Thavasi Anna (Born 1960, Died 23 November 2020) was an Indian
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
and
comedian
A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...
. He was known primarily for his appearances in comedy roles and often played minor characters. His film career spanned more than three decades.
Biography
Thavasi was born in 1960. According to
BBC,Tamil was from the village of Mattaparai, near
Nilakkottai
Nilakkottai (also spelled as Nilakottai) is a town in the Dindigul district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town was established in 1958, as 1st Grade Town Panchayat. In 1970, it was changed to Selection Grade. The Town Panchayat has been ...
in the
Dindigul
Dindigul (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is a city in the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul City is Located in the Southwest Region of Tamil Nadu. Dindigul is an ancient settlement r ...
district of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, India.
However, a few sources have interpreted that his family was originally from
Theni
Theni is a valley town situated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu at the foothills of the Western Ghats. It is the headquarters of the Theni district, 70km from Madurai
Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in th ...
and there are confusions pertaining to his actual roots as few have speculated he may have been from
Madurai
Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
.
Career
He began his film acting career with ''
Kizhakku Cheemayile
''Kizhakku Cheemayile'' ( ) is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Bharathiraja. It stars Vijayakumar, Radhika and Napoleon, while Vignesh, Pandiyan, and Vadivelu play supporting roles. The film involves a touching sentimen ...
'' (1993) directed by
Bharathiraja
Bharathiraja ( born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with ''16 Vayathinile'', he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of ...
.
He established himself as a supporting actor, often playing the role of a Hindu priest in remote rural areas.
He was also acclaimed for his body language, method acting, strong composure, rough tone, and hilarious comedy sequences and timing while also maintaining a long moustache, which became his trademark.
He rose to prominence for his role as
Soori's father, a priest, in the film ''
Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam
''Varuthapadatha Vaalibar Sangam'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Ponram, in his directorial debut. Produced by P. Madan under the Escape Artists Motion Pictures banner, it stars Sivakarthikeyan, Sathyaraj, S ...
'' (2013), where he gives his advice, thought process, and recommendations to his devotees by analyzing astrology. He also became well known for his portrayal and mannerisms in giving solutions to the devotees by seeking permission and consent from god
Karuppuswamy
Karuppusamy, also known as Karuppu or Karuppannaswamy(Tamil language, Tamil: கருப்பண்ணசுவாமி Malayalam: കറുപ്പണ്ണസാമി ),() is a Folk religion, folk God in Tamil Nadu, popular among the so ...
. His one-line punch dialogue "Karuppan Kusumbukaran" () in the comedy sequence after his predictions went wrong became viral meme material, and it has since been used on social media platforms by users.
His posthumous film release was ''
Annaatthe
''Annaatthe'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Siva and produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner Sun Pictures. The film stars Rajinikanth in the titular role, alongside Khushbu, Meena, Nayanthara, and Kee ...
'' (2021) directed by
Siva, starring
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
in the lead role.
Death
He was diagnosed with
esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer (American English) or oesophageal cancer (British English) is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing and weigh ...
and died on 23 November 2020 after an eight-month-long battle with the illness. Almost a week before his death, he requested financial assistance from fellow actors and well-wishers to undergo surgeries and medical treatment. He was admitted to Saravana Hospital in Madurai, where he was pronounced dead.
During the later stage of his life, he had to clean-shave his beard and moustache and also had to shave his head to undergo medical treatment as per the doctor's prescription to survive the cancer.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thavasi
1960 births
2020 deaths
Tamil comedians
Indian male film actors
Male actors from Tamil Nadu
Male actors in Tamil cinema
21st-century Tamil male actors
Indian male comedians
Indian comedians