The unknown facet of Delhi Ganesh

One thing that Delhi Ganesh knew when he was still active was that filmmakers, co-artistes and the audience loved him and what he brought to the table, be it in plays, TV serials, short films and movies. And that those in the neighbourhood loved their everyday conversations with him. Two days before his passing, his family said he was at the dubbing studio, and two days after, he was supposed to be shooting. And so, Ganesh went the way he always wanted to — knowing he was still cherished as a performer and person.

By now, everyone has written about how the ex-Corporal of the Indian Air Force, was inimitable as an actor. Sure, he was talented, disciplined. But, above all, he was bold enough to experiment with a range of roles, even when he had already made a mark in comedy. Like the religious preacher-singer of Ananthu’s Sigaramm (1991), who begs a young fan (Ramya Krishnan) to sleep with him, because he can’t marry and he’s afraid he would die without knowing female company. The desperation before the act and the guilt and fear when he finds out she’s pregnant — who else would agree to play a distinctly unlikeable character in a manner that evokes pity? Or the intensely jealous elderly man of director Vasanth S Sai’s Payasam in Navarasa (2021) on Netflix, who does something that evokes disgust. Both Ananthu and Vasanth are from the K. Balachander school, and have seen what Delhi Ganesh is capable of, from close quarters — after all, he made his film debut with KB’s Pattina Pravesam (1976).

And, in all 48 years in cinema, Ganesh never lost his creative generosity, constantly working in the movies or short films of up and coming directors, for a fraction of his market rate. This act of his is probably why my phone kept buzzing yesterday with voice notes, some of them with a visible tremble, from many young directors. And, also probably why Delhi Ganesh is that ‘cool’ actor for children who grew up in the 2000s. For them, he IS Alfred Pennnyworth in Put Chutney’s What If Batman Comes to Chennai. Age did not wither his infinite variety, wisdom or make him bitter.

Actor-writer-director and mimicry artiste K. Manikandan who directed him in the heartwarming Narai Ezhuthum Suyasaridham (2015), now on Sony LIV, remains struck by the actor’s professionalism. “I was 21 years old, he would have been in his early 70s. The only reply to any instruction would be ‘Appadeengala sir, saringa sir’ (okay sir, sure sir). We paid him a small portion of his market rate, we were a four-member crew and shot with a 5D camera, but he gave it the same dedication he would, to a movie. And when I handed him the balance payment on the last day, he said, ‘Mani, keep it. See if you can use it for the film’. Who does that in this day and age?”

Delhi Ganesh kept the set a happy place. In K. Manikandan’s Narai Ezhuthum Suyasaridham
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Manikandan is known for his mimicry of Delhi Ganesh, but he says Ganesh was an amazing mimicry artiste as well. “He would imitate the voices of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, he would show us how he got the Palakkad dialect of Michael Madana Kama Rajan (MMKR), he kept the set a happy place. He shared trivia you would have never come to hear of otherwise,” shares Manikandan, adding that this was the period when the veteran actor wondered if he should give up acting, because he was not getting too many interesting roles and was feeling stagnant. He would not know then, that he had a decade more of work left in him.

Director RS Prasanna of Kalyana Samayal Saadham (2013) and who is working on his directorial Sitaare Zameen Par, starring Aamir Khan, in Hindi, speaks fondly of the time spent with Delhi Ganesh when working on a college project, and later on KSS. 

With Aravind SA on the sets of Dhuruva Natchathiram
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In 2010, Aravind SA, now popular as a comic, reached out to Ganesh for the short film Dhuruva Natchathiram he was making as part of his film direction course in LV Prasad Film and TV Academy in Chennai. Prasanna and Meenakshi Ramani, now his wife, were part of the cast. In a post on X, Aravind said: “I owe everything in this journey of mine to you… I hope to give back as much as you gave to us youngsters”. 

Prasanna played Ganesh’s son in the short. “He was very affectionate, and when I was nervous to face him in a scene, he ensured I delivered my lines. At the end of the day’s shoot, I told him that if I ever made a film, he would definitely be a part of it.” 

In Kalyana Samayal Saadham, the veteran actor aced the part of Chandrasekharan, the would-be father-in-law who was generally nervous but turned cool and encouraging of the prospective son-in-law after knowing he has erectile dysfunction. “I wrote the part keeping only him in mind, because it was close to the vibe he gave me — that of a person young at heart. He’s that modern guy who is comfortable with his traditional roots. He loved his cotton kurtas, spectacles and moustache look. ‘Romba cool aakite’ (You’ve made me cool) he would say. If he had not done it, I would have been heartbroken. Again, he came on board for a nominal amount to support new talent.”

Ganesh loved his spectacles and moustache look in Kalyana Samayal Saadham
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Director Surrya M Narayanan, who, as a 19-year-old,  made the short Unakae Uyiraanen (2013) with Delhi Ganesh, shares Prasanna’s observations. “On the first day of the shoot, he said, ‘Surrya sir, naa ready’. He used ‘Sir’ just to give me confidence and to set the tone of that set,” he says. When a young Surrya yelled ‘Action’ no one moved. And then Delhi Ganesh called him saying he had an issue with his costume. “As I was adjusting it, he whispered, ‘Surrya, first, you say ‘Roll camera’, they will say ‘Rolling’, and then, you say ‘Action’, okay?’ He again yelled ‘Ready, Surrya sir. And that’s how I called my first proper shot.” 

Prasanna remembers with gratitude the many things Ganesh did to empower him as a young director. “Legends like him bring so much wisdom and authority to the set so that everyone else takes their lead. He would always be on time, he would ask you what he had to do. Sometimes, you felt he did it so the others would give the director respect. On set, he loved chatting up people. And, even if you sent him early because his portion was complete, he would still wait till the time the call sheet ended. ‘What if the director decides he wants another shot? Or has forgotten something. I will wait,’ he once told my father. He worshipped his craft. And, he never let anyone feel that he did them a favour. So, it is the duty of those who received help to speak about him. And, I don’t think we should call him a ‘character’ artiste. He was an exceptional artiste with great character.”

On his part, Delhi Ganesh felt young directors were a delight to work with. In an interview to The Hindu, he said: “With no preconceived notions, they provide enough creative fodder for actors. And…they respect talent and age. They push me to give my best, but also ensure that lunch is served to me at 1 p.m. sharp, considering my age.”

Ganesh with  Kamal Haasan in Nayagan
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Director Vasanth S Sai might be a big name now, and a National Award-winning director, but when he was an assistant to K. Balachander, he got to share a room for 60 days with Delhi Ganesh in Kutralam when they were shooting for Achamillai Achamillai. Years later, he would go on to give Ganesh one of his finest roles in Payasam, as a bitter old man who is deeply resentful of his nephew and does something that evokes disgust in the viewer. But Ganesh infused the character with so much rooted bitterness, it was difficult to imagine it came from someone who managed to find something to laugh even in sadness. 

“KB Sir loved him a lot, because he was so sincere. There would never be any mistakes in dialogue or reaction. In fact, he’d only add value to the scene. He helped so much during Achamillai because he was familiar with the Tirunelveli slang. Years later, I turned producer of a TV series called Senior Junior and he was my first choice. 

“In fact, during Payasam, I was hesitant to call him, because he had just had heart surgery, but I could not think of anyone else. Even two years after Payasam, whenever anyone told him they liked him in the movie, he would call me and pass on the feedback. He was grateful for any acting opportunity that excited him. He wanted to keep acting, and I am so glad he got to do so till the very end. In his autobiography  Pillayaar Suzhi that was released recently, he narrates his momentous life with so much humour. I’d compare him to Nagesh Sir in terms of what they brought to a project. I worked with Nagesh Sir in Rhythm and I got almost the same kind of feel when I did Payasam with Ganesh sir.”

Ganesh’s autobiography Pillayaar Suzhi
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Ganesh was known for his collaborations, most of them steeped in comedy, with Kamal Haasan and Crazy Mohan — Avvai Shanmugi and MMKR rank right on top. Interestingly, he did two very different roles in Nayagan, as Iyer, and in Aboorva Sagotharargal, where he played the baddie Francis Anbarasu.  

‘Madhu’ Balaji, Crazy Mohan’s brother, has fond memories of working with Ganesh. “Mohan always called Ganesh his lucky charm. When he wrote for a film, he would always insist that Ganesh be roped in for some role. Their association began in 1975 or 1976 when Mohan was writing for Kaathadi Ramamoorthy, who introduced Ganesh to the stage too. Their first drama was Honeymoon Couple. Later, in Ayya Amma Ammamma, the antics of Ganesh and Ramamoorthy brought the play alive. Mohan always felt that if you looked at a character as a fruit, Ganesh was that actor who could extract the last bit of juice from it, with his improvisation. Ganesh was your everyman who could fit into any role, and it is near impossible to fit the slot he’s vacated.”