Ramasamy Ganesan, better known as Gemini Ganesan—a member of the triumvirate of actors along with MG Ramachandran, MGR, and Sivaji Ganesan made Tamil cinema their own for decades. Born on 17 November 1920, Gemini Ganesan was famous for his boy-meets-girl love stories – however, behind the star and his scandalous and glamorous personal life, was a regular father who loved his bajjis, fried poppadoms and good conversation.
“He was a man who loved to help us in the kitchen doing odd jobs like cutting vegetables or doing things around the house. Despite his stardom, he always held middle-class values and did things himself,” said Vijaya Chamundeswari, Ganesan’s daughter with his second wife Savitri, a famous South Indian actor in her own right.
“There were times when as children we would come together to meet him in the evenings. But before any conversation would start, he [Ganesan] would appear with a plate full of bajjis for us,” Chamundeswari reminisced of the times when she would meet her father.
Ganesan’s story to stardom began as a casting assistant at the famed Gemini Studios in Chennai. The studio, which was located near what today has come to be known as Gemini Flyover in the heart of Chennai, was a petri dish for many successful actors in Tamil cinema.
The actor’s long association with the studio gave him the name ‘Gemini Ganesan’. The name stuck all through his career spanning five decades and over 200 movies. He acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi. His successes in Tamil cinema led to the moniker of the ‘King of Romance’.
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Catapult to fame
At the age of 19, Ganesan married Alamelu with whom he had four daughters – Revathi, Kamala, Jayalakshmi and Narayani. In 1953 he played the lead role in Manam Pola Mangalyam, with Savitri. A comedy of mistaken identities, Manam Pola Mangalyam, was a commercial success that launched Ganesan and Savitri to stardom.
No copies of the film remain today, but it is remembered for bringing the two leads together in real life, according to film historian Madabhushi Rangadorai, popularly known by his pen name Randor Guy.
“The film was a thumping success and the hero became a star. A new age in Tamil cinema, that of the Romantic Hero had dawned. This hero did not indulge in fisticuffs every fifth scene, nor did he deliver jaw-breaking, alliterative and seemingly endless passages of dialogue,” wrote Guy in The Hindu.
Savitri and Ganesan were parents to two children – Vijaya Chamundeswari and Satheesh Kumar. Ganesan was also involved with noted actor Pushpavalli. They had two children together – Radha and Bhanurekha (the actor, Rekha).
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‘Embodies freedom’
For Chamundeswari, Ganesan epitomised freedom.
“When we were children, he would love to throw us in the air and he would always catch us. To me he embodies the idea of freedom, to reach for the stars while he would always be there to catch me if I fell,” Chamundeswari told ThePrint.
He was always there when children needed him. When Savitri was in a coma for 19 months, he made sure to take care of her brother who was 14 at the time. “He ensured that we were financially stable as well,” Chamundeswari added.
The historian V Sriram wrote that Ganesan was “out of the ordinary” when compared to most of his contemporaries. For one, Ganesan was a graduate and a former Chemistry teacher – a rarity for thespians from that era. Ganesan did not limit the academic pursuits of his children either.
“He was particular that his daughters would grow up to be independent and educated. He also kept reminding us to join social clubs and take up hobbies to keep ourselves occupied. Growing up, I did not think much of it, but his advice helped me,” Chamundeswari recalled.
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The reader, sportsperson and writer
Ganesan was a voracious reader who enjoyed gardening and playing sports like golf and tennis. Chamundeswari told ThePrint how there was a small step ladder for the library in his house. He also loved to write in his diaries, a habit which helped his daughter Narayani Ganesh write his biography, Chamundeswari said.
“He maintained a full system, like a library for his books. He read everything – history, biographies, gardening and a myriad of other topics. But his love above all else was for his garden and cricket,” Chamundeswari said.
His day started at 4 am with a game of tennis and was packed with activities.
“Tennis was followed by breakfast and coffee with his friends before starting the rest of his day. He played other sports like golf and billiards as well, but he was not a fan of football. There would always be some sports game running on his television,” Chamundeswari said.
While Ganesan had a healthy relationship with almost all of his children, one of his daughters—the famous actor Rekha once said that he never “saw her”, adding that she has “no idea” what a father’s love is.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)