Showing all artists born at Nagercoil

Vijay Vasanth (born as Vijayakumar Vasanthakumar) is an Tamil film actor and model. He is the son of entrepreneur billionaire H. Vasanthakumar from Nagercoil.

Vijay Vasanth made his debut in Venkat Prabhu's 2007 cult hit, Chennai 600028, playing a supporting role as a member of a cricket team. The success of that film prompted him to star alongside several of the same co-stars in Thozha, before making a guest appearance in Venkat Prabhu's next project Saroja. Vijay Vasanth then went on to portray a leading role in Samudrakani's Naadodigal alongside Sasikumar and Bharani, with the film becoming a commercial and critical success. 

He followed it up in 2010 with another supporting role as Gowshik in romantic film, Kanimozhi, where he was paired alongside Jai and Shazahn Padamsee. He is rated as one of the upcoming stars of Indian Cinema.

Most recently Vijay Vasanth has featured in two minor roles in a couple multi-starring blockbusters, Mankatha and Nanban.

He is the son of India Billionaire and Retail baron H. Vasanthakumar, an Nagercoilite .He was married in the year 2010.

Manju Warrier is an Indian film actress known for her work in Malayalam cinema. Manju made her debut in Sakshyam (1995). Her films include Sallapam, Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, Thooval Kottaram (1996), Kaliyattam, Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu (1997), Daya, Summer in Bethlehem (1998), and Pathram (1999). She won 4 Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam best actress.  She won the National Film Award - Special Jury Award for her performance in Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999). 

She got married to actor Dileep in 1998, and quit acting at that time. She is often regarded as the most successful actress in Malayalam cinema alongside Shobana and Urvashi.

Manju warrier was born in Nagercoil in the year 1978. Her father Madhavan Warrier was working with Sundaram Finance, Nagercoil regional office.  She did her primary schooling in CSI Lower Primary School, Nagercoil.

Even when she was at school, Manju showed extra ordinary talent in dance, and won many awards. She was conferred Kalathilakam in Kerala Youth Festival for 2 years.At the age of 17, she debut in the film Sakshyam (1995).  Later at the age of 18, she acted in the movie Sallapam (1996), co-starring actor Dileep, whom she later married. Since then, she acted in around 20 Malayalam movies over a span of three years. She has won numerous awards.

Her performance in the movie Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu won a special mention from the jury for National Film Awards. Her other films include Kanmadam and Aaraam Thampuran, Ee Puzhayum Kadannu and Kudamattam with her husband Dileep, Summer In Bethlahem, Pranayavarnangal, Pathram and Kaliyattam, Irattakuttikalude Achan, Kaliveedu, Thooval Kottaram and Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu.

She married actor Dileep. After her marriage with Dileep, she retired from the film industry.

In 2011, she appeared in the promotion event for the movie Gaddama alongside Samyuktha Varma.

In 2012 October 24, she performed Kuchipudi in Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple.

Later in July 2013, she acted in a commercial with Amitabh Bachchan. Her comeback announcement was greeted with much fanfare by fans and the media.

In a subsequent interview, Manju Warrier thanked her fans for welcoming her back to the industry and described the opportunity to work with Mr. Bachchan as one of the most memorable experiences of her life.  She is coming back to the Malayalam film industry after a long break of 14 years through Ranjiths untitle project alongside with Mohanlal, the shooting is to be started on November 2013.

Manju Warrier was recently the cynosure of attention as she received the book penned by her friend and actress Navya Nair. Navya has written Navayarasangal and the first copy was received by Manju Warrier from the hands of veteran poet and activist Sugathakumari.

Manju Warrier mesmerised the audience in Calicut when she presented a Kuchipudi recital as part of the tribute ceremony of late Mullasseri Raju. 

Manju Warrier's father is an accountant, and mother a housewife. Their native place is Pullu, near Cherpu in Thrissur District. She has one brother Madhu Warrier who is also an actor. She did her schooling from Chovva High school and Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kannur. Manju got married to Malayalam actor Dileep on 20 October 1998 at Aluva Sri Krishna Temple. Her daughter Meenakshi is studying in 9th.

Manju Warrier recently did a day long Bhajana in the famed Guruvayur Temple. She worshiped the Lord starting from 3 am till the conclusion of the day's pooja Tripuka at the temple.

Vijay Antony is an Indian film composer, singer, songwriter, playback singer, and actor from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India.

Vijay Antony at the age of 21, discovered that he has always been immensely interested in composing music and also in writing lyrics for the songs he composes. This indomitable interest led him to learn music and the technicalities in music. Soon, he obtained a degree from the Trinity College London and set up his own in-house studio called Audiophiles at Chennai.

Subsequently, he started looking out for a platform to exhibit his talents as a musician and as a composer.He worked at Trichy kalai kaveri for some days and came to chennai. Soon, opportunities started opening up for him to compose jingles and scores for popular Indian television features.

In 2004, noted Producer Aascar Ravichandran identified his potential as a music director and offered Vijay Antony to work as a music director in his movie called 'Dishyum' which was a run-away success.

Though the first movie he signed for as a music director was Dishyum he was introduced as a debut music director through Sukran produced by S. A. Chandrasekhar. Both Sukran and Dishyum had songs with a new feel and a unique tone to it. Lyrics were notably different and soon the songs became a huge hit among the Tamil cinema audience.

After Sukran and Dishyum, Vijay Antony as a music director had no turning-back. Soon he had offers coming in to work as a music director. Through his hard, dedicated work, he has been giving consistent hits. He was the first Indian to win the 2009 Cannes Golden Lion for the Nakka Mukka commercial (for Times of India) in the Best of Music category. Nakka Mukka raised his fame and that song was played in the 2011 cricket world cup.

Now, Vijay Anthony has taken an absolute new turn. He is debuting as an actor in a tamil movie Naan. He is the first music director to venture out as an actor.

Sukumari is an Indian film actress who has primarily acted in Malayalam and Tamil films. She has been acting since she was 10 years old and has acted in various roles. The total number of her films is presumed to be about two-thousand five hundred. In 2003, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts. And she recently won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Namma Gramam (2010).

She was born in Nagercoil, Travancore in 1941. Sukumari is a first cousin of the Travancore Sisters, Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini (their mothers are sisters). She learned dance with the sisters and mastered dance forms like Keralanadanam, Kathakali and Bharathanatyam. She went for an all-India tour with the sisters. Sukumari was noticed by a director when she went to the sets of a film with Padmini, and she debuted in the lead role in the Tamil film Orarivu. She was married to director A. Bhimsingh until he died when she was barely 30. 

She has acted in various Malayalam films of the black and white age, like Chettathi, Kusruthikkuttan, Kunjali Marakkar, Thacholi Othenan, Yakshi and Karinizhal. She later became popular acting in various films of Priyadarshan like Poochakkoru Mookkuthi, Oodarathuammava Aalariyam, Boeing Boeing and Vandanam. She was also noticed in various films directed by Balachandra Menon like Manicheppu Thurannappol and Karyan Nissaram. In later years she played a major role in Nizhalkkuthu (2002) directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. She has played many notable mother roles. She has acted in films in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi, and used her own voice in all languages without using dubbing artists. She is still actively involved in films, TV serials and stage dramas.

Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan, popularly known as Kalaivanar and also as NSK was a leading Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry – in the 1940s and 1950s. He is considered as the "Charlie Chaplin of India."

Born in Ozhuginachery, Nagercoil, in the princely state of Travancore, India on 29 November 1908, his stage and cine-screen comedy performances were unique and always carried a message for the people. 'Kalaivanar' N. S. Krishnan died at the age of 49, on 30 August 1957.

Career

N S Krishnan started his career as a Villu Paatu artist (the Tamil way of reciting stories while singing songs and playing a musical instrument in the form of a bow called 'Villu'), He later became involved in Tamil drama and stage shows, as were many film artistes. At one time he owned a touring drama company. When cinema gradually became popular in South India, he entered the Tamil film world to become one of the leading Tamil comedians ever, with a unique style. He generally wrote his own comedy dialogues and expressed them in his drama and films so that the message came across, but the subject was not offended.

He acted in nearly 150 Tamil films and the matinee-duo of N S Krishnan and T. A. Madhuram (later his wife) was very popular in his days; he also did roles along with leading stage and cine artists like T. S. Durairaj, Pulimootai Ramasamy, C.S. Pandian and writers like Udumalai Narayana Kavi and Subbu Armugham and gave a number of hits. He was a talented singer and his hits include Sivakavi, Raja Rani, and Manamagal.

Though he was more popular among the Tamil populace as a film comedian, Kalaivanar was instrumental in bringing a number of leading Tamil stage and film personalities to the fore. He was a Gandhian, patriot and philanthropist, yet a very controversial figure — with his name linked to a murder and marital controversies.

Personal life

He was married to actress T. A. Madhuram. His grandson NSK Rajan has acted in a film Nagareega Komaali (2006).  His granddaughters Anu Vardhan and Ramya NSK are working as costume designer and playback singer in film industry respectively.

Controversies

During the mid-1940s he and M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar were arrested for suspicion of murder famously known as Lakshmikanthan Kolai Vazhakku (Lakshmikanthan Murder Case). They were convicted and later released on appeal to the Privy Council.

When Bhagavathar and NSK were flying very high in fame in drama, cinema and concerts, fate interfered in the form of Lakshmikanthan. C. N. Lakshmikanthan or Lakshmikantham was a famous film journalist of Madras Presidency. His foray into journalism began in 1943 when he launched a film weekly called Cinema Thoothu which was extremely successful. He wrote extensive columns devoted to the personal lives of some of the top actors and actresses of the day. Many actors and actresses responded by paying large amounts of money to "buy" his silence. As a result, Lakshmikanthan set up a prosperous vocation..

Eventually, matters reached a standstill when film actors M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and N. S. Krishnan and film director Sreeramulu Naidu submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Madras, Arthur Oswald James Hope, requesting him to revoke the license for the magazine. Hope obliged and the license for the magazine was cancelled. Lakshmikanthan tried to run the magazine with forged documents but, after a few months, he was forced to close shop.

Unfazed, Lakshmikanthan set up a new magazine called Hindu Nesan in which he continued his scandalous stories on Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Krishnan and a few other top actors, actresses and movie people of the day. The tactics paid huge dividends and Lakshmikanthan purchased his own printing press.

On 8 November 1944, he was attacked by some people with a knife in Purasawalkam, in downtown Madras. He was admitted to the General Hospital, Madras as an outpatient: The wound was not serious enough. In his statement to the police he did not name anyone as the accused but only stated that someone had attacked him. He was found very jovial at the police station as he was in the hospital. During his treatment it was reported that he wanted to expose the murderers involved in the Boat Mail murder. (A train named Boat mail used to run between Madras and the then Dhanushkoti station.) A rich banker from Devakottai was murdered in thetrain between Chengalpet and Madras. A notable singer cum actress who traveled with the banker was missing/fled when the train reached Madras. The political backing this singer had kept the truth about the real killers under the carpet. The killers saw to it that the case should not come to the court for trial. There is another version which says that Lakshikanthan was murdered by this group and not by NSK/MKT.

But on 9 November 1944, Lakshmikanthan died mysteriously in the hospital. He was murdered. The police, based on the statement made by LakshmiKanthan's bodyguard, arrested eight persons as accused for the murder. Among them were Bhagavathar and N. S.Krishnan. This came as a rude shock to their fans and the cine world.

After usual committal proceedings before the Madras Presidency Magistrate, the case came up for hearing at the Madras High court before Justice Vera Mockett. A group of brilliant lawyers – V. T. Rangasamy Iyengar, Rajagopalachariar (Rajaji), Braddel, B.T.Sundararajan, Govind Swaminathan, Srinivasagopal and K. M. Munshi – argued the case for the accused. After prolonged trial, the jury found MKT and NSK guilty with four others.

Appeals were heard by a bench of the High Court consisting of Lionel Leach, Chief Justice of Madras, Justice K.P. Lakshmana Rao and Advocate General K. Rajah Iyer. The appeals were filed by the then leading members of the Bar, V.V. Srinivasa Iyengar and Sri V.C. Gopalarathnam. The appeals were dismissed.

MKT and NSK filed an appeal in the Privy Council, London which was the highest court of appeal. A British barrister, D. N. Pritt, appeared for them. Privy Council referred the case back to India for a fresh appraisal.

The appeal came up before a bench of two judges: Justice Happel and Justice Sahabuddin (who migrated to Pakistan in 1947 during partition of India and retired as Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court). V. L. Ethiraj, a successful barrister appeared for MKT and NSK, He argued that the judges had not properly directed the jury and the evidences of doubtful nature have not been properly assessed. Ethiraj convinced the judges that all the witnesses produced against MKT and NSK were tutored and coached; there were many inconsistencies in their evidence and statements; and the case had many loopholes. The judges agreed and acquitted MKT and NSK. One of the judges who heard the remanded appeal remarked in the court that the knife produced as evidence cannot even kill a rat.

MKT, NSK and four others came out of prison after 30 months. Experts and laymen felt that the truth about the real killers of Lakshmikanthan has not come out and MKT, NSK and others were the unfortunate victims of the game of power politics.

The killers were never found. MKT Bhagavathar never regained his lost fame.

Later NSK resumed acting in movies, but his jail term and fight for justice made him penurious. His wealth was lost in fighting the case and so was the case of co-accused MKT Bagavathar. Haridas, which was released while he was in jail ran for three consecutive Deepavalies with packed houses. People crowded the theatre as they felt they would not have another chance to see their superstar on the silver screen.

Death

N.S. Krishnan had been undergoing treatment for hepatitis since August 12, 1957. He died at the General Hospital, Madras on August 30, 1957 following complications of the disease.

Legacy

The leading Tamil Nadu politician and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu 'Kalaignar' Karunanidhi, when asked once by a journalist (of the Tamil magazine Kumudham) about who the non-political hero in his life was, answered it was Kalaivanar. Karunanidhi knew him well and worked in some of his film projects.Kalaivanar was an active member of the Dravidian Movement. The Tamil Nadu Government erected a memorial in 1979, called Kalaivanar Arangam (or Kalaivanar Arts Centre) in honour of Kalaivanar's contribution to the arts,. The building is one of the leading landmarks in the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.