Born Gundu Rao in a Kannadiga family during a period when people were too modest and conservative even in their dreams, Nagesh was a misfit. Why? Because he dared to dream wild and also pursued these dreams. He aimed to achieve the unimaginable and he did!
After some struggles, he found a secure job at Railways. Realizing this was not even close to his dreams, his mind was restless again – until he saw the play Kamba Ramayanam created by his colleagues. Finding it amazing, Nagesh ensured he acted in the Railway Cultural Association’s next play. At the end of the show, when Nagesh heard the audience applaud and chief guest MGR shower praise on his brilliant performance, he instantly knew that theatre and cinema were where he belonged. Thus began the journey of this showman, a journey which saw him act with three generations of actors until Dasavathaaram.
With his incredibly sharp wit and sense of humour, he soon found his own brand of comedy – a proper mixture of slapstick and wit. Think of cinema of the black-and-white era; Nagesh will be definitely one name no one can forget.
In his formative years, his thin frame stopped many filmmakers from offering him a role. A stoic man, the actor never spoke about his pain and indignation, but it was vented out in Server Sundaram, where he played a plain-looking but highly ambitious and confident waiter who turns into a film star with his hard work and talent. It was as if K. Balachander wrote the story for him. With Nagesh's outstanding performance, Server Sundaram is a gem that enriches world cinema.
With changing times, Nagesh modified his acting style to suit the new tastes and enthralled the new generations. His roles in Michael Madhana Kamaraj, Auvvai Shanmugi and Dasavathaaram will be remembered forever.
Nagesh is a legend who helped Cinema evolve and his life shall inspire millions in the years to come. Remembering the great actor on his birth anniversary.
