emme Thammanna’ (1966) and so on. The actor’s success made him the producer’s darling and his enormous output is testament to that. “From 1954 — when he and Rajkumar debuted through ‘Bedara Kannappa’ — till 1967 when his 100th film ‘Nakkare Ade Swarga’ was released, around 190 films were made in Sandalwood. That shows he acted in every second film, which is astonishing,” says eminent film historian K Puttaswamy.

There seems to be a combination of factors that catapulted the veteran to the zenith. Puttaswamy opines that Raju made the most of his physique and voice, which turned out as comical assets. “Having been a stage actor since the age of 3, he was not only well-trained in acting but had a strong understanding of the ethos and culture of Karnataka. Added to that, he knew Kannada well enough to extract comedy through dialogue delivery,” adds Puttaswamy.

At his peak, he is said to have been the most sought after actor in Sandalwood, with producers queuing up for his call-sheet even before they went after Rajkumar. Such a demand meant that his arms were strong enough to shoulder a film’s weight, as can be seen from ‘Maduve Madi Nodu’ (1965), where despite Rajkumar’s presence, he single-handedly carries the film forward for most of the first-half, before the latter comes in.

For N S Sreedhara Murthy, a well-known film critic, his success lies in his impeccable timing. “Narasimharaju’s talents could not be used to the fullest as stereotyping — due to the track system which segregated films into comedy, villainy and heroism and a loyal fan base — restricted him to a limited set of roles,” says Murthy. However, when he got the space in films like ‘Jatakarathna Gunda Joisa’ (1971) and ‘Aliya Geleya’ (1970), he showed what he was capable of, he adds.

Another characteristic trait of the comedian’s roles is that he invariably sides with the good and hence earns the sympathies of the audience in the process. This also set up a mouth-watering combination for nearly two decades with Balakrishna, a veteran actor, better known for essaying comical roles with their share of cunning and villainy. This contrast worked wonders and their combination was a show-stealer in movies such as ‘Ranadheera Kanteerava’ (1961), ‘Veera Kesari’ (1963), ‘Pratidhwani’ (1971) and ‘Bidugade’ (1973). As in Tom and Jerry, the natural human instinct is to side with the underdog — in this case Narasimharaju.

Two films stand out for their uniqueness — ‘Nakkare Ade Swarga (NAS) and ‘Professor Huchuraya’ (1974), both where the actor plays the protagonist and tackles serious roles. “It was impossible to believe that he could handle a role as complex as the one in (NAS),” Puttaswamy explains.

Perhaps one may argue that the era offering such a large-scale scope for comedians is over but a great artist could once again tilt the scales.

His life

Tiputur Ramaraju Narasimharaju born on July 24, 1923, popularly known as just Narasimharaju, was the foremost comedian of the Kannada film industry in the 1950s and 60s. He began his film career with ‘Bedara Kannappa’ (1954). With the film ‘Nakkare Ade Swarga’ (1967), he became the first actor in Kannada to complete 100 films. His combination with Rajkumar was magical, producing cult classics. He passed away in 1979 at the age of 55.

Dwarakish (Actor, director, producer)
“Narasimharaju is the most successful comedian Sandalwood has ever seen. I am a big fan and always referred to him as Narasimharajanna. He was fond of me and we acted together in a bunch of films. There was a time when cars first lined up in front of his house to discuss new projects. He acted in most films of that era and was a mainstay of the industry."