Gemini Ganesan
Encyclopedia
Ramaswami Ganesan popularly known as Gemini Ganesan (Tamil
: ஜெமினி கணேசன்), was an India
n actor. He was nicknamed "Kadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) of Tamil cinema
for the romantic roles he played in movies.
was the first woman doctor in the Madras presidency.
to see T.R. Alamelu. Alamelu’s father proposed 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 her elder sister within one month of her marriage. Ganesan's dreams of becoming a doctor 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 Indian Air Force
. Much against Alamelu’s wishes Ganesan went to Delhi
. In Delhi he met his uncle Narayanaswami who advised him to become a teacher. He married Pushpavalli
and Savitri later.
Gemini Ganesan fathered the Bollywood actress Rekha (Tamil
: ரேகா), while living with Pushpavalli
. He did not acknowledge Rekha's paternity during her childhood. It was in early 1970s, when Rekha was looking for a footing in Bollywood, that she revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told a magazine interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation.
Though there is no correct account of the number of wives he had, it is widely believed that he was married to Alamelu, Savitri and Pushpavalli
. He is survived by seven daughters and a son. His children are Revathi Swaminathan, Kamala Selvaraj, Narayani Ganesh, Jaya Shreedhar, actress Rekha, Radha Usman Syed, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Sathish Kumaar Ganesan.
and was one of the few graduates to enter the film world in those days. He did not take the traditional route of the theatre to the tinsel world. His first job was as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at Madras Christian College. His first cinema-related work (production executive in 1947) with the Gemini Studios
added the title Gemini to his name.
From the casting department, Ganesan got his first break in films with Miss Malini. This was followed by Chakravarthi, in which he played Lord Krishna. However, not until 1953, when he played the villain in the film Thai Ullam, did people take notice of him as an actor. The next year, he was upgraded as a hero with Manampol Mangalyam. The film paired him with Savitri, who became the mother of two of his children — a daughter and a son. From then on, he carved out a niche for himself in Tamil cinema with films that required a lot of romance but little action.
Ganesan was one of the Big Three of Tamil cinema
, the other two being M. G. Ramachandran
and Sivaji Ganesan
. Sivaji excelled in films with drama, and MGR dominated movies with fight sequences and, Gemini Ganesh held his own with sensitive portrayals of the yearning lover.
Fondly known as "Kadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) among his fans, Ganesan had acted in several box-office hits during his heyday (1950s–1970s). He was awarded the Padma Shri
in 1971. Gemini Ganesan's performances on the screen were enhanced by some talented playback singers like A.M. Rajah and P.B. Srinivos. P.B. Srinivos's mellifluous voice in particular complemented Gemini Ganesan. Many memorable duets of P.B.Srinivas with female playback singer S.Janaki
are popular even today. The song "Kalangalil aval vasantham" will always be remembered and associated with Gemini Ganesan.
He paired with many top heroines such as Vyjayanthimala
, Meena Kumari
, Anjali Devi
, Banumathi, Padmini
, B. Saroja Devi
, Sowcar Janaki
, K. R. Vijaya
, Devika
, Jayalalitha
and Savitri whom he later married.
Later in his career, he switched to little different character roles. Notable among these was Rudraveena
(remade in Tamil as Unnal Mudiyum Thambi
), considered one of the best movies ever made in Telugu. Another notable movie was Avvai Shanmughi (1996), in which characteristically, he entered into the skin of an old man longing for an old maid. Towards the end of his acting career he kept himself busy with elegant roles in television serials. In his long film career spanning over five decades he acted in more than 200 films, including a few in Hindi
, Telugu, Malayalam
and Kannada.
team. A lover of dogs, he had a special liking for Golden Retriever
s. All his life, Ganesh made it a point not to involve himself in any public controversy. Unlike Sivaji Ganesan
and MGR
, he kept his distance from politics. He was offered a Rajya Sabha seat by former Prime Minister of India
Rajiv Gandhi
but he declined it. On the personal level he was friendly with many of the top personalities but then he did not like to flatter them on stage and kept away from public functions. He had a close circle of friends and always remembered those who helped him in his career. He is famously known as "Saambaar".
and multiple organ failure
, Ganesan was found dead at his residence on 22 March 2005, 13:30 IST
. He was cremated with full state honours. Prominent personalities including Tamil Nadu
's chief ministers M. Karunanidhi
and Jayalalitha
paid their last respects to the veteran actor.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: ஜெமினி கணேசன்), was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actor. He was nicknamed "Kadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) of Tamil cinema
Kollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
for the romantic roles he played in movies.
Early life
Gemini Ganesan was born on November 17, 1920 to Ramaswami and his wife Gangamma in the princely state of Pudukkottai. His grandfather S. Narayanaswami was a prominent figure in the princely state of Pudukkottai while his aunt Muthulakshmi ReddiMuthulakshmi Reddi
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddi was an eminent medical practitioner, social reformer and Padma Bhushan awardee in India. She was the first women legislator in India....
was the first woman doctor in the Madras presidency.
Marriages
Ganesan’s dream was to become a doctor. In April 1940 he went to TrichyTiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
to see T.R. Alamelu. Alamelu’s father proposed 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 her elder sister within one month of her marriage. Ganesan's dreams of becoming a doctor 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 Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
. Much against Alamelu’s wishes Ganesan went to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. In Delhi he met his uncle Narayanaswami who advised him to become a teacher. He married Pushpavalli
Pushpavalli
Pentapadu Pushpavalli better known as Pushpavalli is a Tamil and Telugu film actress. She was married to Gemini Ganesan and is Rekha's mother. She starred in many films with Ganesan, mostly as his heroine. Her film work includes title roles in Miss Malini , an adaptation of R.K. Narayan's novel Mr...
and Savitri later.
Gemini Ganesan fathered the Bollywood actress Rekha (Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: ரேகா), while living with Pushpavalli
Pushpavalli
Pentapadu Pushpavalli better known as Pushpavalli is a Tamil and Telugu film actress. She was married to Gemini Ganesan and is Rekha's mother. She starred in many films with Ganesan, mostly as his heroine. Her film work includes title roles in Miss Malini , an adaptation of R.K. Narayan's novel Mr...
. He did not acknowledge Rekha's paternity during her childhood. It was in early 1970s, when Rekha was looking for a footing in Bollywood, that she revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told a magazine interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation.
Though there is no correct account of the number of wives he had, it is widely believed that he was married to Alamelu, Savitri and Pushpavalli
Pushpavalli
Pentapadu Pushpavalli better known as Pushpavalli is a Tamil and Telugu film actress. She was married to Gemini Ganesan and is Rekha's mother. She starred in many films with Ganesan, mostly as his heroine. Her film work includes title roles in Miss Malini , an adaptation of R.K. Narayan's novel Mr...
. He is survived by seven daughters and a son. His children are Revathi Swaminathan, Kamala Selvaraj, Narayani Ganesh, Jaya Shreedhar, actress Rekha, Radha Usman Syed, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Sathish Kumaar Ganesan.
Career
Ganesan graduated from the prestigious Madras Christian CollegeMadras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
and was one of the few graduates to enter the film world in those days. He did not take the traditional route of the theatre to the tinsel world. His first job was as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at Madras Christian College. His first cinema-related work (production executive in 1947) with the Gemini Studios
Gemini Studios
Gemini Studios was launched when Thiruthuraipoondi Subramanian Srinivasan bought a film distribution concern at an auction and renamed it as Gemini Pictures also known as Gemini Studios. Gemini Studios served as a breeding ground for innumerable artists and technicians for the south Indian Film...
added the title Gemini to his name.
From the casting department, Ganesan got his first break in films with Miss Malini. This was followed by Chakravarthi, in which he played Lord Krishna. However, not until 1953, when he played the villain in the film Thai Ullam, did people take notice of him as an actor. The next year, he was upgraded as a hero with Manampol Mangalyam. The film paired him with Savitri, who became the mother of two of his children — a daughter and a son. From then on, he carved out a niche for himself in Tamil cinema with films that required a lot of romance but little action.
Ganesan was one of the Big Three of Tamil cinema
Kollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
, the other two being M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
and Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan
Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...
. Sivaji excelled in films with drama, and MGR dominated movies with fight sequences and, Gemini Ganesh held his own with sensitive portrayals of the yearning lover.
Fondly known as "Kadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) among his fans, Ganesan had acted in several box-office hits during his heyday (1950s–1970s). He was awarded the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1971. Gemini Ganesan's performances on the screen were enhanced by some talented playback singers like A.M. Rajah and P.B. Srinivos. P.B. Srinivos's mellifluous voice in particular complemented Gemini Ganesan. Many memorable duets of P.B.Srinivas with female playback singer S.Janaki
Janaki
Janaki is a name of the Hindu Goddess Seeta.* Janaki Ballabh Patnaik or J. B. Patnaik, is leader of Indian National Congress and a former chief minister of Orissa* Janaki Ramachandran was an Indian Tamil actress and politician...
are popular even today. The song "Kalangalil aval vasantham" will always be remembered and associated with Gemini Ganesan.
He paired with many top heroines such as Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala Bali is an Indian film actress, Bharathanatyam dancer, carnatic singer, dance choreographer, golfer and a Parliamentarian....
, Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
, Anjali Devi
Anjali Devi
Anjali Devi is a veteran Telugu actress and producer. She is well known for her mythological role as Sita in Lava Kusha and roles in movies like Suvarna Sundari and Anarkali.- Biography :...
, Banumathi, Padmini
Padmini (actress)
Padmini was an Indian actress and trained Bharathanatyam dancer who has acted in over 250 Indian films. She has acted in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi language films...
, B. Saroja Devi
B. Saroja Devi
B. Saroja Devi is an Indian actress. She is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan award and has acted in Kannada,Tamil, Telugu and Hindi movies.She is referred to as Abinaya Saraswathi by Tamil film industry and as Kannadathu Paingili by Kannada Film Industry.She ruled the roost for more than three...
, Sowcar Janaki
Sowcar Janaki
Sankaramanchi Janaki , popularly known as Shaukar Janaki , is a south-Indian actress who has acted in over 385 Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam films. She also performed on stage in over 300 shows, and performed for TANA all over the United States in 2 Telugu plays created by actor...
, K. R. Vijaya
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. Vijaya is a popular Indian actress who has starred in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She started her career in the 1960s. She has been acting for more than four decades now in South Indian cinema. K. R...
, Devika
Devika
Devika or Prameela Devi was a popular Tamil and Telugu actress. She is regarded as a versatile and graceful heroine of her era. She was known for her natural beauty which was the key in her casting in mythological films like Karnan, thiruvilaiyadal...
, Jayalalitha
J. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa Jayaram ; born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian party. She is called Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her...
and Savitri whom he later married.
Later in his career, he switched to little different character roles. Notable among these was Rudraveena
Rudraveena
-References:* http://www.cineherald.com/todaynews.php?id=2207* * * http://www.raaga.com/channels/telugu/movie/A0000147.html* http://www.ezeelyrics.com/2009/12/rudraveena-cheppalani-undi-nenu-saitam.html...
(remade in Tamil as Unnal Mudiyum Thambi
Unnal Mudiyum Thambi
Unnal Mudiyum Thambi is a Tamil language film starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role. The movie was released on 9th August, 1988, which is a Tamil version made after the release of its original Rudraveena in telugu on March 4, 1988.-Plot:...
), considered one of the best movies ever made in Telugu. Another notable movie was Avvai Shanmughi (1996), in which characteristically, he entered into the skin of an old man longing for an old maid. Towards the end of his acting career he kept himself busy with elegant roles in television serials. In his long film career spanning over five decades he acted in more than 200 films, including a few in Hindi
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
, Telugu, Malayalam
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
and Kannada.
The person
Ganesh was a man of varied interests. In school, he was captain of the cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team. A lover of dogs, he had a special liking for Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
s. All his life, Ganesh made it a point not to involve himself in any public controversy. Unlike Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan
Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...
and MGR
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
, he kept his distance from politics. He was offered a Rajya Sabha seat by former Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
but he declined it. On the personal level he was friendly with many of the top personalities but then he did not like to flatter them on stage and kept away from public functions. He had a close circle of friends and always remembered those who helped him in his career. He is famously known as "Saambaar".
Death
After a prolonged illness caused by renal failureRenal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
and multiple organ failure
Organ failure
Organ dysfunction is a condition where an organ does not perform its expected function. Organ failure is organ dysfunction to such a degree that normal homeostasis cannot be maintained without external clinical intervention.It is not a diagnosis...
, Ganesan was found dead at his residence on 22 March 2005, 13:30 IST
Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
. He was cremated with full state honours. Prominent personalities including Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
's chief ministers M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
and Jayalalitha
J. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa Jayaram ; born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian party. She is called Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her...
paid their last respects to the veteran actor.
External links
- "Rekha’s journey: The ‘ageless’ diva over the years". Sify. http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14539551&page=2. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- Article about Gemini Ganesan by his daughter Jaya Shreedhar
- Star and a versatile actor
- Gemini Ganesan - Romance King of Tamil Films: By D.B.S. Jeyaraj