Kovai Guna also known as Coimbatore Guna (died 21 March 2023) was an Indian stand-up comedian, actor and mimicry artist. He was well known for his ability to present stand-up comedy in the television reality shows. He rose to prominence for his ability to entertain crowds with his mimicry performances and appropriate body language in television reality shows.[1]
Career
editHe got his breakthrough in Star Vijay's reality television show Kalakka Povathu Yaaru? where he entered the programme as one of the contestants in its inaugural season in 2005.[citation needed] He quickly gained fame and fanfare with his unique mimicry performances during the first edition of the Kalakka Povathu Yaaru? and he was adjudged as the outright winner of the competition during the first season itself.[2]
He further established himself with his mimicry performances by taking part in Sun TV's reality television show Asatha Povadhu Yaaru. It was at Asatha Povadhu Yaaru, he made a formidable collaboration with fellow standup comedian Madurai Muthu and both of them gained a huge fan-following for their chemistry during their comical performances.[3][4] Guna impressed the audience by imitating the body language and voice modulations of prominent actors including Sivaji Ganesan, M. R. Radha Goundamani and Janagaraj.[citation needed]
Following his notable comedy style and mimicry performances, he received film acting opportunities and he made his acting debut in Vikraman's directorial venture Chennai Kadhal (2006), which starred Bharath and Genelia D'Souza in the lead roles.[1] He also featured in supporting roles in few more films Naalaiya Pozhuthum Unnodu (2007) and Sooriya Nagaram (2012).[5] However, he refused to act in feature films as he began concentrating to work in reality television programmes and stage performances, which subsequently made it difficult for him to allocate his availability in order to make adjustments when giving callsheets to directors.[citation needed]
Guna in an interview revealed that leading filmmakers Prabhu Solomon and N. Lingusamy offered him film acting roles for their respective film projects, which he turned down owing to television commitments.[6] He also visited countries including Malaysia and Singapore to take part in comedy oriented programmes. He also launched YouTube channel during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to elaborate content focusing on humour.[6]
Death
editGuna died on 21 March 2023 due to heart related ailments at the age of 57.[7][8][9] Prior to his death, he reportedly underwent dialysis for over a year after being diagnosed with kidney renal failure at a private hospital in Coimbatore.[10]
Some reports and actors such as Aadhavan, Madhan Bob speculated that his death could have been due to his addiction to alcoholic consumption. However, his close friend and stand-up comedian Madurai Muthu disregarded such claims insisting to stop spreading rumors without knowing about Kovai Guna's character.[11][12]
Filmography
edit- Chennai Kadhal (2006)
- Naalaiya Pozhuthum Unnodu (2007)
- Sooriya Nagaram (2012)
References
edit- ^ a b "புகழஞ்சலி: மிமிக்ரியால் மக்களை மகிழ்வித்த கலைஞன் கோவை குணா!". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ காயத்ரி, வெ வித்யா (2023-03-21). "கோவை குணா : `கலக்கப்போவது யாரு' ஷோவின் முதல் டைட்டில் வின்னரான குணா மரணம்!". www.vikatan.com/ (in Tamil). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "Kalakka Povathu Yaaru Champions judge Madurai Muthu pays tribute to Kovai Guna; says, 'my friend Kovai Guna is successful in presenting his own style of comedy acting'". The Times of India. 2023-03-21. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Jayabalan, Suriyakumar. "Kovai Guna: நகைச்சுவை நடிகர் கோவை குணா காலமானார்!". Tamil Hindustan Times (in Tamil). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ United India Exporters (2019-10-24). Nalaya Poluthu Unnodu - Tamil Full Movie | Prithvi Rajan | Karthika. Retrieved 2024-10-26 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b WebDesk. "20 வருடம் பட்ட கஷ்டம்... அந்த ஒரு நிமிடம் என் பாக்கியம்... கோவை குணா நினைவலைகள்". tamil.indianexpress.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Desk, Online (2023-03-21). "Stand-up comedian Kovai Guna passes away at 60". www.dtnext.in. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "நகைச்சுவை நடிகரும், மிமிக்ரி கலைஞருமான கோவை குணா காலமானார்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "மிமிக்ரி கலைஞர் கோவை குணா காலமானார்". nakkheeran. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Bureau, The Hindu (2023-03-21). "Kovai Guna, comedian and mimicry artist, passes away". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ WebDesk. "கோவை குணா மரணத்திற்கு காரணம் மது? மதுரை முத்து- ஆதவன் காரசாரம்". tamil.indianexpress.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "கோவை குணா மறைவுக்கு காரணம் இதுதான்... உண்மையை உடைத்த மதன் பாப்". News18 தமிழ் (in Tamil). 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
External links
edit- Kovai Guna at IMDb