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Glimpses of Gemini Ganesan : ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!
Gemini Ganesan was born Ganapathi Subramania 1920. Ramaswamy's father Narayanaswami was the Principal of the Maharajah's College, Pudukkottai. Early in his life, Narayanaswami was married to a Brahmin girl but on the early death of his wife, he married again, to a woman named Chandramma from the Isai Vellalar community.Notable among Narayanaswami's children with Chandramma were Muthulakshmi and Ramaswamy, father of Gemini Ganesan.
His grandfather died when he was in the sixth class and later on, he lost his father as well. After the death of his father, Ganesan, along with his grandmother Bagirathi and mother Gangamma, moved to his aunt Muthulakshmi's residence, in Madras (now known as Chennai). Life in the city did not suit Gangamma, and she decided to go back to Pudukkottai. His birth name is widely accepted as Ramaswamy Ganesan, though it is also rumoured to have been Ganapati Subramanian Sarma.
Education
Since Gemini Ganesan's aunt Muthulakshmi was an ardent follower of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, decided to enroll him into Ramakrishna Mission Home. There, he was taught yoga and sanskrit and made to read Upanishads, Vedas and Bhagavad Gita as well. He spent a disciplined life at the Home and became an expert in Yoga. However, he could not bear the agony of being separated from his mother, who was residing at Pudhukkottai. Therefore, he returned to his native place and joined a high-school there. Later on, he joined Maharajah's College, located in the same place. However, he completed his graduation at Madras Christian College, Chennai.
Early work
Ganesan's dream was to become a doctor. In April 1940 he went to Trichy to see T.R. Alamelu. Alamelu's father proposed 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 Narayanaswami who advised him to become a teacher. Finally, Ganesan worked as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, at Madras Christian College. Later on, he took up the job of a production executive in Gemini Studios in 1947, from where the title "Gemini" was added to his name. He received an entry to films from the casting department of the Studio itself.
Career
Initial years
Gemini Ganesan in his debut film Miss Malini (1947)
From the casting department, Ganesan made his film debut in 1947 with the social satire film Miss Malini, in a minor role. The film, which was based on the story Mr. Sampath by R. K. Narayan and cast him alongside his future wife Pushpavalli, was a box office failure as it was considered "ahead of its time", but was well received by intellectuals. Currently, no print of that film exists, making it a lost film. This was followed by Chakradhari, in which he played another minor role as Lord Krishna. The film was a box-office success, but his performance went unnoticed. It was not until 1953, when he played a villainous role in the film Thai Ullam opposite R. S. Manohar, did people take notice of him as an actor. The next year, he appeared in a supporting role in the Gemini Studios production Moondru Pillaigal, which was unsuccessful. He was then cast as a hero for the first time with Manampol Mangalyam. The film, which featured him in a dual role, paired him with his future wife Savitri, and became a "milestone in his life".From then on, he carved out a niche for himself in Tamil cinema with films that required a lot of romance but little action.
Stardom in south
In his career spanning nearly 50 years, Ganesan played a variety of roles, from Abhimanyu in Maya Bazaar (1957) to freedom fighter Madasamy in Kappalotiya Thamizhan (1961), and in Pennin Perumai (1960), he played a non-assertive imbecile morphing into a well-moulded human being. Ganesan also starred in Kalathur Kannamma (1959), which was also the debut for Kamal Haasan, who would later become one of the leading actors in Tamil cinema. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film in 1961. Ganesan also starred in Veerapandiya Kattabomman (1959) alongside Sivaji Ganesan. The film was selected for the Afro-Asian Film Festival in 1960.[19] It was also nominated for the National Film Award in 1960, along with Gemini Ganesan's Kalyana Parisu, but both lost to Bhaaga Pirivinai. The ruritanian romance film Vanjikottai Valiban (1958) was a high budget film and became a huge commercial success due to much hype. The historical fiction film Parthiban Kanavu (1960) won the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film,[21] but failed commercially.
His 1961 film Then Nilavu was the first Tamil film to be shot extensively in Jammu and Kashmir, and became a great success at the box office. He co-starred with rival actor M. G. Ramachandran in Muharasi (1966), which was their only film together. Konjum Salangai (1962), which featured Ganesan alongside Savithri was released in various countries outside India, having subtitles in over 22 languages, and it was also the first Tamil film to be released in Poland in a dubbed version. Ganesan's best performance is considered to be in his home production, Naan Avan Illai (1974) in which he played many roles as seducer of women. Directed by K. Balachandar, this film won high critical praise for Ganesan's performance but according to Ganesan, the film did not succeed commercially. Some of his other best works include Missiamma, a remake of the same-titled Telugu film, the multi-lingual School Master, Kanavane Kan Kanda Deivam, Meenda Sorgam, Shanti Nilayam, Vaazhkai Padagu, Katpaham, Ramu, Thamarai Nenjam, and Punnagai. Ganesan had paired with several leading actresses like Anjali Devi, Pushpavalli, Padmini, Vyjayanthimala, Savithri, Devika, Vijayakumari, Saroja Devi, Rajasree, Kanchana, Jayanthi, K. R. Vijaya and Jayalalithaa.
Bollywood career
Gemini Ganesan acted in a few Hindi films, most of which were remakes of his Tamil films. His first Hindi film was Miss Mary in 1957, where he was paired with Meena Kumari. The film became one of the biggest hits of that year. Notably, he played the lead role in Devta, which was the Hindi version of his own Tamil film Kanavaney Kankanda Deivam. He also acted in the ruritanian epic film Raj Tilak (1958), which was the Hindi remake of his own Vanjikottai Valiban. It was a box office failure, having collapsed within a week of its release. He later appeared in a guest role in Nazrana (1961), the Hindi remake of his own Kalyana Parisu, that had him in the lead.Though the film was an average grosser, it was the 12th highest-grossing film of the year.
Later years
Later in his career, he switched to little different character roles. Notable among these was the Telugu film Rudraveena (remade in Tamil as Unnal Mudiyum Thambi), considered one of his best films in Telugu. Another notable film was Avvai Shanmughi (1996), in which he characteristically played the role of an old man longing for an old maid, portrayed by Kamal Haasan. Towards the end of his acting career he kept himself busy with elegant roles in television serials, one notable serial was Krishnadasi. Ganesan also appeared in Mettukudi (1996), Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga (1997),Thodarum (1998), and his last major role came the same year with Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar, followed by a special appearance in Gemini (2002).
Other work
Unlike the other two leading Tamil actors of that time – Sivaji Ganesan and M. G. Ramachandran, Gemini Ganesan did not come from a stage background. This made his screen presence refreshingly credible and his acting was not stylised. He sustained his film career without the support of any fan club or backing of a political party. He stayed away from politics, even declining a Rajya Sabha MP offer by Rajiv Gandhi The only time he got anywhere near politics was, when he organised a function for poet Subramania Bharathi at Ettayapuram in 1963. Apart from acting, Ganesan was also a shrewd businessman and invested heavily in real estate and property development. He was a good sportsman, having captained his College Cricket team and was successful in various sports like Tennis, Golf, and Badminton. Ganesan also worked as director for the film Idhaya Malar (1976), that starred Kamal Haasan and Y. G. Mahendran.
Acclaim and criticism
Gemini Ganesan has widely been praised for his versatily in acting, having performed a "wide range of roles".He was "at his best" with Savitri, with whom he had acted in several successful films. In February 2006, Dayanidhi Maran had released a commemorative postage stamp of the actor, who he described as a "multi-dimensional personality, who evinced keen interest in Carnatic music, reading, yoga and poetry." He is also credited for having introduced leading Tamil actor Kamal Haasan through the National Award winning Kalathur Kannamma, where the latter was a child artist. Ganesan also took part in a World Tamil Conference in Kuala Lumpur, notably because he "loved Tamil language". According to politician M. Karunanidhi, the actor had developed a "reformer's mind" because he was raised by his aunt Muthulakshmi Reddy, who fought for abolition of the devadasi system. Director K. Balachandar called Ganesan a "director's delight" and stated that, "The advantage of having him as a hero was that he was convinced about the capabilities of a director, he would leave it the director and would not interfere". Lyricist Vairamuthu said, "‘Gemini' Ganesan was not envious of anyone and promoted many actors by recommending them to producers and directors".
Despite being one of the most successful actors of Tamil cinema during his time, Gemini Ganesan was criticised for being "fossilised in one type of portrayal", as most of his films were typically "boy meets girl" romantic films He was married to multiple women like actresses Savitri and Pushpavalli, which led to him being labelled a "womanizer".His hostile relationship with daughter Rekha was also a major criticism. He did not acknowledge Rekha's paternity during her childhood. It was in the early 1970s, when Rekha was looking for a footing in Bollywood, that she revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told a magazine interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation. She did not even attend her father's funeral in 2005, and once when asked about their relationship in a televised interview, she paused with silence and revealed nothing.
Personal life
Gemini Ganesan, at 19, married Alamelu,whom he lived with who he fondly called "Bobji". She is his first and only legal wife. He later married or had intimate relations though didn't live with with actresses Pushpavalli and Savitri. He is survived by seven daughters and a son. Alamelu and Ganesan have four daughters; three of them – Revathi, Kamala and Jayalakshmi - are medical doctors, the fourth Narayani is a journalist with The Times of India. Ganesan has two daughters with Pushpavalli – Bollywood actress Rekha, and Radha. The latter acted in a few Tamil films, but then opted for marriage and migration to the United States. Savithri and Ganesan have two children: a daughter Vijayasamundeeswari who is a physiotherapist, and acted in films as child artiste “Baby Savithri”, and Ganesan’s only son Satheesh Kumar. Ganesan's fourth and last wife, whom he married at the age of 78 was a then 36-year old Julianna. Juliana had left her job and relations, to be near her husband, who said he needed a younger wife to attend on him, as age had caught up with Bobji. Ganesan publicly admitted that he was closest to Bobji, than Pushpavalli or Savithri. The actor had noted in his autobiography Vaazhkai Padagu, "Somehow, I seemed to attract women who were in distress.
Documentary
A documentary film on the legend in the name of "Kadhal Mannan" was produced by Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, and directed by Ashok Kumar, DFT (Programme Head-Vendhar TV) in 2011. It was screened to many film stalwarts and fans of the legend and received rave reviews from critics for bringing out a candid representation of the actor's life in detail. Following the enormous response, a DVD version of the film was released in the same year.
Death
After a prolonged illness caused by renal failure and multiple organ failure, Gemini Ganesan died surrounded by Bobji and their daughters at his residence on 22 March 2005, 13:30 IST. He was cremated with full state honours. Prominent personalities including Tamil Nadu's chief ministers M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha paid their last respects to the veteran actor. Ganesan's funeral was not attended by estranged daughter Rekha, who was then at Himachal Pradesh shooting for a film.
Accolades
1970 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for Kaaviya Thalaivi
1971 – Padma Shri Award
1974 – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor for Naan Avanillai
1993 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South
MGR Gold Medal
Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
Kalaimamani Award (courtesy to : Wikipedia)
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On behalf of GG thread I wish a happy birth day to Mr. Gopal who has made a cascade of contributions with analysis on GG movies!
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ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!:
பணமா பாசமா (1968)
செல்வச்செறுக்கு சீமாட்டியான மாமியார் (வரலக்ஷ்மி) தன் அந்தஸ்துக்கு சமமில்லாத மாப்பிள்ளையை (ஜெமினி) உதாசீனம் செய்வதும், காதலுக்குக் கண்ணில்லை என்று அவரைக் கைப்பிடித்த மகளையும் (சரோஜாதேவி), கண்டுகொள்ளாத கணவரையும் (பகவதி)தண்டிப்பதாக எண்ணி முறுக்கிக்கொள்ளும் டிவி சீரியல் கதைகளுக்கு முன்னோடியான KSG வசனமழைப் படம். பாலச்சந்தரின் ஜெமினி/ஜெய் படமான பூவா தலையா, ரஜினியின்/தனுஷின் மாப்பிள்ளை படங்களும் இதே பார்முலாதான்.கடைசியில் இவ்வகை மாமியார்கள் எப்படித் திருந்துகிறார்கள் என்பதை ஆடல்பாடல்/செண்டிமெண்ட் இடைசெருகல்களுடன் விவரிப்பதே கதைக்களம். ஜெமினி வழக்கம்போல வழவழ ஜென்டில்மேன்! ஜெமினியின் படங்களில் வெள்ளிவிழா கண்டு வசூல் பிரளயம் செய்த படம். KSGயின் விறுவிறுபபான திரைக்கதை வசனத்துடன் கண்ணதாசனின் இலந்தைப்பழ பாடல் (பின்னாளில் வெற்றி பெண்இயக்குனராக மாறிய தெலுங்கு சூப்பர்ஸ்டார் கிருஷ்ணாவின் மனைவி விஜயநிர்மலா) ஒரு முக்கிய வெற்றிக்கான அம்சம்.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J0ixlJPt5U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBQRr5GT75Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk2B-ABfvg8
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ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!:
தாமரை நெஞ்சம்(1968): பாலச்சந்தரின் திறமையான திரைக்கதையமைப்பில் புத்திசாலித்தனமான வசனங்களில் ஜெமினியின் இதமான நடிப்பில் சரோஜாதேவி/வாணிஸ்ரீ பங்களிப்பில் நன்றாக மொட்டுவிரிந்திட்ட கமலமலர்தான்!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmfjJ1KOPdQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxU3uBgng-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqaW03o0pKM
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ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!: பார்த்திபன் கனவு (1960)
Best remembered for GG-Vaijayanthi, the most attractive pair! And the song and dance sequences!!
Parthiban Kanavu (based on 1942 Historical novel Parthiban Kanavu written by Kalki Krishnamurthy) is a 1960 Black-and-white Historical fiction multilingual directed by D. Yoganand.The film starred Gemini Ganesan and Vyjayanthimala in the lead with S. V. Ranga Rao, Ashokan, T. S. Balaiah, Malathi, Ragini and S. V. Subbiah forms an ensemble cast.
The film also had dancer Kumari Kamala who appeared in several item numbers and actress B. Saroja Devi as extra.
Parthiban Kanavu was produced in three languages, Tamil, Telugu and Sinhala by V. Govindarajan with his Jubilee Films. Upon release the film was well received by critics where it won Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 8th National Film Awards. However the film did not perform well at box office expectations.
Plot
7th century AD. Parthiban, the Chola King, dies in battle leaving incomplete his desire to be free from the yoke of the Pallavas. His son Vikraman (Gemini Ganesh) is determined to fulfil his father's dream. He is arrested by the Pallava king, Narasimhavarman and exiled to an island where he is chosen the king. Though he has banished him, Narasimhavarman in fact cares a great deal about Vikraman as the latter loves his daughter Kundhavi (Vyjayanthimala). Vikraman returns to the mainland to see his mother and is attacked by robbers. Narasimhavaraman, in the guise of asage and who has been helping Vikraman constantly rescues him. Vikraman weds Kundhavi and rules over the independent Chola Kingdom thus fulfilling his father's dream.
Critical response
The movie generally received positive review among critics for the direction of D. Yoganand and the impressive performance by the star cast, Gemini Ganesan, Vyjayanthimalaand S. V. Ranga Rao. On the other hand, the reveal of the yogi's identity in the beginning of the film was criticized as it did not hold the suspense among the audience which was the plus point of the novel. The lead pair Vyjayanthimala and Gemini Ganesan was proved to be an attractive pair and their scenes sustained interest in the cinema.The success of the lead pair continued through another film, Then Nilavu in the 1960.
Courtesy :Wikipedia and You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGtNK9NeUeo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2HlUrL_cW0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G-Gd4j8d5A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnJ_kI8tORo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC6N6UMy49M
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ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!: சௌபாக்யவதி (1957)
Etched in memory for this bewitching song in mohanam and flawless narration of the order of those days - the maayaajaala raajaa raani story plot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4AS40TYQOc
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ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!பாக்யலக்ஷ்மி........ (1961)
(Just a recap of mine with two more videos incorporated)
A movie with a hidden agenda against childhood marriages! It was a period of Child Marriages in vogue and the story of Bagyalakshmi is in line with this concept that was fervently opposed by many a circles of learned society. Sowkar Janaki's character in this film was the victim of circumstance due to this child marriage with GG. Of course GG conveniently forgets this and spins a new thread with EVSaroja! When realising...see how much turmoil Sowkar undergoes... but our King of Romance is on duty in his infamous pyjama-jibbaa uniform!! We never get angry with him...that is the magic of GG!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAb6EUr1zYs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtsM0gmFmvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xskojSpngY
ஜெமினியின் இயல்பு நடிப்பில் இன்னுமொரு பக்கம். இனிமை ரீங்காரமிடும் பாடல்களுடன் சௌகார் ஜானகியின் நெகிழ வைக்கும் நடிப்புக்கும் உரைகல். சுசீலாம்மாவின் தேனமிர்தக்குரலில் மனதை மயங்க வைத்த 'மாலை பொழுதின் மயக்கத்திலே.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcSLkVjupCQ
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ஜெமினிகணேசனின் நினைவலைகள்!:பாதகாணிக்கை (1962)
அண்ணன் தம்பி பாசப்பிணைப்பு அத்தைமகள் மாமன்மகள் நேச இணைப்பு வழக்கமான குடும்ப சண்டை சச்சரவுகள்....அவசர முடிவுகள்...குழம்பிய குட்டையில் மீன்பிடிக்கும் கூட்டம்....இந்தஅவியலை நட்சத்திரக் குவியலின் ஆடல் பாடல் ஊடல் கூடல் தேடல் ஓடல் இவற்றால் திறம்பட மூடல்! ஜெமினியின் ரெகுலரான காதல் முக்கோணத்துடன் சகோதர பாசவலை யும் என்றும் இனிமையான பாடல்களையும்சேர்த்துப் பின்னப்பட்ட பட்டுப் பீதாம்பரம்!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-4N8WDcOOs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7PcES7KBPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4XWn0-dEDs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3whlX5l52A
நடிகர்திலகத்தை நாடி வந்திருக்கவேண்டிய 'வீடுவரை உறவு' பாடல் அசோகனிடம் ஓடி விட்டதே!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fyu_oCwHQU
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60வயது கடக்கும் காதல் இளவரசரே! பிறந்ததின நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்! கலைத்தொண்டு தழைத்திடவாழிய பல்லாண்டு! பெறுக இப்பூச்செண்டு!!:
கமலஹாசன் கடந்துவந்த முள்பாதையில் ஜெமினியும் சாவித்ரியும் பூஜைக்கு வந்த மலர்கள்!ஆனால் கமலஹாசன் பூஜித்ததோ நடிப்புச்சூரியன் சிவாஜிகணேசனையே ! சிவாஜி/ஜெமினி கணேசன்களின் பேர்சொல்லும் பிள்ளை கமலே!
வளரும் பயிர் முளையிலே தெரியும்! சிவாஜிகணேசனின் நடிப்புலக வாரிசாகவும் மற்றும் ஜெமினிகணேசனின் காதல் சாம்ராஜ்ய இளவலாகவும் ஒரு கிரிவலம் வந்துவிட்டாரே
தமிழ்த்திரையுலகை பொருத்தமட்டில் சிறுவன் கமலஹாசன் சிறந்த கலைஞன் கமலஹாசனாக உருமாற்றம் பெற்றதில் அவரது 'திரைப்பெற்றோர்' ஜெமினி சாவித்திரி பங்கு மறக்க முடியாதது. காதல்மன்னரின் பிறந்ததினம் நினைவலைகளாக பொங்கிக்கொண்டிருக்கும் இவ்வேளையில் கமல் 60வயது கடக்கும் காதல் இளவரசரே! மென்மையான ஜெமினியின் மேன்மையான வலைத்திரியின் சார்பாக பிறந்ததின நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்! கலைத்தொண்டு தழைத்திடவாழிய பல்லாண்டு! பெறுக இப்பூச்செண்டு!!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axcrmw8OD4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zljub5g4CB4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNhURRJerPY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ofp0GGu3AA
