Sivaji Ganesan

Just can’t imagine that it has been sixteen years we lost an actor who changed the lives of Tamil people. Yes, Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan was the only actor who can claim, he is the best actor across India. We can name many movies he enchanted us by his extraordinary performances. When people want to refer Veerapandiya Kattabomman the image that is going to flash in their minds is Sivaji Ganesan. He just did not act as Veerapandiya Kattabomman but he lived as the king who bravely fought against the Englishmen. Like Vairamuthu said, “I didn’t see only Sivaji Ganesan lying dead I see a Veerapandiya Kattabomman lying dead, I see an Ashok Samart lying dead, I see an Appar lying dead, I see a ‘Kappalotiya Thamizhan’ lying dead, I see King Cheran Senguttuvan lying dead, I see Lord Siva lying dead, I see the great Karna lying dead. I witnessed a greatest tragedy, so many precious lives lying dead in a body.” Vairamuthu’s these words about Sivaji Ganesan is a piece of evidence that proves he has lived in all the characters he acted.

To adore his performance as an artist we can refer so many movies like, ‘Parasakthi’ ‘Veerapandiya Kattabomman’ ‘Kappalotiya Thamizhan’ ‘Karnan’ Thiruvilaiyadal’ ‘Thillana Mohanambal’ ‘Deiva Magan’ ‘Navarathiri’ the list goes on. There actors who are equally a good performer like Sivaji. But what made him unique? Before Sivaji Ganesan there was TS Balaiah, TR Mahalingam, MK Thyagaraja Bagavathar, PU Chinnappa and so many yesteryear actor and performers who are equally good performers as Sivaji Ganesan. But why is Sivaji Ganesan is celebrated till now and why have we forgotten his yesteryear actors’ legacy?

Sivaji was the sole of renaissance in Tamil cinema. As an actor he revolutionized the Tamil cinema and changed its face. It was the time when his yesteryear actors were very Brahminical in their movies, Sivaji came into cinema with a full shift in his dialogue deliveries and performance. Kalaignar Karunanidhi was the one to eradicate Brahminical dialect from Tamil cinema by his dialogues but it was Sivaji who gave life to Kalaignar’s dialogues in ‘Prasakthi’. The Tamils wanted a change in Tamil cinema, people were desperate to accept new things and it was the time many social reformations happening in the society so they wanted that to reflect on screens and Sivaji Ganesan became the face of Tamil peoples change. Kalaignar’s dialogues and Sivaji Ganesan’s performance together made many Tamil youths as a demagogue.

I wouldn’t say that his raise as a stardom was just because of renaissance, I would rather say he is the star of the Tamil renaissance. There were many other actors at the same era, but it was only Sivaji Ganesan to create the legacy when renaissance happened. His name in history will never vanish.

Sivaji Ganesan