Bava Lakshmanan

Bava Lakshmanan is an Indian Tamil actor and comedian who predominantly featured in comedy roles. For the major part of his acting career, he shared screenspace with fellow veteran comedian actor Vadivelu in many film comedy sequences.^[1]

Originally from Madurai, Lakshmanan was born as fifth child among two sisters and six brothers in the family.^[2] He started his career as child actor portraying Surulirajan's son in Madras to Pondicherry (1966) through which he developed interest towards acting. He was originally screen tested for Karthik's role in Alaigal Oivathillai (1981), which did not happen.^[2] He briefly worked as painter and construction worker. He joined as worker for FEFSI Vijayan through which he tried for opportunities for films. He worked as manager for the film Sirayil Sila Raagangal (1990) and worked as production manager for Super Good Films where he earned the name Super Good Lakshmanan.^[2] Many directors cast him in comedic roles due to his Madurai Tamil dialect.

He and other side comedians such as Bonda Mani, Vengal Rao, Muthukaalai, Siva Narayana Murthy, Singamuthu, Crane Manohar and Mayilsamy received more attention and popularity from general audience when they regularly combined with Vadivelu in comedy tracks. He was well known for his iconic dialogue delivery "Vaa Ma Minnal" (transl. "Come Minnal") during a marriage proposal sequence in Sarath Kumar starrer Maayi (2000) which gained him lot of fame.^[3][4]

His performance as a comedy sidekick to veteran comedian Vadivelu in Ellam Avan Seyal (2008) was lauded and appreciated by the audience. In one of the comedy track sequences, Bava Lakshmanan and Halwa Vasu's hilarious response to Vadivelu when asked by Vadivelu about whether they got jaamin (transl. bail) in order to release him from police custody became immensely popular due to the mannerism shown by Bava Lakshmanan and Halwa Vasu during their response even amidst the intensity of the situation inside a police station.^[5] Bava Lakshmanan was seen telling to Vadivelu "Vanjara meen irukkungran, vala meen irukunguran, aana neenga ketta jaamin mattum illantanga nae" (transl. We have seer fish, we have ribbonfish, but we don’t have the bail you’ve asked for) referring to how he and Halwa Vasu went in search of bail in a fish market.^[6]

In Pirivom Santhippom (2008), he formed a jovial bond with veteran artiste M. S. Bhaskar and in one of the sequences, he responded casually "Mullu kuthuna tharaila theyi nu oru variyila sollavendiyathu thane, athukuyen puriyatha paatayellam paadikitu irukkinga" (transl. "If a thorn on the floor is causing you to slip, why don’t you say that in one verse. Why are you singing a song") to M. S. Bhaskar after the latter had given a detailed description by giving insightful analysis reminiscing his fond memories of a poem about the historical importance and cultural legacy of Irattaipulavar, which he had come across, that had been recited during the ancient medieval Sanga Kalam to depict about people should "rub the floor when a thorn is injected into the leg while walking".^[7] In another comedy sequence featuring in Pirivom Santhippom, he responded to M. S. Bhaskar "Gandhiyoda kolgaiya India poora vitutu, Gujaratla matum vachirukinga, avaraa ini desapitha nu sollathinga" (transl. "Gandhi’s principles are not spread over all of India and are just in Gujarat, don’t call him the father of the nation"), who had repeatedly scolded him for his excessive alcoholic consumption as Bhaskar insisted that Bava should be boarded to Gujarat, which was the home state of freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi where alcohol is not permitted.^[8]

He played Ravi Mariya's sidekick in Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran (2016), where he played a memorable role as Abishek and during a comedy track in Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran, he unintentionally plays a spoilsport during the critical juncture of an important conversation which takes place between Ravi Mariya and Robo Shankar, where he ends up releasing a fart, which stumbled the flow of Robo Shankar's storytelling as it turned out to be a distraction for him when he narrated out the turn of events which Ravi Mariya was eagerly listening as Mariya had to gain a clue from Robo Shankar's conversation.^[9]

He had worked as a painter for over 5 years after not gaining adequate film acting opportunities due to being constantly cornered and sidelined by the new filmmakers in search of finding youngsters in comedy roles and also the trend of separate comedy track genre began to dwindle in Tamil cinema post 2015.^[10] He alongside other side character artists and comedian actors only made sporadic appearances in films ever since Vadivelu lost film acting opportunities as the latter was banned due to lack of work ethic and other controversies. Hence Bava Lakshmanan along with the renowned Vadivelu gang was mostly ignored by filmmakers in Tamil cinema post Vadivelu era as the current set of filmmakers went onto cast popular social media trendsetters and social media influencers in film comedy sequences.^[6] Bava Lakshmanan eventually went onto act in numerous small budgeted films as a result of the change in taste of the mindset of Tamil film industry as well as the change in preference of the mindset by the audience.^[11] His deteriorating health condition also further hampered his acting career in perhaps what is considered to be his latter stages of his career.^[12]

He stirred a controversy during the shooting set of Aanandham (2001), when he tried to slap fellow actor Abbas over a dispute regarding the fact that Abbas did not maintain punctuality by arriving late to the shooting sets.^[13] Bava Lakshmanan revealed in an exclusive interview that he inquired upon why Abbas did not adhere to the accountability and responsibility that should have been followed by him in terms of reporting to the film shoot on time and Abbas was quoted to have said he would only come like that taking his time. Hence Lakshmanan became furious over the immature response from Abbas, whereas the former highlighted the fact that the main lead actor Mammootty who has a huge star status had arrived to the shooting sets of Aanandham on time.^[14][13]

Lakshmanan also suffered significant setback in his acting career when he was diagnosed with diabetes.^[15][3] One of his big toes had been removed after undergoing a surgery at Chennai Omanthurar Government Hospital due to excessive sugar levels.^[16][17][18] He remains a bachelor and lives alone at his residence.^[6] He also revealed in a YouTube interview that he was addicted to liquor consumption which was also one of the prime reasons why he lost on many acting offers.^[19]

• Enga Veetu Meenakshi (2021)^[20]