An uproarious laughter follows as soon as this ace comedian occupies the screen. A remarkably fake looking moustache, repeated attempts at innuendo, loser attitude, out – of- the- situation dumbness or comical innocence is all that we guffaw at the irrepressible roles of Vadivelu.
Why does the thought of a cowardly Vadivelu- or rather Naai sekar or Kaipulla or Pulikesi or Marc- so amuse us? Why does his self- ridiculing comedies so tickle our funny bones?
Partly because the mental images evoked are so absurd. Partly because we know he’s not making fun of us; there’s no threat in self- directed humour. And partly because there’s a touch of cowardice in us all and it is reassuring to hear someone else laugh at his own.
Film after film he goes on merrily skewering himself to the delight of millions. He makes the world laugh by laughing at himself. And that is a great thing really.What a priceless gift it is, this capacity to poke fun at yourself!
The man who recounts his triumphs is a bore; the man who invites you to laugh with him at his mistakes is a delight. When you are riding high a joke told on yourself wards off envy and jealosy.When things are going badly, it helps you keep your perspective and sense of humour.Laughing at yourself not only makes life pleasanter for everybody; it can often take the sting out of affliction. If you work at it full time,it can even make you a millionaire: ask Vadivelu.
Self- directed humour is a healing kind of laughter. In this respect it differs from wit, which is often caustic- you know the Goundarmani, Vivek types. Comparing the two one is vivid, and could hurt; the other is light and comforting. It’s the difference between a lightning and an electric light.
When it comes to easing household tensions or strengthening family ties , the gift of self mockery is a marvelous catalyst. Parents who laugh at themselves are likely to have a warm relationship with their children than parents who cannot. And since such humour is highly contagious the children learn not only to be amusing themselves, they also acquire an emotional resilience that will be invaluable to them later on.
All that’s needed to master this beguiling art, really, is a sense of humour and enough self-assurance not to mind being made to look momentarily foolish.
So why not take the droll little things that happen to you, the quirks of character, the failings that flesh is heir to, and see if you can’t enter them on the credit side of the ledger by looking for the spark of humour that makes us all kin?
The truth is, if you do, people will love for it. And we all like Vadivelu, Don’t we?
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