Shanthi Narayanasamy, the eldest daughter of legendary Tamil actor Sivaji Ganesan, passed away in Chennai on Sunday following a brief illness, family sources said. She was 71. Shanthi breathed her last in the city after experiencing health-related complications over the past few days, they said.

She is survived by her siblings — film producer Ramkumar, actor Prabhu and sister Thenmozhi. She was the firstborn child of the late thespian and his wife Kamala Ganesan.

Though staying largely away from the limelight compared to her brothers, Shanthi shared a deep connection with Tamil cinema history.

Her father, who owned a cinema theatre, named it after her — Shanti Theatre — in the 1960s and it was a popular landmark on the arterial Anna Salai.

Shanti Theatre was demolished years ago and the property was redeveloped into an office complex. She also made her mark in the industry behind the scenes, notably producing her father Sivaji Ganesan's 1974 blockbuster film Thangapathakkam.

Several political leaders and members of the Tamil film fraternity have reached out to the family to express their condolences over her demise.