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Laughing his way to the top
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Shivamurali’s ability to raise a laugh helped him win ‘Smile Please,’ Asianet’s talent hunt for the best comedian
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Laugh lines Shivmurali
The big win always eluded Sivamurali. The mimicry artiste never missed out on a competition but has always had to contend with second place. Providence finally intervened in the form of ‘Smile Please,’ a talent hunt conducted by Asianet Plus to select the best comedian.
The contest saw Shivamurali walk away with the grand prize of Rs. one lakh.
Humour, his forte
Comedy has been the young man’s forte since his days in college. “The situation is important. You have to time your repartees accordingly, doing what is least expected of you,” observes the artiste who is a member of the Thiruvananthapuram-based ‘Skylark Mimics Troupe.’ His stint with the professional troupe came in handy as each round demanded a humourous script and planning on the part of the contestants.
Sivamurali had to prove his funny bone through various rounds that required presence of mind and wit.
“In the costume round, I chose to play a king, Plachimada Plachirajan, who tours his kingdom on a bicycle. I involved the judges in the skit to make it funnier. You have to be ready for impromptu questions. The answers, in turn, have to be unpredictable. It brings forth the most laughter,” he grins.
Scores depended on whoever made the audience laugh the loudest. Moreover, they had to impress the judges, actor Kalpana and mimicry artiste Aby.
Positive feedback
“Kalpana chechi and Aby ikka were very encouraging. They would keep me informed about the positive feedback they received from viewers,” he says. It was a friend who coaxed him to attend the auditions for ‘Smile Please’ while mistaking it for a grooming session.
“As the prize money was declared only much later, I was intent on performing to gain exposure on television. That’s what makes it a different act from the regular stage shows. Being aware of the prize earlier would have probably given me the jitters,” he says.
There is no dearth of talented comedians in Malayalam cinema but Jagathy Srikumar remains his all-time favourite.
“He was busy with a shoot and couldn’t make it to the final programme to watch us perform. But he rang up and congratulated me,” beams an elated Sivamurali. He now looks forward to acting in a film and has a few programmes that will make for an impressive resume. “I’ve always had hope. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that hard work pays off at some point,” he says with a smile.
SAJINI V. SAHADEVAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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