N. S. Krishnan

In this Indian name, the name Sudalaimuthu is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Krishnan.

In this Indian name, the toponymic surname is Nagercoil. It is not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Krishnan.

Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan, popularly known as Kalaivanar (lit. 'Lover of arts') and also as NSK, was an Indian actor, comedian, playback singer and screenwriter in the early stages of the Tamil film industry – in the 1940s and 1950s. He is considered as the "Charlie Chaplin of India."^[1]

N. S. Krishnan
Born	(1908-11-29)29 November 1908 Nagercoil, Southern Division, Kingdom of Travancore, British India (now part of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India)
Died	30 August 1957(1957-08-30) (aged 48) Madras, Madras State (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu), India
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1935–1957
Works	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Nagammal ​ (m. 1931)​ T. A. Madhuram ​ (m. 1939)​
Children	1

Born into a Vellalar^[2] family in Ozhuginasery, 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 48, on 30 August 1957.

Personal life

He was first married to Nagammai and then to actress T. A. Madhuram later to her younger sister T.A.Vembammal. His grandson NSK Rajan has acted in the film Nagareega Komaali (2006).^[3][4] His granddaughters Anu Vardhan and Ramya NSK are working as costume designer and playback singer in the film industry respectively.^[5][6]

Paithiakaran 1947 film

Murder Accusation

N. S. Krishnan was accused in the Lakshmikanthan murder case along with the then-famous lead actor Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. This had a major impact on his artistic career. He was acquitted a few months before India gained independence. After spending approximately 30 months in prison, he was released and began acting in films again. However, a significant portion of his wealth had been depleted due to the legal proceedings.

Death

N.S. Krishnan had been undergoing treatment for alcohol-induced hepatitis since 12 August 1957. He died at the General Hospital, Madras on 30 August 1957 following complications of the disease.^[7]

Legacy

• Politician 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. Kalaivanar Arangam (or Kalaivanar Arts Centre) was named after him.^[8] The building is one of the leading landmarks in the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. It now houses the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Filmography

Main article: N. S. Krishnan filmography