Late Tamil actor Sivaji Ganesan has left behind a legacy that is unparalleled to date. Even though he predominantly worked in the Tamil industry, he was widely popular for his versatility and acting skills across various film industries. With over 250 films to his credit, in a career spanning more than four decades, he is considered one of the finest actors to have graced Indian cinema. He was the first Indian actor to be honoured as a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He earned the National Film Award (Special Jury), four Filmfare Awards South, and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Sivaji Ganesan passed away on July 21, 2001 and yesterday marked his 23rd death anniversary. On this occasion, let us delve deeper into some lesser known facts about his eventful career.
Ganesan was awarded with the prefix ‘Sivaji’ by social reformer Periyar, after he played the role of the great Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji in a stage play.
Perumal was impressed by Sivaji’s performance in the play Noorjahan and cast him as the lead in his film Parasakthi. Before Parasakthi, Sivaji had an opportunity to act in Poongothai, produced by Anjali Devi on BA Perumal’s recommendation. Although Poongothai was supposed to be released first, Anjali Devi and her husband postponed its release after BA Perumal requested that Parasakthi be Sivaji’s debut film, believing it would benefit his career. Parasakthi became his first film and made history.
Parasakthi did not start well for Ganesan. When filming began and major portions of the film had been shot, Meiyappan was dissatisfied with Ganesan’s thin physique and wanted to replace him with KR. Perumal refused, and Ganesan was retained. Meiyappan eventually approved of the final results, although the initial scenes featuring Ganesan, which he had previously disliked, were reshot. Ultimately, the audience loved Sivaji Ganesan’s performance, and he became a popular star of the 1950s.
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