Stars for ‘hire’ in Madurai
Movie actors and politicians are imitated by lookalike actors at this temple town
Chennai: Top movie stars and political leaders like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajit, Vijay and also late Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), J. Jayalalithaa and others are available for ‘hire’ at the temple town Madurai in Tamil Nadu. What? Well, not the real actors or political leaders but their lookalikes. Madurai has given stars like Vijaykant, Pandian, Vadivelu and Vivek. And it is also known for celebrity lookalike artists.
Lookalike artists are those who imitate the movie actors or political leaders with proper makeup, costumes and on- screen/real life mannerisms on a stage. Such artists dance to the popular song numbers of the actors whose make up they don on stage. “The demand for the services of lookalike artists is seasonal – during temple/church festivals and wedding season. I got into this profession after my 10th standard. I joined a dance troupe first and got trained,” V. Saranathan known as Saara said.
Forty-year-old Saranathan whose main profession is driving an auto-rickshaw also runs a troupe called Cine Star Abhinaya with several lookalike artists. After a year of the Covid-19 lockdown and other restrictions, the recently concluded Tamil Nadu assembly elections gave the lookalike artists some much needed earnings and relief.
During the elections, those who imitate MGR, Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi would be in great demand. During the 2021 assembly polls, the three women who imitate Jayalalithaa were in great demand. As a result Velmurugan, a male, donned Jayalalithaa’s makeup.
“There was a demand for Jayalalithaa lookalike. But the women who normally do the role were busy. A friend of mine suggested that I try that image. In just a day I got the necessary costume ready and was hired,” Velmurugan, a billboard artist said.
The artists said the demand for their services is seasonal. “It also depends on the movie market of the actor whom we imitate on stage. We have to learn the style and mannerisms of several actors to be in the profession,” Velmurugan said.
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