‘Crazy’ Mohan, Veteran Tamil writer and comedian dies at 67: The renowned dialogue writer in Tamil film industry, Crazy Mohan died in Chennai today. According to reports, the veteran playwright passed away due to a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in the city. He was 67. He was declared dead at 2 p.m., after efforts to resuscitate him at Kauvery Hospital, failed.
His real name is Mohan Rangachari. Born in 1952, he was fondly known as Crazy Mohan because of his hit skit called Crazy Thieves In Paalavakkam. It set the tone for the rest of his career, as Crazy Mohan and his brother Balaji wrote and starred in a number of plays of similar tone and tenor, and always had their audience in splits. He then created a drama troupe called Crazy Creations. Chocolate Krishna, Maadhu +2 and Madhil Mel Maadhu were popular comedy plays, written by Crazy Mohan.
Mohan qualified as a mechanical engineer at the College of Engineering, Guindy, in the 1970s. Mohan’s troupe Crazy Creations, created along with his brother R Balaji in 1979, has staged numerous plays as well as tapped into the Crazy Mohan brand of comedy for television through the serials Here is Crazy and Siri Siri Crazy.
Crazy Mohan is also known for his collaborations with actor Kamal Haasan. He has written the dialogues and screenplays for numerous films, including Apoorva Sagodhargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Avvai Shanmughi (1996), Kaathala Kaathala (1998) and Vasool Raja MBBS (2004).
He also worked in television shows like Crazy Times, Vidaathu Siripu and Siri Siri Crazy. His last film as a writer was Prabhudheva-Tamannaah’s Devi 2, which released on May 31.
Crazy Mohan was a recipient of Tamil Nadu State Government’s Kalaimamani Award for his excellence in the fields of arts and literature.
In an interview in 2017, he had said: “Usually you lose your life in an accident, but I got my life in this accident” and called writing “an accident”.
Several actors expressed their condolences. Actor Siddharth said on Twitter, “#CrazyMohan sir is no more. What a sad day for cinema, theatre, laughter, and life. There will never be another like him. Prayers for his soul. Deepest condolences to the family. He was a huge part of our collective #Tamil consciousness and our ability to make or laugh at a joke.”
Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar also tweeted, “News just coming in about the demise of #CrazyMohan .. they could not revive him very, unfortunately.. a genius has left behind a legacy.. deepest condolences to his family.. may his soul rest in peace..”
