Veteran Tamil actor S.S.Rajendran who thrilled the fans by his breath-taking dialogue delivery and by his correct and clear Tamil pronunciat...
He is popularly known as SSR and was introduced to Tamil cinema through ‘Parasakthi’. He joined the DMK party and contested from Theni constituency in the assembly election. Later he retired from the politics.
He was suffering due to lung infection and was admitted to a private hospital where he died this morning at 11.10 AM.
Tamil cinema’s yesteryear actor S.S. Rajendran known as SSR — a contemporary of Sivaji Ganesan and M.G. Ramachandran in cinema and politics — who was battling for life at a private hospital in Chennai, breathed his last on Friday. He was 86.
Born in Sedapatti, Madurai district, SSR, like all his contemporaries cut his teeth in the Boys Company and later in the theatre troupe run by T.K.S Brothers. He was also a good singer and a few could match his Tamil pronunciation.
In his autobiography Naan Vantha Paathi, he had said he could get a job in the TKS troupe after singing a song set to raga Karaharapriya. “It impressed T.K. Bhagavathi, the younger brother of T.K. Shanmugam,” he had said.
SSR was closely associated with the Dravidian movement, and he was the first actor to be elected to the Assembly in the country in 1962 from Theni constituency on a DMK ticket. He also represented the DMK in the Rajya Sabha in 1970.
When he was a Rajya Sabha MP, his absence in the House at the time of the adoption of the Constitution Amendment Bill to abolish privy purses in September 1970 made a big difference as the Bill collapsed by one vote. This triggered a major political controversy and eventually, the nation had to face snap polls to the Parliament.
Though he was a close friend of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, he fell out with him after the expulsion of former chief minister MGR, and became a member of the AIADMK. Later he was elected from Andipatti Assembly constituency on a AIADMK ticket with a highest victory margin.
“After Anna’s adopted son Parimalam started earning, he asked me not to send the money,” SSR had said.
Parasakti, starring Sivaji Ganesan, gave him the much needed introduction in the film world, though he had acted a few films earlier.
Some of his outstanding films include Poompuhar, for which the dialogues were penned by DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, Sivagangai Cheemai, a film by the late lyricist Kannadasan and Manimagudam, a film he played opposite former chief minister Jayalalithaa.
He is survived by two wives, including actress C.R. Vijayakumari (his wife Thamaraiselvi had passed away earlier) and eight children.
IANS adds:
A family source said, “He was admitted to Meenakshi Hospital yesterday (Thursday) in critical condition. He passed away this morning (Friday) due to issues related to lung infection.”
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