Gemini Ganesan | |
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| Born | Ramasamy Ganesan (1920-11-17)17 November 1920 |
| Died | 22 March 2005(2005-03-22) (aged 84)[1] Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Alma mater | Madras Christian College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1947–2004 |
| Works | Full list |
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Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005),[1] better known by his stage nameGemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly inTamil cinema. He was referred asKaadhal Mannan (King of Romance) for his romantic roles in films.[2] Ganesan was one of the "three biggest names of Tamil cinema", the other two beingM. G. Ramachandran andSivaji Ganesan.[3] WhileSivaji Ganesan excelled indramatic films andM. G. Ramachandran was popular as anaction hero, Gemini Ganesan was known for hisromantic films.[4] A recipient of thePadma Shri in 1971, he had also won several other awards including theKalaimamani, the MGR Gold Medal, and theScreen Lifetime Achievement Award. He was one of the few college graduates to enter the film industry then.[5]
Gemini Ganesan made his debut withMiss Malini in 1947 but was noticed only after playing the villain inThai Ullam in 1952.[6] After playing the lead role inManam Pola Mangalyam (1953), he finally acquired star status.[7] However, unlike Sivaji Ganesan or Ramachandran, Gemini Ganesan was not a stage performer and was never involved in politics. In his long film career spanning over five decades, Ganesan acted in more than 200 films.[8] His performances on the screen were enhanced by successful playback singers such asA. M. Rajah andP. B. Sreenivas.[4] Despite his celebrated film career, Ganesan's personal life, particularly his marriages to multiple women over the years, including famous Indian actressSavitri, has often been a subject of criticism. He had eight children, including actressRekha.
Gemini Ganesan was born as Ramasamy Ganesan in 1920.[1] He is the son of Ramaswamy Iyer and Gangammal, from aTamil Brahmin family ofPudukkottai. Ganesan's paternal grandfather, Narayanaswami Iyer, was the principal of theMaharajah's College, Pudukkottai.[9] After the death of his first wife, Narayanaswami had a second marriage with Chandramma, adevadasi who worked as a musician and dancer in a local Hindu temple.[9][10][11] Notable among Narayanaswami Iyer's children with Chandramma wereMuthulakshmi and Ramaswamy Iyer, the father of Gemini Ganesan.[9]
When Ganesan was in the sixth grade, his grandfather died, and not long after that, his father also died. Meanwhile, Muthulakshmi (now known asMuthulakshmi Reddy) had studied well and become a doctor; she was affluent and educated and had thoroughly abandoned the style of life followed by her mother and maternal ancestors, so much so that she became the leader of a social reform movement aimed at eradicating theDevadasi system. She was instrumental in ensuring the passage through parliament of the Devadasi Abolition Act. After the death of his father, Ganesan and his mother Bhagirathi moved to his aunt Muthulakshmi's home in Madras (now known as Chennai).
Muthulakshmi provided shelter to her mother Chandramma and also to Bhagirathi and Ganesan, but she was very dismissive and insulting towards her destitute relatives, and she felt ashamed of them because of their background asnautch girls.[citation needed] She heaped many insults on the two widowed women and ensured that they did not show their faces to any guests who visited the house. Unhappy with the situation, Chandramma and Bhagirathi returned to Pudukkottai. However, they left Ganesan with his aunt, so he would grow into an educated and respectable man.[citation needed]
Since Muthulakshmi was an ardent follower ofRamakrishna, she decided to enroll Ganesan intoRamakrishna Mission Home. While there, he was taughtyoga and languages and was made to read theBhagavad Gita. However, he could not bear being separated from his mother, who was in Pudukkottai, so he returned to his native place and studied at a high school there. Later on, he joined Maharajah's College, located in the same place. However, he completed his graduation fromMadras Christian College,Chennai.[4]
Ganesan's dream was to become a doctor.[12] In April 1940, he went to Trichinopoly (nowTiruchirappalli) to see T. R. Alamelu. Alamelu's father proposed to his daughter in marriage and promised him a medical seat after graduation. Ganesan immediately agreed and married Alamelu in June 1940. Alamelu lost her father and elder sister within one month of her marriage. Ganesan's dreams of becoming a doctor were shattered. There was no choice left for him but to find a job immediately, as he was the only person to support his family. He got an interview from theIndian Air Force. Much against Alamelu's wishes, Ganesan went toDelhi. There, he met his uncle Narayanaswami who advised him to become a teacher. Finally, Ganesan worked as a lecturer in the Chemistry department of Madras Christian College. Later in 1947, he obtained work as a production executive inGemini Studios, from where the title "Gemini" became prefixed to his name. He debuted in film from the casting department of the Studio itself.[4]
From the casting department, Ganesan made his film debut in 1947 with the satireMiss Malini, in a minor role. The film, which was based on a story byR. K. Narayan,[13] and cast him alongside his future MistressPushpavalli, was a box office failure as it was considered "ahead of its time", but was well received by intellectuals. Noprint of that film is known to survive, making it alost film.[14] This was followed byChakradhari, in which he played another minor role as theHindu godKrishna. The film was a box office success, but his performance went unnoticed. It was not until 1953 when he played a negative role inThai Ullam, did people take notice of him as an actor. The next year, he appeared in a supporting role in the Gemini Studios filmMoondru Pillaigal, which was unsuccessful. He was then cast as a hero for the first time withManam Pola Mangalyam. The film, which featured him in adual role, paired him with his future wifeSavitri, and became a "milestone in his life".[15] From then on, he carved out a niche for himself in Tamil cinema with films that favored romance over action.
In a career spanning nearly 50 years, Ganesan played a variety of roles, fromAbhimanyu inMayabazar (1957), to resistance fighter Madasamy inKappalottiya Thamizhan (1961), andPennin Perumai (1960), he played a "non-assertive imbecile morphing into a well-molded human being". Ganesan also starred inKalathur Kannamma (1959), which was also the debut forKamal Haasan, who later became one of the leading actors inTamil cinema. The film won theCertificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film in 1961.[16] Ganesan also starred inVeerapandiya Kattabomman (1959), alongsideSivaji Ganesan. The film was selected for the Afro-Asian Film Festival in 1960.[17] It was also nominated for the National Film Award in 1960, along with Gemini Ganesan'sKalyana Parisu, but both lost toBhaaga Pirivinai. TheRuritanian romance filmVanjikottai Valiban (1958) was a high-budget film and became a large commercial success due to much hype.[18] Thehistorical fiction filmParthiban Kanavu (1960) won thePresident's silver medal for Best Feature Film,[19] but failed commercially.[20]
In 1958 was booked byM. G. Ramachandran for his second directorial venturePonniyin Selvan.[21] One of the first screen adaptations ofKalki Krishnamurthy'sPonniyin Selvan, the film had a hugeensemble cast consisting ofVyjayanthimala,Savitri,Padmini,Saroja Devi,M. N. Rajam andNagesh.[22] In the film, he was given the role ofArulmozhivarman.[22] However, in mid-1958 the film was shelved for unknown reasons.[21]
Ganesan's 1961 filmThen Nilavu, was the first Tamil film to be shot extensively inJammu and Kashmir, and became a major box-office success.[23][24] He co-starred with rival actorM. G. Ramachandran inMugarasi (1966), which was their only film together.[25]Konjum Salangai (1962), which featured Ganesan alongsideSavithri was released in various countries outside India, having subtitles in over 22 languages, and it was also the first Tamil film to be released in Poland, in a dubbed version.[26] Ganesan producedNaan Avan Illai (1974), in which he played a womaniser. Directed byK. Balachander, this film won critical praise for Ganesan's performance, but according to Ganesan, the film did not succeed commercially.[15] His other known works includeMissiamma,School Master,Kanavane Kankanda Deivam,Meenda Sorgam,Shanti Nilayam,Vaazhkai Padagu,Karpagam,Ramu,Thamarai Nenjam andPunnagai. Ganesan had paired with several leading actresses likeAnjali Devi,Pushpavalli,Padmini,Vyjayanthimala,Savitri,Devika,Vijayakumari,Saroja Devi,Rajasree,Kanchana,Jayanthi,K. R. Vijaya,Bharathi andJayalalithaa.[25]
Gemini Ganesan acted in a fewHindi films, most of which were remakes of his Tamil films. He played the lead role inDevta, the Hindi version of his own Tamil filmKanavaney Kankanda Deivam.[27]Missiamma's remakeMiss Mary (1957), which became one of the biggest Indian hits of that year.[28] He also acted in theRuritanian epic filmRaj Tilak (1958), based on his ownVanjikottai Valiban.[28] It was a box office failure, having collapsed within a week of its release.[29] He later appeared in a guest role inNazrana (1961), the Hindi remake of his ownKalyana Parisu.[30] Though the film was an average grosser, it was the 12th highest-grossing film of the year.[31]
Later in his career, Ganesan switched tocharacter roles, most notably the Telugu filmRudraveena (1988), its Tamil remakeUnnal Mudiyum Thambi (1988), andAvvai Shanmughi (1996), in which he played the role of an old man longing for the titular main character unaware of her actual gender. Near the end of his acting career, he chose to act mainly in television serials, most notablyKrishnadasi.[32] Ganesan also appeared inMettukudi (1996),Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga (1997),[citation needed]Thodarum[33] (1998), and his last major role came the same year withNaam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar,[34] followed by special appearances inGemini (2002)[35] andAdi Thadi (2004).[36]
Unlike Sivaji Ganesan and M. G. Ramachandran, Gemini Ganesan was not originally a theatre actor, thus making his acting "refreshingly credible".[16] Though he interacted cordially with fans, he avoided promoting fan clubs. Ganesan abstained from politics to the point of refusing aRajya SabhaMP offer byRajiv Gandhi.[25] The only time he even barely approached politics was in 1963 when he organized a function forSubramania Bharati at Ettayapuram.[16] Apart from acting, Ganesan was also a businessman and invested heavily in real estate and property development.[6] He was skilled in various sports such as tennis, golf, and badminton, and captained his college'scricket team.[25] Ganesan also directed the filmIdhaya Malar (1976).[37]
Gemini Ganesan has widely been praised for his versatility in acting, having performed a "wide range of roles".[15] He was "at his best" withSavitri, with whom he had acted in several successful films.[38] In February 2006,Dayanidhi Maran had released a commemorative postage stamp of the actor, whom he described as a "multi-dimensional personality, who evinced keen interest inCarnatic music, reading, yoga and poetry."[39] He is also credited for having introduced leading Tamil actorKamal Haasan toKalathur Kannamma, where the latter was a child artist.[16] Ganesan also took part in a World Tamil Conference inKuala Lumpur, notably because he "lovedTamil language". According to politicianM. Karunanidhi, the actor had developed a "reformer's mind" because he was raised by his aunt Muthulakshmi Reddy, who fought for the abolition of thedevadasi system. DirectorK. Balachander called Ganesan a "director's delight" and stated that "The advantage of having him as a hero was that he was convinced about the capabilities of a director, he would leave it to the director and would not interfere". LyricistVairamuthu said: "'Gemini' Ganesan was not envious of anyone and promoted many actors by recommending them to producers and directors".[40]
Despite being one of the most successful actors of Tamil cinema during his time, Gemini Ganesan was criticized for being "fossilized in one type of portrayal",[38] as most of his films were typical "boy meets girl" romantic films.[6] His hostile relationship with his daughterRekha was also criticised. He did not acknowledge Rekha's paternity during her childhood. It was in the early 1970s, when Rekha was looking for a career inBollywood, that she revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told an interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation.[41] She did not attend Ganesan's funeral in 2005.[42]
Gemini Ganesan married Alamelu when he was 19 years old, with whom he lived and whom he fondly called "Boubji". He later married the actressSavitri while still married to his first wife, because polygamy was allowed for Hindu men till 1956. He had severalextramarital affairs, as well as an illegal marriage with Juliana Andrew in July 1998.[43][44] Alamelu and Ganesan had four daughters; three of them – Revathi,Kamala and Jayalakshmi – are medical doctors, the fourth – Narayani – is a journalist withThe Times of India. Ganesan had twoillegitimate daughters with the married actress Pushpavalli:Bollywood actressRekha, and Radha. The latter acted in a few Tamil films but then opted for marriage and emigration to the United States. Savitri and Ganesan had two children: a daughter named Vijaya Chamundeswari, and Ganesan's only son Satheesh Kumar.[45] Gemini Ganesan noted in his autobiographyVaazhkai Padagu: "Somehow, I seemed to attract women who were in distress."[46] He also felt annoyed by the title "Kaadhal Mannan" as it "was used to brush him in black in his personal life".[47] He was survived by his seven daughters and one son.[citation needed] Chamundeswari has a sonAbhinay Vaddi, who acted inRamanujan (2014), and is therefore Ganesan's grandson.[48]
A documentary film on the legend in the name ofKadhal Mannan was produced by Dr. Kamala Selvaraj and directed by Ashok Kumar, DFT (Programme Head-Vendhar TV) in 2011. It was screened by many film stalwarts and fans of the legend and received rave reviews from critics for bringing out a candid representation of the actor's life in detail. Following the response, a DVD version of the film was released in the same year. In the mid-2010s, three films were made about the actor. Odam Ilavarasu's romantic comedyGemini Ganeshanum Suruli Raajanum (2017) began in 2015 and featured the lead character as someone who falls in love with several women at the same time. Muthukumar'sKaadhal Mannan (2018) was initially titledGemini Ganesan before the makers decided to change the title.[49] Furthermore, an official biopic of actressSavitri was made by directorNag Ashwin in Telugu asMahanati.Dulquer Salmaan was cast as Ganesan, and Ashwin revealed that the portrayal of Gemini Ganesan would be beyond physical resemblance, to better depict the character's emotional side.[50]
After a prolonged illness due tokidney failure and multipleorgan failure, Gemini Ganesan died surrounded by Bobji and their daughters at his residence on 22 March 2005, 13:30IST. He was cremated with full state honors. Prominent personalities includingTamil Nadu's chief ministerJayalalitha and former chief ministerM. Karunanidhi paid their last respects to the veteran actor.[51] Ganesan's funeral was not attended by his estranged daughterRekha, who was then inHimachal Pradesh shooting a film.[42]
| Year | Award | Film | Result | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor | Kaaviya Thalaivi | Won | |
| 1971 | Padma Shri | - | Won | [8] |
| 1974 | Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor | Naan Avanillai | Won | |
| 1990 | Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award – MGR Award | - | Won | |
| 1993 | Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South | - | Won | [52] |
| - | MGR Gold Medal | - | Won | |
| - | Screen Lifetime Achievement Award | - | Won | [5] |
| - | Kalaimamani Award | - | Won |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
