Gemini Ganesan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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)
Died	22 March 2005(2005-03-22) (aged 84) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma mater	Madras Christian College
Years active	1947–2004
Spouse(s)	Alamelu (1940–2005) Savitri (1952–1981)
Partner(s)	Pushpavalli (1946–1955) Juliana Andrew (1997–2005)
Children	4 with Alamelu, including Kamala Selvaraj; 2 with Pushpavalli, including Rekha (daughter); 2 with Savitri

Ramasamy Ganesan (born November 17, 1920 – died March 22, 2005) was a famous Indian actor. He was better known by his stage name, Gemini Ganesan. He worked mostly in Tamil cinema, which is the film industry in the Tamil language. People called him Kaadhal Mannan, which means "King of Romance," because he was so good at playing romantic roles in movies.

Gemini Ganesan was one of the three biggest stars in Tamil cinema. The other two were M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. While Sivaji Ganesan was known for serious drama films and M. G. Ramachandran for action, Gemini Ganesan was famous for his romantic movies. He received many awards, including the Padma Shri in 1971, which is a high honor from the Indian government. He was also one of the few college graduates who joined the film industry back then.

Gemini Ganesan started his acting career in 1947 with the film Miss Malini. However, he became well-known after playing a villain in Thai Ullam in 1953. He became a star after playing the main role in Manam Pola Mangalyam (1954). Unlike the other big stars, Gemini Ganesan was not a stage actor and did not get involved in politics. He acted in over 200 films during his long career, which lasted more than 50 years. His performances were often made even better by popular singers like A. M. Rajah and P. B. Sreenivas. He had eight children, including the famous actress Rekha.

Early Life and Education

Gemini Ganesan was born as Ramasamy Ganesan in 1920. His grandfather, Narayanaswami, was the principal of a college in Pudukkottai. When Ganesan was in sixth grade, his grandfather passed away. Soon after, his father also died.

Ganesan's aunt, Muthulakshmi Reddy, was a doctor and a social reformer. She worked to change old traditions and became a leader in a movement to improve society. After his father's death, Ganesan and his mother moved to his aunt Muthulakshmi's home in Madras (now Chennai). Muthulakshmi wanted Ganesan to get a good education and become a respectable person.

School and College Days

Because his aunt Muthulakshmi followed the teachings of Ramakrishna, she sent Ganesan to the Ramakrishna Mission Home. There, he learned yoga and languages, and he read the Bhagavad Gita. But he missed his mother, so he went back to his hometown and studied at a high school there. Later, he joined Maharajah's College in the same place. He finished his college education at Madras Christian College in Chennai.

Starting His Career

Gemini Ganesan dreamed of becoming a doctor. In 1940, he married Alamelu. Her father promised him a medical school spot after graduation. However, Alamelu's father passed away soon after the marriage, and Ganesan's dream of becoming a doctor was not possible. He needed to find a job right away to support his family.

He first worked as a chemistry lecturer at Madras Christian College. Later, in 1947, he got a job as a production executive at Gemini Studios. This is where he got the name "Gemini" added to his stage name. He started his film career from the casting department of this studio.

Film Career Highlights

First Steps in Films

Gemini Ganesan began his film journey in 1947 with a small role in the movie Miss Malini. This film was based on a story by R. K. Narayan. It also featured Pushpavalli, who he would work with again. The movie was not a big success at the box office, but smart people liked it. Sadly, no copies of this film exist today.

After this, he played a small part as the Hindu god Krishna in Chakradhari. This film was a hit, but his acting was not widely noticed. It was in 1953, when he played a negative role in Thai Ullam, that people finally saw his talent. The next year, he was in Moondru Pillaigal, which did not do well. Then, he got his first main role in Manam Pola Mangalyam. In this film, he played two characters and acted alongside Savitri, who would later become his wife. This movie was a very important moment in his life. From then on, he became known in Tamil cinema for romantic films, rather than action movies.

Becoming a Star in South India

Gemini Ganesan in a movie scene

Over almost 50 years, Ganesan played many different kinds of roles. He was Abhimanyu in Mayabazar (1957) and a freedom fighter in Kappalottiya Thamizhan (1961). In Pennin Perumai (1960), he played a shy person who grows into a strong character.

Ganesan also starred in Kalathur Kannamma (1959). This film was special because it was the first movie for Kamal Haasan, who later became a huge actor in Tamil cinema. The film won an award for being one of the best Tamil films. Ganesan also acted with Sivaji Ganesan in Veerapandiya Kattabomman (1959). This film was shown at an international film festival.

His 1961 film Then Nilavu was the first Tamil movie to be filmed a lot in Jammu and Kashmir. It was a big success. He also acted with his fellow star M. G. Ramachandran in Mugarasi (1966), which was their only film together. Konjum Salangai (1962), starring Ganesan and Savitri, was released in many countries and had subtitles in over 22 languages. It was even the first Tamil film to be shown in Poland.

Ganesan produced Naan Avan Illai (1974). This film was praised by critics for Ganesan's acting. Some of his other well-known films include Missiamma, School Master, Kanavane Kankanda Deivam, Meenda Sorgam, Shanti Nilayam, Vaazhkai Padagu, Karpagam, Ramu, Thamarai Nenjam and Punnagai. He acted with many leading actresses of his time.

Acting in Bollywood

Gemini Ganesan also acted in some Hindi films, which is Bollywood. Most of these were remakes of his successful Tamil movies. His first Hindi film was Miss Mary (1957), a remake of Missiamma. It became one of the biggest Indian hits that year. He also played the main role in Devta, which was the Hindi version of his Tamil film Kanavaney Kankanda Deivam. He appeared in a special guest role in Nazrana (1961), a Hindi remake of his film Kalyana Parisu.

Later Years in Acting

Later in his career, Ganesan started playing supporting roles. Some of his notable later films include the Telugu film Rudraveena (1988), its Tamil remake Unnal Mudiyum Thambi (1988), and Avvai Shanmughi (1996). Near the end of his career, he acted mostly in television shows, like Krishnadasi. He also appeared in Mettukudi (1996), Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga (1997), Thodarum (1998), and Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar. His last special appearances were in Gemini (2002) and Adi Thadi (2004).

Other Interests

Unlike other big stars, Gemini Ganesan was not a theatre actor first. He was friendly with his fans but did not encourage fan clubs. He stayed away from politics, even turning down an offer to become a Member of Parliament. The only time he was close to politics was in 1963 when he organized an event for the poet Subramania Bharati.

Besides acting, Ganesan was also a businessman. He invested in real estate. He was also good at many sports like tennis, golf, and badminton, and he was the captain of his college cricket team. Ganesan also directed one film called Idhaya Malar (1976).

Family Life

Gemini Ganesan married Alamelu when he was 19 years old. He called her "Boubji." He later married Savitri, who was also a famous actress.

Alamelu and Ganesan had four daughters. Three of them – Revathi, Kamala, and Jayalakshmi – became doctors. The fourth daughter, Narayani, is a journalist. Ganesan had two daughters with Pushpavalli: Bollywood actress Rekha, and Radha. Radha acted in a few Tamil films before getting married and moving to the United States. Savitri and Ganesan had two children: a daughter, Vijaya Chamundeswari, and Ganesan's only son, Satheesh Kumar. His grandson, Abhinay Vaddi, who is Chamundeswari's son, acted in the film Ramanujan (2014). His fourth wife was Juliana Andrew, whom he married in 1998.

Legacy and Recognition

Gemini Ganesan 2006 stamp of India

In 2011, a documentary film about Gemini Ganesan called Kadhal Mannan was made. It was produced by his daughter, Dr. Kamala Selvaraj. The film showed a true picture of the actor's life and received good reviews. A DVD version of the film was also released.

In the mid-2010s, three films were made that were related to the actor. Gemini Ganeshanum Suruli Raajanum (2017) was a romantic comedy. Another film, Kaadhal Mannan (2018), was first named Gemini Ganesan. Also, an official movie about actress Savitri was made in Telugu called Mahanati. In this film, Dulquer Salmaan played Gemini Ganesan. The director wanted to show Ganesan's emotional side, not just his looks.

Passing Away

Gemini Ganesan suffered from a long illness due to kidney failure and other organ problems. He passed away at his home on March 22, 2005, at 1:30 PM. His wife, Bobji, and their daughters were with him. He was cremated with full state honors. Important people, including the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha, came to pay their respects. His daughter Rekha was not able to attend the funeral because she was filming a movie in another state.

Awards and Honors

• 1970 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for Kaaviya Thalaivi
• 1990 – Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award – MGR Award
• 1971 – Padma Shri Award
• 1974 – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor for Naan Avan Illai
• 1993 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South
• MGR Gold Medal
• Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
• Kalaimamani Award

Selected Films