A boy from Sangili Aanda Puram, 6 or 7 years old, joined the Madurai Mangala Bala Gaana Sabha, in Madurai. The troupe conducted many a drama in Tiruchy and they had a strict tutor, who used to punish by beating with a cane-stick even for minor errors.
One day, that boy was acting in the role of a young widow on stage. The tutor noticed him wearing a blouse, which was inappropriate those days as per societal norms. Once the drama was over, the boy was called by the tutor and was beaten harshly. The tutor said to the boy "How careless and unrealistic you are in your profession!"
None would have imagined or thought that the careless boy would turn into a matinee idol in the realms of Indian cinematic history, Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan.
Stellar Performances with a stentorian voice characterizes V.C.Ganesan, the first and the only South Indian actor to have won the best actor award in an international festival in 1959 (Afro-Asian film festival), and that too just after 7 years of his film debut. He debuted in the 1952 film 'Parasakthi'.
For any sort of role, be it an emperor or a beggar, disciplinarian or a drunkard, Alwar or Nayanmar, a dying old man or a jovial youth, professor or a nerd, make-up would exactly suit him and his physique was apt and conducive. There probably is no other actor who had donned and excelled in these many roles of great variety.
Sivaji Ganesan had equally faced constant criticisms of 'over-acting'.
Sivaji once retorted to his critics by saying "Acting means doing something that is not natural. So then, where does the question of over-acting come? When your mother dies, what would you do? You shout "Amma'" and cry, don't you? Your instant reaction is to cry out loud and not to sit quietly covering your eyes with your hands. That's exactly what I do in my films."
His capacity to synchronize lip and body movements to playback renditions was impeccable.
Only two Indians were so far given the honor of being the Mayor of Nyagara city for one day. Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the one while the other was the veteran thespian Sivaji Ganesan.
It's farcical that this doyen had never won the 'National award for best actor' in his film career of nearly five decades.
The Sivaji era came to an end on July 21st, 2001 as he was suffering from a prolonged heart ailment and respiratory problems for many years.
Today, October 1st, 2008 marks his 80th birthday. Celebrations and tributes are abuzz among his aficionado and admirers for this irreplaceable thespian of all-time.
