Sivaji Ganesan: Along with M.G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan dominated Tamil Cinema to such an extent that the two automatically demanded Madras distribution rights in their contracts and could bankrupt a producer by causing production delays and stalling a film's release if they so desired.

Born Viluppuram Chinnaiah Ganesan in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu, his father moved to Viluppuram where he spent his early years. When he was seven, a travelling drama troupe came to Viluppuram.

Sivaji acted as one of the soldiers in the play. His father was appalled that he had acted in some cheap drama and that too in a white man's part. He was lambasted and punished and ran away from home. He joined a drama troupe touring Tiruchi - Yadharathnam Ponnuswamy and Company.

He told the owner he was an orphan and was taken under his wing. It was here that he honed his talents for music and dancing. He learnt Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali and even Manipuri and also trained in Carnatic music. As he moved from troupe to troupe, his reputation as an actor grew.

Sivaji acted on the stage when it was scandalous for women to do so. He played several roles of women on the stage. One of his favourites was Noorjehan. To quote him...

"I used to do the Kathak and at every step, I got resounding applause."

He made his reputation as an actor in C.N. Annadurai's Sivaji Kanda Indhu Rajyam, a historical on the Maratha Emperor Shivaji. He was asked to play the role at the last moment when the lead actor (an unknown MGR!) backed out. It is said he memorized the entire 95 pages of dialogues in a day! Such was his impact that the play also gave him his screen name.

Sivaji followed Annadurai when he started the DMK in 1949. He made his film debut playing the lead role in Parasakthi (1952).The film is one of the most controversial films in the history of Tamil Cinema, replete with assonant monologues. It owed its success in large part to its dialogues written by Karunanidhi who used the film to express his ideas on religion, god and priesthood. The success of the film not only made Sivaji a star, but also the official icon of the DMK party for some years [ continue... ]