The queen of comedy, overwhelmed

Shobha Warrier in Chennai

The woman who has been making the people of Tamil Nadu laugh for several decades now cried unashamedly. Manorama was awarded the prestigious Padmashree on Republic Day.

In the film world, only luminaries like Mammootty, Mohanlal and Kamal Haasan have received the award. For the first time in the history of Indian cinema, a supporting artiste and, that too, a comedienne, has been awarded the Padmashree Award.

Back after a pilgrimage to Varanasi, Manorama's telephone has not stopped ringing. Streams of visitors still continue to her residence. Every evening, she is attending some function or the other held in her honour.

She recalls that she was shooting for a film in Hyderabad when a mediaperson broke the news of the award to her: "It came as a big surprise. I felt so happy --- I don't know how to express the feeling.

"I am the first Tamil film artiste to receive the Padmashree. [Earlier, Bhanumathy Amma, a Telugu artiste, has also won the award.] So I am very proud of it. They have shown great respect to me with this award. This is an award given to the Tamil film industry, to the ordinary people of Tamil Nadu. I am humbled and overwhelmed."

Her first thought on being told the news was of her mother. "She is no more but I felt her presence when I heard the news. So I thanked her first. I felt she brought this award to me. If I have grown as an artiste, if I am respected today, it is because of my mother. So I feel this great honour should go to her."

Once Manorama got back to Chennai [from Hyderabad], she headed for the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. She says, "I had to thank the Almighty. Without God, who am I? Nobody. Then I went to Kashi. One of my desires was to take my mother to Kashi; I couldn't do it. So I felt I should go now. I took a sari of hers to Varanasi and threw it in the Ganga. I did all the necessary rites. I wouldn't have been happy if I had not done that."

She continues: "I see happiness in all the faces around me [in the film industry]. The artistes have organized a big function on February 24. What can I say? I can only thank the film fraternity for showering so much love on me. Not a single soul asked, 'Why was she given this award?' Instead, they said, 'She got it late.' It was simply overwhelming."

These days, Manorama has moved on to television. The most loved and talked-about role recently being Janu Athai, in the serial, Anbullah Snehithiye.

Manorama says, "It [the serial] got over only the other day. Janu Athai was such a wonderful character. I would get so many calls from viewers. They used to tell me that they would love to have a mother or an Athai (aunt) like Janu Athai in real life."