Remembering the Legendary Gemini Ganesan

Ramasamy Ganesan was born in Pudhukottai on 17 November 1920.

He got a job as an assistant in Gemini studios and soon became known as Gemini Ganesan. The name stayed with him after his introduction to films through the film Miss Malini.

He was one of the few graduates to enter the film industry at that time and was consistently ranked number 3 in the Tamil industry after Sivaji Ganesan and MGR. He had dreams of becoming a doctor but after the death of his first father-in-law, who promised to fund his studies, Ganesan was forced to seek work himself.

His charismatic nature on and off the screen earned him the title Kaadhal Mannan and her certainly lived up to this name, starring in memorable love stories like Then Nilavu and Kalyana Parisu. In real life, he had multiple relationships and multiple wives, one of whom was the legendary actress, Savithri. One of his daughters, Rekha, ruled Bollywood through the 1970s and 1980s as a lead actress.

He shared the screen with Sivaji Ganesan in many landmark films like Paava Maniipu, Paasa Malar, Paarthaal Pasi Theerum and, their last film together, Unakaage Naan.

He played the lead role in Kamalhaasan’s debut movie, Kallathoor Kannamma and thus formed a strong bond between the two. He cast Kamalhaasan in a major role when he directed his first film, Idhaya Malar and shared the screen with him in films like Paarthaal Pasi Theerum, Avvai Shanmugi and Unnaal Mudiyum Thambi.

K Balachander referred to him as a director’s delight and he has won numerous acting accolades, including the MGR Award, the Padmashri and the Kalaimaamani awards.

Gemini Ganesan was a huge hit when he visited South Africa and is still a well-known name today.

He passed away on 22 March 2005 at the age of 84.

17 November 2025 marked his 105^th birth anniversary.