Gemini Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005) was a famous Indian actor. He is well known as kadhal mannan (king of love) of Tamil Cinema for the romantic roles he played in movies, and his private love affairs. 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image:Veerapandi. ...

Biography

Birth and early days

Gemini Ganesan was born on 17 November 1920 at Pudukottai in South India to Ramaswami and Gangamma. The family was a middle class smartha brahmin family belonging to the Mulukanadu sub caste. Ganesan was the only male heir to his family. 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... // Introduction The term Smartha refers to those who accept and profess the Advaitha or non-dualistic philosophy propounded by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. ... A Brahmin (anglicised from the Sanskrit adjective belonging to Brahma, also known as Brahman belonging to ; Vipra, Dvija twice-born, Dvijottama best of the twice born or earth-god) is considered to be the highest class (varna) in the Indian caste system of Hindu society [1] [2], although this status... // Introduction The Mulukanadu community is a caste of Telugu speaking Vaidiki Smartha Brahmins. ...

His grandfather Narayanaswami and aunt Muthulakshmi were the source of inspiration for Ganesan in early days. Education of his grandson was the most important priority for Narayanaswami. When he was at an early age, Ganesan's education was initiated in grand style: he was sent to school on horseback, preceded by a band playing music. The teacher made him write the alphabet “a” in Tamil language on a silver plate with a gold coin. Ganesen’s father Ramaswami was a handsome man with curly hair, who took great care of his looks, hairstyle and attire. An expert in playing the mridangam and the flute, Ramaswami was interested in arts and music. Although Ramaswami did interest himself prefunctorily in the family farms, it was grandfather Narayanswami who took care of the family. When Ganesan was in 6th class, he lost his much beloved grandfather; later, his father Ramaswami also died. Now Ganesan with his grandmother Bagirathi and mother Gangamma migrated to Madras to live under the care of aunt Muthulakshmi Reddy. Ganesan’s mother Gangamma did not take to city life. She settled down in Pudukottai. horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... The mridangam is a percussion instrument from South India. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... , “Madras” redirects here. ... ...

Ganesan's aunt, Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, was a follower of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa; she admitted Ganesan into the Ramakrishna Mission home at Mylapore. There, he learnt Yoga, Sanskrit, read about Vedas, Bhagavad gita and Upanishads. Life here taught him discipline; Ganesan became an expert in Yoga. However, separation from his mother being too much for him, he went back to Pudukottai and joined high school there. Muthulakshmi Reddy Muthulakshmi Reddy (30th July 1886 in the princely state of Pudukottai of Tamilnadu - 22nd July 1968 Madras) was an eminent medical practitioner and social reformer of her time. ... Sri Thakur Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: শ্রীরামকৄষ্ঞ পরমহংস) (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was a Bengali saint. ... The Ramakrishna Mission Emblem The Ramakrishna Mission is an association founded by Sri Ramakrishnas chief disciple and religious leader, Swami Vivekananda on May 1, 1897. ... , Mylapore is one of the oldest areas within Chennai (formerly Madras), the capital of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Statue of Shiva performing Yogic meditation Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद) are a large corpus of texts originating in Ancient India. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... The Upanishads (Devanagari: उपनिषद्, IAST: upaniá¹£ad) are part of the Vedas and form the Hindu scriptures which primarily discuss philosophy, meditation, and the nature of God; they form the core spiritual thought of Vedantic Hinduism. ...

Marriage

Ganesan’s dream was to become a doctor. In April 1940 he went to Trichi to see T.R.Alamelu (Bobji). Alamelu’s father offered Ganesan 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 Narayanswami who advised him to become a teacher or a doctor. Ganesan decided to return to Madras. He was confused and decided to join as a teacher in a tutorial college run by his friend B.N.Raman. Fate decided otherwise. Tiruchirappalli திருச்சிராப்பள்ளி   (also spelt Tiruchchirapalli, commonly known as Tiruchi or Trichy திருச்சி,తిరుఛి; formerly also pronounced as Trichinopoly (under British rule) is the fourth popular city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting aerial warfare and securing the Indian airspace. ... , Delhi (Hindi: , Urdu: , Punjabi: ), sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India after Mumbai with a population of 13 million. ...

Career

Ganesan was one of the few graduates to enter the film world in those days. Mr. Ganesh (Ganesan) did not take the traditional route of the theatre to the tinsel world. His first job was as a Lecturer at the Madras Christian College. His first cinema-related work (Production Executive in 1947) with the Gemini Studios added the title Gemini to his name. The Madras Christian College in Chennai, South India, is one of the oldest colleges of the Indian subcontinent and was established in 1837. ...

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 Savithri, 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 the late M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. Although Sivaji excelled in films with drama, and MGR dominated movies with thrilling fight-scenes and, Mr. Ganesh held his own with sensitive portrayals of the yearning lover. Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black) (see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Savitri from the film Narthansala Savitri Kommareddy (born 6 December 1937 – 26 December 1981]), known as Mahanati (Great Actress) of Telugu Cinima,was born in Chirravuru, Guntur District. ... Image:Veerapandi. ... Maruthur Gopala Ramachandran (Tamil: மருதூர் கோபால இராமச்சந்திரன், Malayalam:മരത്തൂര്‍ ഗോപാലന്‍ രാമചന്ദ്രന്‍) (January 17, 1917–December 24, 1987), popularly known as MGR எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., Puracthi Nadigar, Ponmana Chemmal, Makkal Thilakam and Puratchi Thalaivar (Tamil: Revolutionary Leader), was a longtime leading Tamil film actor and Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death. ... Ganesan in Thayaipola Pillai Noolaipola Selai, 1959 Sivaji Ganesan (October 1, 1927 - July 21, 2001) was a famous Indian actor and politician. ...

Fondly known as Kadhal Mannan (King of Romance) among his fans, Ganesan had acted in several box-office hits during his heydays (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. The song "Kalangalil Aval Vasantham" will always be remembered and associated with Gemini Ganesan as well as P.B. Srinivos. This does not cite any references or sources. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... Padma Shri (also spelt Padma Shree, Padmashree, Padma Sree and Padma Sri) is an award given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and public life. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ...

He had paired with many top heroines such as Savithri, whom he later married, Anjalidevi, Banumathi, Padmini, Saroja Devi, former Rajya Sabha member Vaijayanthi Mala, "Sowcar" Janaki, Vijaya, Devika, and the Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha. Executive President Vice-President Prime Minister Dy. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Later in his career, he switched to little different character roles. Notable among these was Avvai Shanmughi (1996), in which, quite 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 had acted in more than 200 films, including a few in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Avvai Shanmugi (1996) is a Tamil film directed by K.S. Ravikumar. ... Bollywood (Hindi: , Urdu: ) is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry in India. ... This article is about the Telugu film industry. ... Malayalam cinema refers to films made in the southern Indian state of Kerala in Malayalam. ... The Kannada Film Industry makes movies in the Kannada language. ...

The person

Mr. Ganesh was a man of varied interests. In school, he was captain of the cricket team. A lover of dogs, he had a special liking for Golden Retrievers. All his life, Mr. 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 to accept 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. However, he had a close circle of friends, and always remembered those who helped him in his career. Bowler Shaun Pollock bowls to batsman Michael Hussey. ... The Golden Retriever is a popular breed of dog, originally developed to retrieve downed fowl during hunting. ... Ganesan in Thayaipola Pillai Noolaipola Selai, 1959 Sivaji Ganesan (October 1, 1927 - July 21, 2001) was a famous Indian actor and politician. ... Maruthur Gopala Ramachandran (Tamil: மருதூர் கோபால இராமச்சந்திரன், Malayalam:മരത്തൂര്‍ ഗോപാലന്‍ രാമചന്ദ്രന്‍) (January 17, 1917–December 24, 1987), popularly known as MGR எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., Puracthi Nadigar, Ponmana Chemmal, Makkal Thilakam and Puratchi Thalaivar (Tamil: Revolutionary Leader), was a longtime leading Tamil film actor and Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... Rājiv Ratna Gāndhī (Devanāgarī: राजीव रत्न गान्धी, IPA: ) (August 20, 1944 – May 21, 1991), the eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi, was the 9th Prime Minister of India (and the 3rd from the Gandhi family) from his mothers death on 31 October 1984 until his resignation on December...

Private Life

Though there is different news about the number of wives he had, general information says that Alamelu (family woman), Savithri and Pushpavalli (actresses) and his erstwhile secretary Juliana, the thirty year old lady whom he met in Bangalore and married in old age were his wives. , Bangalore (to be renamed as Bengalūru) (Kannada: ; pronunciation: in Kannada and in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. ...

In Film

Death

His end came at 22 March 2005, 13:30 IST at the age of 84 in his residence after a prolonged illness. He was cremated with full state honours. He is survived by eight daughters and a son. His children are: Dr. Revathi Swaminathan; Dr. Kamala Selvaraj; Ms. Narayani Ganesh; Dr. Jaya Shreedhar; the film actress Rekha; Ms. Radha Usman Syed; Ms. Vijaya Chamundeswari, and Mr. SathishKumaar Ganesan. March 22 is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Mirzapur and the 82. ... Rekha (born October 10, 1954) is a well-known Bollywood actress. ...

Films

Some of Gemini Ganesan's famous movies include

• Kanavane Kankanda Deivam
• Manalane Mangaiyin Baakyam
• Yaar Paiyan
• Vanjikottai Vaaliban
• Maya Bazar
• Kalyana Parisu
• Kalathur Kannamma
• Parthiban Kanavu
• Pasamalar
• Paava Mannippu
• Parthal Pasi Theerum
• Avvaiyyar
• Then Nilavu
• Aadi Perukku
• Konjum Salangai
• Sumaithangi
• Iru Kodugal
• Naan Avan Illai
• Punnagai
• Poova Thalaiya
• Santhi Nilayam
• Vaazhkai Padagu
• Ramu
• Missiamma
• School Master
• Bandha pasam
• Kairasi
• Sangamam
• Aindhu laksham
• Avalukkendru ore manam
• Velli vizha
• kaviya thalaivi
• Thamarai Nenjam
• Unakkaga naan
• Ezhai pangalan
• Saraswathi sabatham
• Meenda sorgam
• Avvai Shanmugi
• Panama pasama
• Punnagai
• Unnal mudiyum thambi
• Kandan karunai
• Karpagam
• Aasai mugam
• Bhagyalakshmi
• Seetha
• Poojaikku vandha malar
• Kalathur kannamma

Kalathur Kannamma was the first movie that starred Kamal Hassan. ... Avvaiyyar is a Tamil film starring K. B. Sundarambal and Gemini Ganesan. ... Avvai Shanmugi (1996) is a Tamil film directed by K.S. Ravikumar. ...

External links

• Gemini Ganesan at the Internet Movie Database
• 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