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Born as Ganesamurthy, Sivaji Ganesan started acting in drama theatres in 1936
Parasakthi (1952), his debut film, propelled him to fame. The film had dialogues written by former late CM M Karunanidhi
300 films later which includes a few hit Hindi and Telugu movies, Sivaji Ganesan is still considered one of the greatest Indian actors of all time
Sivaji Ganesan was the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 1995
After being a staunch DMK supporter, he left the party in 1956. He then supported Congress from 1964. Following MG Ramachandran's death, he left the party in 1988 and started his own Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani.
After losing the 1989 elections, He joined the Janata Dal under VP Singh. He later became the party's state president, but his political career came to an end in 1993.
Top - Actor Roja with Sivaji Ganesan
Some of his best-regarded works include Parasakthi, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Karnan, Thiruvilayadal, Pasamalar, Thevar Magan, and Vietnam Veedu. Padayappa (1999) was his last film as a lead role.
In his five-decade-long career, Sivaji Ganesan was revered for his versatality and the variety of roles he aced on screen from historical epics and mythological dramas to social commentaries and family dramas.
In 1997, the actor was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour for films in India
In his 100th film, Navarathri, Sivaji acted nine distinct roles in the film and is considered one of his best films to date
Not just for his film roles, Sivaji was also known for his philanthropic work. He donated Rs 1 lakh for Kamaraj's Midday Meal Scheme, gave away all proceedings from 'Thanga Padhakkam' play, donated large amount of money during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and more
Sivaji Ganesan passed away on July 21, 2001 after suffering from respiratory problems and a prolonged heart ailment. Thousands of people attended his state funeral.