Thursday, April 9, 2020

Crossing the Kodambakkam Bridge -5

Kushbu



Many heroines like Radha, her sister Ambika,Gauthami and many others reigned the filmdom, it was Kushbu ,who I think ruled the roost the most. Unlike all heroines who did multi –language films (read as Tamil- Telugu) since both were highly paying, Kushbu stuck to doing Tamil films. Though she came from Kannada filmdom, her footing was in Tamil. It was not that from day one, she hit the bull’s-eye. It was a slow grind but she started getting paired opposite all the top heroes and hit directors films.

Reason for demand
It was one her personal PR with the film bigwigs. She never to my knowledge had created any star nakhras and was to a certain extent flexible in her fees. Result was that at many a time, the production house and director waited  to synch the heroine’s date with the hero, in case of Kushbu. To my knowledge, Kushbu is the only heroine who though had a manager and a PR, dealt   directly with the press and the producer’s. Her mother with her limited knowledge of Tamil, somehow managed to talk her way and get the money or sign contracts.
Kushbu also was the one who brought back the concept that bulky heroines are in demand. Generally the top heroines in the South were on the heavier side and later it changed with lightweight ones coming. Kushbu ,though on the heavier side had through her clothes sense managed to look not too heavy. One thing that worked for her was that she was not the `thunder thighs’ variety.


Chinna Thambi and after
The Prabhu- Kushbu- P Vasu combo came out with `Chinna Thampi’ which created a box office sensation. Kushbu became a cult. Till date, I don’t know whether a temple was build after her. She never confirmed it either. When the Prabhu – Kushbu marriage news hit the Daily Thanthi , reports said that the temple was destroyed. Both did not have any photographical evidence, to my knowledge.
I had been to Chinna Thampi location. P Vasu narrated the story. I was thinking as to whether Prabhu and Kushbu has lost their brains. In modern times, a sister is brought up by her brothers like a princess. If anybody looks at her, the guy’s head is shaved. P Vasu pulled it off.
After that this combo was a super hit pair. Things were going hunky dory. Till the visiting press team consisting of Thanthi Pandian reached Ooty ( or was it Kodai ?) . So the usual was that during lunch break, actors- director spoke about the film. The bomb burst. Kushbu said ‘yes, I have split with Prabhu. I am taking off my mangalsutra”. Thanthi had reported the marriage on page one with photo. It was denied.
Pandian scrambled to flash the news. He motored down to Coonoor, I think, to give the story on phone. I had on my visits to Kushbu’s Boat Club house, notice a Hindu God photo and a lit diya and sindoor on her forehead. I did not ask about it as I felt it was her personal matter. After the marriage story, Prabhu and Kushbu were acting in a film produced by DNS and about an aathma going from one to another. I don’t remember the film name. The shooting was in AVM.  I was told that no press was allowed inside and that too with a photographer.( It was Third Eye Prakash who was a Prabhu- Kushbu bhakth) . Anyway , We felt slighted and raised a ruckus. DNS son Sakthi allowed us inside and we took photos. We felt as if having achieved something and Prakash that he shot a Prabhu- Kushbu combo when others could not. 
As a media person, I would like to reveal an inside info on the marriage story. It is said that Pandian got the story from Kushbu, who planted it as a test case. Some say it was a joint move. An insider told Sivaji’s clan that this story was front paged for next day. Owner Sivanthi Adityan was abroad. The rule was that the news editor after preparing the front page had to inform him about the contents. Adityan phoned in from any country and then would give his nod or rejection. Adityan already phoned and heard the contents and Okayed it. Only after this did Sivaji clan came to know about it. There was no way to trace a landline abroad and nobody had clue about Adithyan’s whereabouts.


Innings after break-up

Surprisingly, Kushbu’s demand in the industry started to slide down. By then, she had married Sundar and slowly faded away. She had a TV avatar later on.

 She remained her usual self and her pleasant nature and now her political avatar seems to be a hit. She was in DMK and then shifted to Congress. The transition was smooth. Her well measured replies as spokespersons have surprised me. Usually actresses and actors are used to film press that is not too aggressive. In turn, the actors get aggressive and brow beat the press. Busy or not, they have no time to read newspapers or see news. Later they become MP’s or MLa’s and put their foot in the mouth. Kushbu seems to be politically aware and knows to say what is politically right and handle the TV journalists looking for a juicy `byte’. The job becomes difficult when you have an ally that is `Big Brother’ and a party with so many camps.

I always secretly admired her hubby Sundar. Having married a reigning Queen, with so much of arc lights shining on her then and now, he always came across as a man who is least bothered about it. He always has this cocky confidence as a director, that  he can pull it off. His attitude that what my wife does is her choice and she can take care of it is probably what kept Kushbu going and still being herself.

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