N. N. Pillai's puns created instantaneous laughter but his biting sarcasm hurt the feelings of many sections while amusing others. N. N. Pillai created a startling drama, Kapalika i.e. 'Witch' in 1971. This play was about the life of a prostitute in Bombay. That he, his wife, and daughter acted in it discomfited audiences. His other important plays were Atmabali i.e. 'Self-sacrifice' in 1965, Pretalokam i.e. 'World of Ghosts' in 1965, Wine Glass in 1966, NOC i.e. 'No Objection Certificate' in 1967, Manvantaram or 'Ages' in 1967, etc. some others can be mentioned as Esvaran arrestil i.e. 'Divinity under Arrest' in 1967, Marichika or 'Mirage' in 1968, Nan svargattil i.e. 'I'm in Heaven' in 1969, Climax in 1969, Godfather in 1972, Supreme Court in 1979, and To Be or Not to Be in 1979. Originally staged by Pillai's professional troupe, they were widely revived by amateurs. N. N. Pillai performed excellently in varied roles such as a zamindar in Pretalokam, the heroine's father in Kapalika, a prehistoric man in Sridevi, etc. N. N. Pillai died in 1995. |