In an exclusive interview with Cinema Express, veteran Tamil actor Sivakumar opens up about the little-known chapters of his early life, his name change rooted in astrology, the stigma around cinema in his childhood, and his eventual breakthrough with AVM Studios. Watch interview:
Before he became a household name across Tamil Nadu, actor Sivakumar was known by a very different name—Baladandapani. But a twist of fate changed it all.
“My birth name was Baladandapani,” Sivakumar reveals. “My father, a knowledgeable astrologer, had said that if he lived, my name would remain unchanged, but if he passed away, it should be changed to Palaniswamy. He died when I was just 10 months old, and as per his wishes, my name was changed to Palaniswamy. That remains my official name to this day, as per records. However, when I entered the film industry, the name felt a bit traditional. It was AVM Studios that gave me the name Sivakumar, a more modern, screen-friendly version of Palaniswamy.”
The actor, who went on to star in classics such as Rosappu Ravikkaikaari, Sindhu Bhairavi, and Saraswathi Sabatham, also recounted the deep-rooted stigma associated with cinema when he was growing up.
“Back in those days, gambling, prostitution, and working in films were all seen as equally immoral,” Sivakumar says. “Coming from a conservative background and being raised by a widowed single mother, there was even greater concern about me being drawn into cinema.”
Despite the social taboos, a single movie outing as a child changed the trajectory of his dreams. “The first film I ever watched was Chandralekha when I was seven years old. My cousin took me, and that’s how I was introduced to the magic of cinema. After that, I watched films like Chakradhari, En Veedu, and Pavalakkodi. I developed a deep passion for cinema and often memorised film dialogues, but I knew it wasn’t easy to break into the industry,” he shares.
Before his big break as an actor, Sivakumar was a renowned visual artist. “When I first came to Chennai in the 1950s, I was determined to make something of myself. I understood that the film world was vast and difficult to enter, but I didn’t let that deter me. For seven years, I worked as a visual artist. Eventually, though, people began dismissing my work, saying it looked like it belonged to the 16th century and had no modern value.”
It was when this avenue started to dim that fate brought him closer to cinema once again. “I was at a crossroads when an opportunity in cinema came my way. My uncle’s son, Chithra, offered me a role as a younger brother in a film, but unfortunately, the project didn’t take off. Around that time, AVM Studios was looking for a new face for Kaakum Karangal. They did a look test with me and chose me for the role. That film became my debut,” Sivakumar shares.
