There was no one like CK Rajamanickam when it came to costume designing in the world of Tamil stage plays and movies. Continuing the good work is his son R Shanmugaraj, who is privileged to have learned the tricks of the trade from an illustrious name. Among a handful, holding his own in the stage and tinsel world, the workload has dwindled for the 65-year-old. But determined he is to keep the pot boiling, privileged to be called by the illustrious names in the world of movies.
Costumes in a play, Shanmugaraj says, gives information about the time and style of a play. “The bottom line is in the actors trying to look like a different person than what they are. If the actors are to fit into the characters, it is imperative for them to fit into the costumes. Every effort is to be in place to convey the age of the actors, the period of the play. Costumes can be used to a telling effect to depict the prevalent mood in a stage play,” he says.
Shanmugaraj recalls the efforts his father put in to study the script and understand the costume needs. He always shared his ideas with the director, make-up artists and set designers. “My father always felt the onus was on him to ensure his costumes matched the time period, style and director’s vision. A lot of thought went to his creation while designing clothes in tune with the need of the artistes. He preferred light shades to the ones with dark complexion and delivered what the director ordered. Of course, there was the freedom to perform, happy he was to be thrusted with the responsibilities,” he says.
In the glory days
Historical plays having dried up after the passing away of the legends RS Manohar and Heron Ramasamy, there is very little work for the likes of Shanmugaraj. But then, happy is he to rewind the glorious days of the time when he had the fortune of assisting his father in stage plays of Heron Ramasamy. “The good tiding was in my father being a permanent costume designer for Heron and in the movies of legendary director AP Nagarajan. Thespian Sivaji Ganesan would not settle for any other name other that of my father. I was young but good enough to remember the golden period where theatre buffs flocked to see the plays of Heron, not to forget the impact of APN movies taking the audience to a different planet,” he shares.
Saneeswarar is one play of Heron which floored the masses in the theatre industry. “Such was the power of Lord Saneeswaran, that the ones who did the stage plays before Heron, vanished away from the industry, namely MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and NT Rama Rao. But Heron proved that it was only a myth by staging it for 13 years from 1980 to 1993, when his end came. Saneeswarar being a simple person, the costume of a black dhoti with an angavastram wrapped around the shoulders, left the audience spellbound,” points out Shanmugaraj.
Projecting Ravana as not a villain but an individual who possesses great qualities was another work of Heron which Shanmugaraj fondly remembers. “The demand from Heron was a black dress spilling over the feet. The baritone voice of Heron backed by the costume colour had the audience in a trance. Black is always beautiful but the industry is such to see the detrimental side to the colour,” he says.
Balancing act
In an era where there was work for all days of the month, Shanmugaraj remembers the hectic time when his father had to balance movies and his first love of theatre. “Understandably, it was economically more viable to focus on movies. But there was the thrill of live audience in theatre, which cannot be matched by the monetary aspect,” he adds.
Shanmugaraj had his hands full while assisting his father in mythological and historical movies of APN. “The director was a firm believer that costumes was an important aspect of his themes, which more or less conveyed the images of his characters. Glittering costumes, sparkling jewellery set against incredibly colourful sets were the feature of his movies. In constrained budgets, the designer had to bring in the lustre, the mood getting captured in zoom cameras for the best effect,” he shares.
Remembering a scene in Kandan Karunai, Shanmugaraj says his father created a golden boot for Sivaji Ganesan’s Veerbhaghu character, which won the approbation of the movie buffs. “The movie offered an insight into the way Hindus regarded the Gods of Tamils. Known for the richness of the Hindu temples, the deities had to be adorned with a glittering range of costumes. The chumki effect in saris today was brought with patches of silk on the borders. The cascading effect was the defining moment of the movie, winning rave reviews for the director. APN graciously divulged to the media that the handiwork of my father was the winning factor,” he explains.
Shanmugaraj vividly remembers the orders of APN that the costumes should reflect the majesty and grace of Lord Vishnu in Thirumal Perumai. “If viewers still remember the explicit walk of Sivaji Ganesan as a fisherman in Thiruvilayadal it was the simple piece of an eye catching costume, slanted across the shoulders. Keeping it simple and walking away with the honours was a trait which my father did films after films,” he notes.
Shifting his focus on historical movies, Shanmugaraj talks about the daunting task on hand while working on the epic movie Raja Raja Chozhan, the first cinemascope movie in Tamil, as the historical significance of the Chozha reign had to be seen in the gait of the King. “The costumes had to be rich, colourful and speak volumes of the majesty of the king, who had no peers. Kings sporting sparkling earrings was a norm, as it had to reflect on the incredible settings of the Hindu temple,” he says.
Making a mark
Ask Shanmugaraj to pick among the great works of the Sivaji-APN combination, and he chooses the masterpiece Navarathri. “Even today, old timers recall the impeccably designed saris worn by Savithri matched by the blouses. Much ahead of the times was the compliment on the work of Savithri’s costumes though out and out it was a Sivaji Ganesan movie,” he says.
Presently occupied with Bharathiyar movie from the House of S Krishnaswamy Associates, Shanmugaraj says the driblets of offers keeps him going. “One has to accept with the change of times. The likes of Ponniyin Selvan cannot happen every day to keep us busy. These are days where producers think it is viable to use the Bollywood effects in the movies. Historical plays are as rare as a hen’s teeth,” he shares.
In keeping with the adage, the show must go on, Shanmugaraj says, “The future generation may not be inclined to see costume designing as a profession. But these are days when everything is available ready made. There is no need to order.” The words reflect a resigned tone. But no mistaking the joy-filled days, that’s a piece of history now.