Gemini Ganesan

In this Indian name, the name Ramasamy is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Ganesan or by his stage name Gemini Ganesan.
Gemini Ganesan
Ganesan in 1950
Born
Ramasamy Ganesan

(1920-11-17)17 November 1920
Pudukottai, Pudukkottai State, British India
(present day:
Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, India)
Died22 March 2005(2005-03-22) (aged 84)[1]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma materMadras Christian College
Years active1947–2004
Spouses
  • Alamelu (1940–2005)
  • Savitri (1952–1981)
Partners
Children

Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005),[1] better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred as Kaadhal 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 being M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan.[3] While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in dramatic films and M. G. Ramachandran was popular as an action hero, Gemini Ganesan was known for his romantic films.[4] A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1971, he had also won several other awards including the Kalaimamani, the MGR Gold Medal, and the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award. He was one of the few college graduates to enter the film industry then.[5]

Gemini Ganesan made his debut with Miss Malini in 1947 but was noticed only after playing the villain in Thai Ullam in 1953.[6] After playing the lead role in Manam Pola Mangalyam (1954), 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 as A. M. Rajah and P. B. Sreenivas.[4] Despite his celebrated film career, Ganesan's personal life, particularly his marriages to multiple women over the years, including famous Indian actress Savitri, has often been a subject of criticism. He had eight children, including actress Rekha.

  1. ^ a b Singh, Kuldip (31 March 2005). "Gemini Ganesan (obituary)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Tribute to Gemini Ganesan". The Times of India. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. ^ "MGR-Sivaji-Gemini: TRINITY Album Launched". IndiaGlitz. 22 January 2011. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BIOGRAPHY was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference GOLD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SPORT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Guy, Randor (26 May 2012). "Manam Pola Mangalyam 1954". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference NDTV was invoked but never defined (see the help page).