Gemini Ganesan passes on
Ok - lets accept the fact that I am not going to be one of those frequent bloggers much as I wish I was. I cant think of any reason why I cant be so, except that most insurpassible of troubles - laziness.
I thought it was time I blogged my tribute to Gemini Ganesan, one of the very popular Tamil film actors, who passed away last week. Gemini definitely had a charm all his own. He had a niche for himself even during the times when MGR and Sivaji Ganesan held sway over the Tamil film world. He was not a people puller like MGR or an actor of the calibre of Sivaji. Yet he carved out his own definite slot - the gentle, middle-class and educated lover who serenaded hs heroines in the old way of poems and songs. I have never been even remotely attracted to MGR and his films. So lets stick to the two actors whom I enjoyed more than anyone else in Tamil cinema - Sivaji and Gemini.
Sivaji arrived after a firm innings in theatre which meant that he had the ability to emote better and was much more versatile. At the same time, he was heavy. Of course, there are exceptions. But even during his best years - the 50s and early 60s - Sivaji was never a "light-weight" actor. Gemini was. He was more understated, more subtle though given to melodrama (as every actor was in that period) What characterized Gemini the actor ? To me, Gemini was always the educated, middle-class romantic who would appeal more to the college and the literatre youths than to the front-benchers or the common man of the streets. He was rarely seen in any other kinds of roles - he was ill-suited to enact a farmer for example. He appeared too sophisticated for that. He did not fit the bill of the street rogue - his diction was too "brahminic". Thus it was that the loose kurta-pyjama became his attire and his gentle smiles swooned his heroines.
His personal life of course has been often the microsope and very public indeed. I do not intend to touch that here because a man's personal life is his business and meant for another story. Here we are discussing Gemini the artiste.
He enjoyed a very successful relationship with Director Sridhar who provided Gemini with some of his most defining roles. "Kalyana parisu" epitomized the tragic-doomed hero, "Then nilavu" the chirpy and most charming hero and "Sumaithangi"... "Sumaithangi" is a very different kind of film and the hero was one of a kind. He starts as the normal Gemini - middle-class college student, then grows into a very sensitive character in search for peace. Needless to say, "Sumaithaangi" is my all-time favorite Gemini film. Other fine films include "Missiamma" (with Savitri), "Vanjaikottai vaaliban" (with Padmini and Vyjantimala), "Panithirai" (with Saroja Devi), "Bhagyalakshmi" (with Sowcar Janiki), "Vaazhkai padagu" (with Devika), "Kaathirunda kanngal" (with Savitri) and many more.
Of course, the best part of Gemini's films was the fantastic music. IMO, Gemini's films had the best of melodies of the time. A.M.Raja and later P.B.Srinivas were his prime playback singers with Viswanathan Ramamoorthy generally the melody makers though A.M.Raja himself has provided some top-class compositions for Gemini's films himself. Some of my very favorite songs picturized on Gemini :
- manidhan enbavan deivam aagalaam (PBS/VR/Sumaithaangi) (brilliantly picturized)
- thanimayile inimai kaaNa muDiyumaa (AMR/AMR/Aadiperukku) (the pathos version)
- thuLLi thiridha peNN oNDru (PBS/VR/Kaathirundha kanngal)
- iLamai koluvirukkum (PBS/VR/Hello Mr Zamindar) (the picturization was a huge disappointment though)
- nilavum malarum paaDudu (AMR & PS/AMR/Then nilavu)
- en arumai kaadhalikku veNNilaave (TMS/Govardhan/Yellorum innaatu mannar)
To me, Sivaji (based on his first ten years only) is the greatest actor ever in Tamil films. But Gemini holds a special place as well. He is an integral part of Tamil cinema - the part that deals with gentle romance, subtle acting, the kind of acting that is typically termed "old-fashioned" today !! But Gemini remains evergreen...
I thought it was time I blogged my tribute to Gemini Ganesan, one of the very popular Tamil film actors, who passed away last week. Gemini definitely had a charm all his own. He had a niche for himself even during the times when MGR and Sivaji Ganesan held sway over the Tamil film world. He was not a people puller like MGR or an actor of the calibre of Sivaji. Yet he carved out his own definite slot - the gentle, middle-class and educated lover who serenaded hs heroines in the old way of poems and songs. I have never been even remotely attracted to MGR and his films. So lets stick to the two actors whom I enjoyed more than anyone else in Tamil cinema - Sivaji and Gemini.
Sivaji arrived after a firm innings in theatre which meant that he had the ability to emote better and was much more versatile. At the same time, he was heavy. Of course, there are exceptions. But even during his best years - the 50s and early 60s - Sivaji was never a "light-weight" actor. Gemini was. He was more understated, more subtle though given to melodrama (as every actor was in that period) What characterized Gemini the actor ? To me, Gemini was always the educated, middle-class romantic who would appeal more to the college and the literatre youths than to the front-benchers or the common man of the streets. He was rarely seen in any other kinds of roles - he was ill-suited to enact a farmer for example. He appeared too sophisticated for that. He did not fit the bill of the street rogue - his diction was too "brahminic". Thus it was that the loose kurta-pyjama became his attire and his gentle smiles swooned his heroines.
His personal life of course has been often the microsope and very public indeed. I do not intend to touch that here because a man's personal life is his business and meant for another story. Here we are discussing Gemini the artiste.
He enjoyed a very successful relationship with Director Sridhar who provided Gemini with some of his most defining roles. "Kalyana parisu" epitomized the tragic-doomed hero, "Then nilavu" the chirpy and most charming hero and "Sumaithangi"... "Sumaithangi" is a very different kind of film and the hero was one of a kind. He starts as the normal Gemini - middle-class college student, then grows into a very sensitive character in search for peace. Needless to say, "Sumaithaangi" is my all-time favorite Gemini film. Other fine films include "Missiamma" (with Savitri), "Vanjaikottai vaaliban" (with Padmini and Vyjantimala), "Panithirai" (with Saroja Devi), "Bhagyalakshmi" (with Sowcar Janiki), "Vaazhkai padagu" (with Devika), "Kaathirunda kanngal" (with Savitri) and many more.
Of course, the best part of Gemini's films was the fantastic music. IMO, Gemini's films had the best of melodies of the time. A.M.Raja and later P.B.Srinivas were his prime playback singers with Viswanathan Ramamoorthy generally the melody makers though A.M.Raja himself has provided some top-class compositions for Gemini's films himself. Some of my very favorite songs picturized on Gemini :
- manidhan enbavan deivam aagalaam (PBS/VR/Sumaithaangi) (brilliantly picturized)
- thanimayile inimai kaaNa muDiyumaa (AMR/AMR/Aadiperukku) (the pathos version)
- thuLLi thiridha peNN oNDru (PBS/VR/Kaathirundha kanngal)
- iLamai koluvirukkum (PBS/VR/Hello Mr Zamindar) (the picturization was a huge disappointment though)
- nilavum malarum paaDudu (AMR & PS/AMR/Then nilavu)
- en arumai kaadhalikku veNNilaave (TMS/Govardhan/Yellorum innaatu mannar)
To me, Sivaji (based on his first ten years only) is the greatest actor ever in Tamil films. But Gemini holds a special place as well. He is an integral part of Tamil cinema - the part that deals with gentle romance, subtle acting, the kind of acting that is typically termed "old-fashioned" today !! But Gemini remains evergreen...
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