Gemini Ganesan

Introduction

Gemini Ganesan was a Tamil cinema actor recognized for his romantic parts. He was named the "King of Romance." He was regarded as one of the reputed names in Tamil cinema, along with 2 other actors. Gemini Ganesan obtained prizes and praise for his work, including the Padma Shri in 1971. He was also one of the few actors who had a university degree before joining the movie industry.

In 1947, Ganesan began his acting career. He became well-known after playing a villain in a film named Thai Ullam in 1953. Gemini became a major star after appearing in Manam Pola Mangalyam in 1954. Unlike other actors, he didn't act on stage and got interested in politics.

In his long career of over 5 decades, he worked in more than 200 movies. Musicians like P.B. Sreenivas and A.M. Rajah made their performances even more suitable with their songs. Despite his success, individuals criticized him for marrying many ladies, including the popular actress Savitri. He had 8 kids; one of them is the actress Rekha.

Gemini Ganesan Biography

Gemini Ganesan was born in 1920 to his parents, Ramasamy Iyer and Gangammal. His grandfather, Narayanaswami, was a professor at Maharajah's College. After his 1st wife died, Narayanaswami resided with a woman called Chandramma, who served as a singer and dancer in a temple. They had 2 kids together: Muthulakshmi and Ramaswamy, one of whom is Gemini Ganesan's dad.

Ganesan's grandfather and dad died when he was in 6th class. His aunt, Muthulakshmi Reddi, became a physician and helped pass a law to end the Devadasi system. After his dad's death, Ganesan shifted with his mom to stay with Muthulakshmi in Chennai. Muthulakshmi provided shelter for their household but treated them badly because of their background as mistresses. Ganesan stayed with his aunt so he could become educated and admired while his mom and grandmother returned home.

Muthulakshmi wanted Ganesan to move to Ramakrishna Mission Home because she liked Ramakrishna. At the house, he learned yoga and vocabulary and read the Bhagavad Gita. But Gemini missed his mom too much, so he went back home and studied at a high school there. Afterward, Ganesan visited Maharajah's College in the same place. However, he completed university at Madras Christian College in Chennai.

Early Career

Ganesan's goal was to become a doctor. He got married, and his spouse's dad promised him a medical seat after Ganesan got a degree. But then his dreams were destroyed because he had to search for a job to help his family. He reached for an interview with the Indian Air Force but finished up becoming a professor instead. Afterward, he served in Gemini Studios and began acting in movies from there.

In 1947, Ganesan began his acting career with a minor part in the film Miss Malini. The movie didn't do excellently at the box office but was loved by intelligent people. Unfortunately, there are no copies of this movie left.

He then had another minor act as Krishna in Chakradhari, which was successful, but nobody saw his performance. It wasn't until 1953, when he played an evil guy in Thai Ullam, that individuals began paying attention to him as an actor. The next year, he acted in a supporting part in Moondru Pillaigal, which wasn't successful either. Then, he got his 1st main role with Manam Pola Mangalyam, and it became a crucial moment for him. After that, he became recognized for romantic films rather than action ones.

Stardom in the south

Gemini Ganesan was a popular actor who appeared in many films. He played various types of personalities, from a fearless fighter to a kind-hearted individual. Some of his famous movies include Pennin Perumai, Mayabazar, and Kappalottiya Thamizhan. He also worked in Kalathur Kannamma alongside Kamal Haasan and Veerapandiya Kattabomman with Sivaji Ganesan.

One of his hit movies was Then Nilavu, which was made in Jammu and Kashmir. He even performed with another famous actor called M.G. Ramachandran in the film Mugarasi. Gemini Ganesan's movie Konjum Salangai was released in many countries outside India and became the 1st Tamil movie to be shown in Poland. Apart from acting, he also directed a film named Naan Avan Illai, but it didn't do excellently at the box office. Ganesan had worked with several leading actresses throughout his career.

Bollywood career

Gemini worked in a few Hindi movies that were remakes of his Tamil movies. His 1st Hindi movie was named Miss Mary, which was a great hit in India. He also played the lead part in Devta, which was the Hindi version of his Tamil movie. He appeared as a guest in Nazrana, another remake of one of his Tamil movies. Although it wasn't a huge success, it still did pretty well at the box office.

Other Roles

Later in his career, Ganesan switched to character roles in films such as Rudraveena (1988), Unnal Mudiyum Thambi (1988), and Avvai Shanmughi (1996). He also acted in television serials like Krishnadasi. Other than acting, Ganesan was a businessman who invested in real estate. He was skilled in sports like tennis, golf, and badminton and even directed the film Idhaya Malar (1976).

Praise and Controversy

Gemini was a versatile performer who played many different parts. He was quite good when acting with Savitri in successful movies. Dayanidhi Maran released a special stamp in 2006 for Gemini Ganesan and called him a skillful person who enjoyed music, reading, yoga, and poetry.

Ganesan introduced Kamal Haasan to the movie industry when he was just a kid. He loved the Tamil vocabulary and took part in a conference about it in Kuala Lumpur. Muthulakshmi Reddy raised him and battled against the devadasi system, which made him want to make favorable changes. Director K. Balachander appreciated performing with Gemini Ganesan because he trusted directors and didn't interrupt their work. Lyricist Vairamuthu declared that Gemini Ganesan supported other actors by suggesting them to producers and directors without being jealous of their success.

Gemini was a renowned actor in Tamil cinema, but he mainly worked in romantic movies. He had a poor relationship with his daughter Rekha and didn't recognize her as his kid when she was young. When Rekha desired to work in Bollywood, she exposed her true parentage. Even though she became well-known, Rekha still felt broken by her dad's neglect and ignored his attempts to reconcile. She didn't even go to his funeral in 2005.

Gemini Relationships and More

Gemini Ganesan wedded Alamelu when he was just 19. He also wed Savitri afterward while still being wedded to his 1st wife. He had other connections, too. Ganesan and Alamelu have 4 daughters - Revathi, Kamala, Jayalakshmi, and Narayani. Three of them are physicians, and the fourth is a reporter with The Times of India. Ganesan has 2 more daughters with Pushpavalli - Rekha, who is an actress in Bollywood, and Radha.

Ganesan was in a few Tamil films but then got wedded and repositioned in the United States. He has 2 kids: a daughter called Vijaya Chamundeswari and a son called Satheesh Kumar. Ganesan declared in his autobiography that he always seemed to attract females who needed support. He didn't like being named "Kaadhal Mannan" because it made individuals think bad things about him in his private life.

Gemini had 7 daughters and one son when he passed. Chamundeswari has a son called Abhinay Vaddi, who worked in a film named Ramanujan, so he is Ganesan's grandson. His 4th spouse was Juliana Andrew, and they got wedded in July 1998.

Death

Gemini Ganesan passed away after being ill for a long time. His kidneys and other organs stopped working. He died at his residence surrounded by Bobji and their daughters on March 22, 2005, at 1:30 PM. He was given a memorable cremation ceremony with noteworthy people such as M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha attending to pay their respects. His daughter Rekha couldn't come to the funeral because she was filming in Himachal Pradesh.

Summary

Gemini Ganesan was a celebrated Indian actor in Tamil movies. He became famous for his excellent acting skills and charm. He could play various characters with comfort and make audiences feel deeply connected to them. Individuals loved his performances because they were authentic and heartfelt.