An actor’s face is his/ her most essential asset, the instrument that portrays his emotions on the big screen. Obviously, it is the face that conveys the emotion of the characters he portrays and connects him emotionally with audiences.
In particular, for comedians, it is the face that delivers the comical punches. During the heyday of comedians like Nagesh, Thengai Srinivasan, Surulirajan and Balayya, when black and white films were the norm, make-up did very little to change their appearances or magnify their emotions. Tricky shots and angles were not much in vogue. Then these actors established humour through a combination of facial expressions and body language, along with well-timed dialogue deliveries.
To further display their mastery to make people laugh without dialogues, they often had scenes in which no words were spoken, yet audiences doubled up with laughter! Such was their skill. Among yesteryear comedians, Chandrababu used his face to a great extent for his comedy. His facial contortions were the most predominant aspect in his acting; his popularity is proof that it worked. Were Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and Jim Carrey – who are both famous for their rubber features that they twist into impossible shapes – inspired by Chandrababu and Nagesh? Quite possibly.
In today’s popular comedians, Vadiveleu too contorts his face to a very great extent. When he twitches his lips to begin his trademark whining, audiences automatically begin to chortle. Vivek’s wisecracks are supported by his quick facial gestures and body language.
But communicating by facial contortions is not limited to comedians alone. Villains gnash their teeth and make menacing gestures to portray their characters; other villains have trademark gestures like twirling their moustaches, winking, lighting a cigarette, smoking a pipe, imbibing liquor, ogling at beauties, frowning, and so on.
Specific facial features of the leading ladies of cinema have become their claim to fame – Meena’s beautiful eyes, Sneha’s mesmerizing smile, Asin’s pleasing countenance remain etched in our hearts, forever.
For any one to succeed in cinema, the face should be camera-friendly – be it the attractive and charming face of the hero or the fierce and cruel face of the villain. But sometimes, these very charming heroes play menacing villains on screen. Pandiarajan and Prasanna who played the baddies in Anjaathe are the best examples. Pandiarajan’s eyes and the smug expression worked wonders and Prasanna’s stiff face and piercing eyes spewed venom.
In today’s technology and special effects, almost anything can be done to alter the face and its features of a hero to suit the roles he plays. Suriya’s modified look in Perazhagan was complemented by a protruding buck teeth and a puffy face. Simbu’s similar look in Vallavan too jelled well with the characterization. Vikram’s haunting look, replete with a painted face in Anniyan and his transformed appearance in Pithamagan, left everyone dazzled.
Any spirited discussion about prosthetic looks is incomplete without the mention of Kamal Haasan. Be it the old Indian thatha or energetic mami Avvai Shanmughi to his latest Dasavathaaram, Kamal has made maximum use of make-up to enhance his characters on screen. All the latex that had gone into converting Kamal into his ten astonishing avatars has actually done the magic and left the audience pondering. Vikram’s too tries his hand at a variety of get-ups in the upcoming Kanthaswamy.
Novelty is always welcome in cinema. In this age of special effects and gimmicks, in addition to his innate talent, his constant urge to re-invent himself adds up to the actor’s dedication to his craft. It challenges the competition and is sure to draw audiences in droves to theatres. In fact, it could bring the actor out of the limited confines of regional cinema and raise him to be judged against Hollywood standards. |
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