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Gopi -- An Actor with a Vision. K. SENTHIL KUMAR

The piercing gaze of Gopi in ‘Svayamvaram’ (1972) announced the arrival of an actor with a vision. Gopi’s debut coincided with the ushering in of the ‘avant-garde’ movement in Malayalam cinema. In his second film Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s ‘Kodiyettam’, Gopi essayed the role of a rustic villager with flowing ease and naturalness which won him the National Award. Soon, through Aravindan’s ‘Thampu’ he established himself as an actor with a difference. Both Sankarankutty in ‘Kodiyettam’ and the circus-manger in ‘Thampu’ remain forever deeply etched in the minds of film viewers. They were memorable portrayals with the stamp of genius in them.

Gopi had the rare fortune to act in some of the best films early in his career. ‘ Peruvazhiambalam’, Padmarajan’s directorial debut as well as his ‘Kallan Pavithran’ offered him challenging roles. Gopi demonstrated his acting prowess with skill and intelligence. These films mark the first phase in the evolution of Gopi’s acting style. Add Adoor.

In a major departure, Gopi scaled new heights and pioneered a unique style through K.G.George’s ‘Yavanika’. What has been called ‘stylization’, a revelation and a revolution in the concept of acting, began with ‘Yavanika’. Through Ayyappan, the tablist, Gopi was reinventing the actor in him. ‘Stylisation’ was carried to its most eloquent expression in Bharathan’s ‘Sandhya Mayangum Neram’ and Geroge’s ‘Panchavadippaalam’.

Through a series of films, “Ormakkaayi’, ‘Kaattathe Kilikkudu’, ‘Paalangal’, ‘Appunni’, ‘Karimpin poovinakkare’, ‘Susanna’, ‘Paadheyam’, ‘Chidambaram’ (to name a few) Gopi’s rich repertoire found meaningful consummation.

With parted lips, curled eyebrows and sunken eyes, Gopi depicted Sankaran in ‘Chidambaram’ with a face frozen in guilt and fear. It was a amazing performance which won him the state award.

In the art of characterization, Gopi brought his gift of bewitching bodily postures and gestures which he aesthetically used with inventive embellishment. An intuitive grasp of the interior essence of the characters he donned helped him to craft them with rare sensitivity. He was a complete artist of matchless excellence in whom voice, modulation, gesture and expression combined to create a haunting charisma of great intensity, style and grace. Gifted with limpid yet powerful eyes and sharp features, his face was aglow with the lively play of emotions which en entire generation watched entranced.

Gopi was equally at ease playing humour and satire. The histrionics of Dussasanan Kurup in ‘Panchavadippaalam’ and the embrrassing predicament of Stephen in Sethumadhavan’s ‘Aarorum Ariyaathe’ reach the mind. Gopi was invited to act in Hindi films of Mani Kaul and Govind Nihalani.

Gopi also directed four quality films—‘Njaattadi’, ‘Yamanam’, ‘Utsavapittennu’ and ‘Ente hridayathinte udama’ apart from producing ‘Paadheyam’. His vision of acting is contained in the national award winning book on cinema, ‘Anubhavavum Abhinayavum’.

Like a towering tree standing aloof atop a hill, Bharat Gopi, will remain unmatched in the annals of malayalam cinema.

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