Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, was an Indian actor and film producer. He was mainly active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Ganesan is acknowledged as one of the greatest Indian actors of all time and among the most imitated one by other actors. He was known for his versatility and the variety of roles he depicted on screen, which also gave him the Tamil nickname Nadigar Thilagam. In a career that spanned close to five decades, he had acted in 288 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. Sivaji Ganesan is the only actor in Tamil cinema to have played the lead role in over 250 films.
Ramasamy Ganesan, better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred as Kaadhal Mannan for his romantic roles in films. Ganesan was one of the "three biggest names of Tamil cinema", the other two being M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in dramatic films and M. G. Ramachandran was popular as an action hero, Gemini Ganesan was known for his romantic films. A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1971, he had also won several other awards including the Kalaimamani, the MGR Gold Medal, and the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award. He was one of the few college graduates to enter the film industry then.
Nissankara Savitri was an Indian actress and filmmaker who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil films. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was popularly known by the epithets Mahanati in Telugu and Nadigaiyar Thilagam in Tamil. Savitri was among the highest-paid and most sought-after actresses in South Indian cinema during the 1950s and 1960s.
Udaya Chandrika, better known by her screen name Radha is a former Indian actress, who predominantly appeared in Tamil and Telugu films in addition to a few Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. She was one of the top heroines in the film industry for about a decade, from 1981 to 1991, dominating the 1980s era.
Manjeri Narayanan Nambiar was an Indian actor who predominantly worked in Tamil cinema, renowned for his portrayals of villainous characters. With a career spanning over eight decades, he became a notable figure in the industry. Nambiar also appeared in a few Malayalam films during his illustrious career.
Paadha Kaanikkai is a 1962 Tamil-language drama film directed by K. Shankar and written by M. S. Solamalai. The film stars Gemini Ganesan and Savitri, with C. R. Vijayakumari, M. R. Radha, and Kamal Haasan in supporting roles. It was released on 14 July 1962.
Sankaramanchi Janaki, widely known as Sowcar Janaki, is an Indian actress known for her works in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language films. In a career spanning over seven decades Janaki has appeared in close to over 390 films. She also performed on stage in over 300 shows and was a radio artist during her earlier years. She is the recipient of two Nandi Awards, a Kalaimamani and India's fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri. Her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, was also a noted actress.
Pasamalar is a 1961 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by A. Bhimsingh. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and Savitri Ganesan, with K. A. Thangavelu M. N. Nambiar and M. N. Rajam in supporting roles. It revolves around Rajasekhar and his bonding with his younger sister Radha. Radha falls in love with her brother's friend, and Rajasekhar eventually arranges for their marriage. Problems they face form the story.
Karpagam is a 1963 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. S. Gopalakrishnan. The film features an ensemble cast including Gemini Ganesan, Savitri, S. V. Ranga Rao, M. R. Radha, R. Muthuraman, V. K. Ramasamy, V. Nagayya, Karikol Raju, Sheeladevi, K. R. Vijaya and Baby Shakila. In Karpagam, a rich farmer makes his newly married daughter (Vijaya) and her husband (Ganesan) live in his house to take care of his business. Problems arise when his estranged son (Muthuraman) starts to squander his money.
Virudhunagar Kanthan Ramasamy better known as VKR was an Indian actor, comedian and film producer who was known for his versatility in various character roles, he played in Tamil films from 1947 to 2001.
Sorgam (transl. Heaven) is a 1970 Indian Tamil-language film directed by T. R. Ramanna, starring Sivaji Ganesan, K. R. Vijaya, Rajasree, R. Muthuraman and K. Balaji. The film was released on 29 October 1970 and became a major success, running for over 100 days at the box office.
Srikanth was an Indian actor who has performed in around 200 Tamil films since his debut in 1965. He is also referred to as Vennira Aadai Srikanth. He has played the lead hero in around 50 films between 1965 and 1979 and has also played supporting roles in films with actors Sivaji Ganesan, Muthuraman, Ravichandran and Jaishankar in the lead roles. In the late seventies to early nineties, he appeared as a villain opposite actors including Sivakumar, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.
Deiva Magan is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by A. C. Tirulokchander. An adaptation of the Bengali novel Ulka by Nihar Ranjan Gupta, it stars Sivaji Ganesan in three roles and Jayalalithaa, with Sundarrajan, M. N. Nambiar, Nagesh, V. Nagayya and Pandari Bai in supporting roles. The film is about a scarred man who attempts to reconnect with his estranged family.
Kai Kodutha Deivam is a 1964 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by K. S. Gopalakrishnan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Savitri, S. S. Rajendran and K. R. Vijaya. It was released on 18 July 1964 and became a success, winning the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil – President's silver medal. The film was remade Telugu as Marapurani Katha (1967), in Malayalam as Palunku Pathram (1970) and in Hindi as Pyar Ki Kahani (1971).
Mukku Raju was a Tollywood film choreographer and actor. Raju started his career as choreographer in Tamil Cinema / Kollywood, but ended as an actor and has acted in over 1000 films. He also directed and wrote scripts for a few films. He started a dancers associations in Madras, later moved to Hyderabad and co-founded the Telugu Dancers and Directors Association, to support and help the budding directors and dancers. He received the Nandi Award for Best Character Actor in 2008 for his film 1940 Lo Oka Gramam .
Uyarndha Manithan is a 1968 Indian Tamil-language drama film written by Javar Seetharaman and directed by Krishnan–Panju. The film was produced by A. V. Meiyappan, M. Saravanan, M. Kumaran and M. Murugan under AVM Productions. It stars Sivaji Ganesan and Sowcar Janaki, while S. A. Ashokan, Major Sundarrajan, Vanisri and Sivakumar play pivotal roles. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by M. S. Viswanathan, while the lyrics for the songs were written by Vaali.
P.L. Sivanappan known by his stage name credited as Peeli Sivam was an Indian actor who featured around 400 Tamil-language films and plays from 1958 to 2017. He has featured in several films such as Muhammad bin Tughluq (1971) Malligai Poo (1973), Doorathu Idi Muzhakkam (1980), Poi Saatchi (1982),Mundhanai Mudichu (1983), Imaigal (1983), Azhagan (1991), Ejamaan (1993), Vetri Vinayagar (1996) and many more. He has also acted in television shows. In 1995, he was conferred the Kalaimamani award from the state of Tamil Nadu for his contributions in the field of drama.
Kallapetti Singaram was an Indian actor who acted in over 100 Tamil films from the 1966 to 1990. He primarily played comedic characters, mostly in minor roles in films directed by K. Bhagyaraj. His most notable movies include Suvarilladha Chiththirangal, Oru Kai Osai, Andha 7 Naatkal, Mouna Geethangal, Indru Poi Naalai Vaa, and Enga Ooru Pattukaran.
T. K. Bhagavathi was an Indian actor in Tamil stage dramas and cinema. He was the youngest brother of T. K. Shanmugam. He was famous for playing major roles in dramas and films for 45 years from 1935 to 1979. His debut film was Menaka (1935). His majestic walk, body language and bold voice earned him the reputation.
Sivanathan Shanmugavelan Ramamoorthy, better known by his stage name Nellai Siva, was an Indian comedian and actor, who predominantly worked in Tamil cinema. He worked mostly in comedy scenes. His first film was Aan Paavam released in 1985. He appeared in popular movies like Mahaprabhu, Vetri Kodi Kattu, Kannum Kannum. His way of speaking in the movies is completely of Nellai slang, which shows him unique to other supporting actors. He has acted in over 500 films in his career.
