Crazy Mohan

"Crazy" Mohan
Mohan in the play "Chocolate Krishna" in 2015
Born Mohan Rangachari[1]
(1952-10-16) 16 October 1952[2]
Occupation Comedy actor
Playwright
Screenwriter
Family Maadhu Balaji (brother)

Crazy Mohan (born 16 October 1952 as Mohan Rangachari) is an Indian actor, comedian, screenwriter and playwright.[3] An engineer by profession, Mohan started writing stage plays and established his own drama troupe called "Crazy Creations" in 1979. In addition to dramas and tele-serials, he has worked as a dialogue writer on a number of comedy films. He has written over 30 plays, worked on over 40 films (and played cameo roles in each of these films), and written 100 short stories.[1]

Career

Mohan was a student at the College of Engineering, Guindy, where he graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1973.[1][4] His guide was his classmate S. Ravi, who was the President of Tamil Manram. Before becoming a full-time writer, Mohan was working at Sundaram - Clayton Limited.[5]

At the College of Engineering, Guindy, in Feb 1972, he first wrote Great Bank Robbery, a skit for an inter-collegiate contest, for which he received the Best Actor and Best Writer awards, which were handed over by Kamal Haasan.[1][6] It was followed by scripts for his younger brother Maadhu Balaji's drama troupe at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai.[1] The first full-length play he wrote was Crazy Thieves in Paalavakkam for Natakapriya in 1976,[7] which was a run-away hit[8] and gave him the nom de plume "Crazy" Mohan.[9][10] He also wrote scripts for Tenant Commandments and One More Exorcist.[7]

After writing for other productions, Mohan decided to start his own troupe and founded Crazy Creations in 1979.[7] The troupe has since created over 30 plays with original scripts and staged over 6,500 shows all over India and abroad.[11] His play Chocolate Krishna had been staged 500 times within three years.[12] His brother Maadhu Balaji, who is an actor, plays the hero in all his dramas.

The first feature film he worked on was K. Balachander's Poikkal Kudhirai for which he wrote the dialogues. The film itself was based on Mohan's drama Marriage made in Saloon.[8] He went on to write dialogues for several comedy films, particularly starring Kamal Haasan, which include Sathi Leelavathi, Kaathala Kaathala, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Indian, Avvai Shanmughi, Thenali, Panchathanthiram and Vasool Raja MBBS.[7][13] The 2006 film Jerry had a story and screenplay by Mohan and featured Mohan's entire theatre team, including its director S. B. Khanthan.[8] He has also acted in supporting or cameo roles in the films he wrote the dialogue or script for.

In 1989, he also began producing television comedy series. Serials he produced include Here is Crazy, Kalyanathukku Kalyanam with over 600 episodes and Vidathu Sirippu,[14] with the latter winning the Best Comedy Serial award from Mylapore Academy in 2005.[15] He has also written 100 short stories.[1]

Mohan is also a distinguished artist who has sketched/painted nearly 60 aesthetic paintings, including portraits of spiritual leaders and eminent personalities, Raja Ravi Verma’s portraitures and portraits of Gods and Prophets.

Mohan pens at least one Venba every day. He has penned over 40,000 Venbas till date.

Awards

State awards

The Tamil Nadu state government awarded him with ' Kalaimamani ' title for excellence in the field of arts and literature.

International awards

PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD[16] by The Governor of Maryland, USA, for his outstanding contributions to Tamil literature, fine arts, theatres for more than 38 years.

Philanthropy

Mohan is a donor and philanthropist for over 39 years. He has contributed donations towards heart surgeries, kidney transplants from the proceeds from the sale of his drama tickets.

Donations to the Cancer Institute, Adyar run by Dr. V.Shantha, since 1999.

The proceeds from the sales of his book- ‘Crazy about Ramana’ are re-directed towards educating Indian cultural and values to poor children studying in Government schools.

Rangachary Mohan along with the late former president Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Works

Theatre

Some of his popular Tamil dramas as a dialogue writer and actor are listed below.

  • Maadhu +2[17]
  • Jurassic Baby[17]
  • Marriage Made in Saloon
  • Meesai Aanaalum Manaivi[7]
  • Alaavudeenum 100 Watts Bulbum[7]
  • Crazy Kishkintha[18]
  • Return of Crazy Thieves[18]
  • Oru Babiyin Diary Kurippu[18]
  • Kathalikka Maadhu Undu[18]
  • Maadhu Mirandal
  • Madhil Mel Maadhu[19]
  • Chocolate Krishna[20]
  • Satellite Saamiyaar[21]
  • Crazy Thieves in Paalavaakkam[17]
  • Oru Sontha Veedu Vaadagai Veedagirathu
  • Ayya Amma Ammamma[22]
  • Google Gadothgajan[23]
  • Crazy Premier League (CPL)
  • Gummaala Gokulam (Upcoming Drama)[12]

Serials

  • Metti Oli (2002) as Ravi's father.
  • ((Aachi international)) (1997)

Films

As a script and dialogue writer
As an actor
Television plays[1]
  • Here is Crazy
  • Maadhu Cheenu
  • Nil Gavani Crazy
  • Siri Gama Padhani
  • Crazy Times
  • Vidaathu Siripu
  • Siri Siri Crazy

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Comedy cocktails his forte". The Hindu.
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKdQOfEQZgM
  3. ↑ "`Crazy' Mohan back with his classic plays". The Hindu. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  4. ↑ "I hate being serious... or upset: Crazy Mohan". Times of India.
  5. ↑ "On the name 'Kathadi'". The Hindu.
  6. ↑ http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31807&articlexml=GO-CRAZY-18042015503005
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "rediff.com: Movies: An interview with comedian Crazy Mohan".
  8. 1 2 3 "Crazy humour and much more". The Hindu.
  9. ↑ "Angry, Crazy, Gemini and Cho". The Times of India.
  10. ↑ https://thereel.scroll.in/852081/what-gets-tamil-audiences-rolling-in-the-aisles-crazy-mohan-knows
  11. ↑ "Feast of comedy plays from Crazy's stable". The Hindu.
  12. 1 2 "'Crazy' Mohan to produce kids-oriented play". The Hindu.
  13. ↑ "rediff.com: Kamal Haasan does a Munnabhai!".
  14. ↑ "The Hindu : Crazy robot".
  15. ↑ "The Hindu : Comic interlude".
  16. ↑ "Crazy Mohan conferred with professional excellence award by the Governor of Maryland". Behindwoods. 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  17. 1 2 3 "Of 'Crazy' Mohan, Madras and Mylapore". The Hindu.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Crazy Mohan's plays in CD format".
  19. ↑ "Crazy time". The Hindu.
  20. ↑ "The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai : How humour meets magic". Archived from the original on 4 February 2010.
  21. ↑ "Humour on demand". The Hindu.
  22. ↑ "Funny one-liners of marriage woes". The New Indian Express.
  23. ↑ "Crazy Mohan's latest play is a big hit with children". The Hindu.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.