Google celebrates Sivaji Ganesan’s legacy in its latest doodle

US-based tech giant Google has paid its tributes to Sivaji Ganesan -- one of India’s first method actors on his 93rd birth anniversary. Sivaji Ganesan, known for his versatility and the variety of roles he essayed on screen, was born on October 1, 1928 as Ganesamoorthy in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram. Ganesan left home when he was 7 years of age and joined a theatre group wherein he played child and female roles.

In December 1945, he portrayed the role of the 17th century king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a play and made a name for himself literally. It was after this play that Villupuram’s Ganesamoorthy became known as ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan. His notable works include the 1952 film ‘Parasakthi’,1960 historical film ‘Veerapandiya Kattabomman’, 1961 emotional, family drama ‘Pasamalar’ and 1964 film ‘Navrathri’ wherein he portrayed nine different roles.

Ganesan went onto become the first Indian performer to win the Best Actor award at an international film festival for his performance in the film ‘Veerapandiya Kattabomman’ in 1960. Other accolades came his way towards the fag-end of his career. French government bestowed its highest award – Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honour upon Ganesan in 1995. The Indian government honoured his legacy with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in India for cinema professionals.

“Sivaji Ganesan was known for his versatility and the variety of roles he portrayed on screen. I love seeing the evolution of his looks across movies and all the eccentric facial hair he sported through the years. You can tell he loved immersing himself into the narrative of the characters he portrayed on screen, so I really wanted to represent his artistic range through the Doodle,” said Bengaluru-based Noopur Rajesh Choksi who designed the Sivaji Ganesan Google doodle.

“I also drew inspiration from vintage Indian film posters for the treatment and typography. I was inspired by the nostalgia and the timelessness of his work, and my aim was to visualise that complex celebratory emotion in the best possible way,” she added.

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