“ I will not give up singing” – Deepan Chakkaravarthi

( BY N.THYAGARAJAN )

“MEGALA” a new mega serial of Cine Times’ in Sun TV and “Aarumanamey Aaru” yet another new soap of the Akshra Films’ in Raj TV Channel have one thing in common. The appearance of the famous cine-play-back singer Deepan Chakkaravarthi in meaty roles in both the serials have raised the eye-brows of many tv viewers, for the play-back-singer had lent voice nearly in 600 film songs under the music direction of Ilaiya Raja and also acted in two Tamil films---- Rani Theni and Maarupatta konangal.
In an interview, at the shootings of the Megala, the singer who appears as an Industrialist says, “it is time for me to prove my mettle in my acting career and the God has offered me weighty roles in both the serials”. He tells that, that acting in TV serials is in no way inferior. There is a misconception prevailing among some public that a popular film artistes taking up the assignment of tv soaps only for their livelihood. “Really it is not so” adds Deepan, “when I acted in Rani Theni as a successful hero many film-goers have recognized me, and when Ilaiya Raja offered me chance to sing in the film Nizhalgal (poong kadhavey….) many hummed the tunes and there was a tremendous amount of applause I used to receive from the audiences whenever I sang the song at different public music performances. Now, I receive a lot of phone calls from various Tamilians who live in India and abroad. This did not happen when I acted in films” says Deepan.

Even before Deepan Chakkaravarthi became a renowned play-back-singer he started singing for the Tamil DD channel dramas ever since it was launched in the year 1975. Then he was singing for various music directors like T.R.Papa and Thanjai Vanan and many others.
Deepan says the chances to act in these new serials came on his hands and knees. “The producer of the Megala, Mettioli fame Siddique suggested the Director Vikramaditiyan to allot the industrialist role to me. Similar was the case in Aarumanamey Aaru. The director of the AA Ranjith has the knack of making me to act as an eldest brother of a family consisting a total of six brothers.
In Megala, Sankarabaranam fame Rajalakshmi act opposite to Deepan Chakravarthi and in ‘AA’ cine fame Seetha plays the role of his wife.

Megala is a story revolves around an Industrialist wife who delivers a female baby within seven months of her marriage. The quarrel begins between husband and wife when the industrialist’s sister points out the delivery of the child. But in order to save his financial catastrophe, he continues his relationship with his wife who hails from a rich family and becomes father of other three daughters and a son. The eldest daughter runs away from home after knowing this and the industrialist teases his wife whenever when an opportune comes.


Apart from the serials, the famous singer has been asked to do a character role in Moolakkarai Panniyar, a film being produced and directed by Sanjay Ram.


When asked would he give up singing, if he becomes more popular in acting in soaps or in films, he said, “ Music is my breadth and I will not give it up at any time. Music and acting both mingled in my gene, pointing out his grandmother C.T.Rajakantham who was yesteryear actress and his father Trichy Loganathan who was a famous play-back-singer.