Latest news with #GeminiGanesan
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Rekha spoke about being abandoned by her father when she was just a baby: ' I don't even remember the time when he was at home...'
Rekha, now a celebrated icon of Indian cinema with over 180 films to her credit, had a difficult start. She entered acting not out of passion, but due to financial struggles after her father left the family. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A Shy Child with a Complex Family Background Rekha, often called an enigma today, was born Bhanurekha to Tamil legend and Telugu actor Pushpavalli. A shy and introverted child, she grew up without her father's presence and even left school to support her siblings' education. Yet, in a past interview with , she described her modest childhood as 'wonderful.' When Simi Garewal asked about her parents' relationship, Rekha described it as romantic but complicated. She revealed that her father left when she was just a baby, and she has no memories of him being at home. Despite his absence, Rekha never felt her family was dysfunctional. Instead, her mother often shared stories about him, deeply in love and enchanted by his charm. A Romantic Yet Complicated Parental Relationship Although Rekha has no personal memories of Gemini Ganesan as a father, she vividly remembers being fascinated by his presence as a romantic hero—both in real life with her mother and in the films she watched. She described him as a captivating lover on screen and admired the charm he exuded. Early Encounters with Gemini Ganesan Rekha's first impression of her father, Gemini Ganesan, came not at home but outside her school, where she once saw him dropping off her step-siblings. Despite attending the same school as several of his children from different marriages, Rekha recalled feeling unnoticed by him during those brief encounters. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Though she recognized him as her father, they never had a personal interaction, and she believed he likely didn't even realize she was there. When asked if it ever upset her that her father never acknowledged her, Rekha reflected that she might have subconsciously blocked it out. As a child, she was more preoccupied with everyday worries like homework or comparing herself to her siblings. While she admitted she may have missed having a father, she also noted that not experiencing it firsthand meant she never truly understood what it felt like. To her, the idea of a father was abstract—something she associated more with church than with her own life, as she had no real concept of a father's love. Growing Up Without a Male Role Model Rekha spent much of her childhood in the care of her grandmother and aunt, as her mother was often away on film shoots. Reflecting on the absence of a strong male presence during those formative years, Rekha shared that the only figure she truly looked up to was God. Her elder brother, she said, relied on her rather than guiding her. It wasn't until later in life that she found a father figure in filmmaker Mohan Sehgal, who became a significant influence as she entered the film industry. Rekha, often hailed as an ageless beauty, stands out among her contemporaries for her timeless grace. However, her entry into films wasn't by choice. Facing financial hardships at home and with the responsibility of supporting her siblings' education, Rekha stepped into acting at her mother's insistence. What was meant to be a one-time project with Anjana Safar soon turned into a lifelong journey in cinema—one that carved her legacy as one of Bollywood's most iconic stars. True to her resilient spirit, Rekha remains grateful for every twist and turn in her life. She believes that each chapter—no matter how difficult—played a role in shaping the person she is today. For her, life unfolded like a perfectly written screenplay, and she wouldn't change a thing.
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kamal Haasan reveals his new nickname for Mani Ratnam; Simbu shares why he's never late to Thug Life director's set: ‘It's not because I am scared of him, but…'
Despite belonging to different generations, there is something interestingly similar about Tamil stars Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR (popularly known as Simbu); both of them pretty much grew up on movie sets after having made their film debuts as child artistes. While Kamal Haasan entered the world of cinema at the age of six, playing a key role in director A Bhimsingh's Gemini Ganesan and Savitri-starrer Kalathur Kannamma (1960) – which earned him the Rashtrapati Award – Simbu made his first screen appearance at the tender age of one in his father T Rajendar's Uravai Kaatha Kili (1984). Since then, the two have come a long way. Another factor that unites them is their shared admiration and deep respect for legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam. While the two are gearing up for the release of Mani's Thug Life, which also marks the two actors' first on-screen collaboration, Kamal and Simbu recently opened up about their experience working with the veteran director. Talking about Mani's dedication to filmmaking, Kamal also revealed the new nickname he has given to the director because of his habit of arriving on set even before sunrise. 'While working on Thug Life, I was so happy to see him with the same enthusiasm that I saw in him while we were doing Nayagan (the 1987 gangster drama that marked the director and actor's last movie together). I have started calling him Anjara Mani Ratnam (Anjara in Tamil means 5.30) because he starts the shoot at 5.30 am. He would reach the set at 5 itself. Imagine the plight of the cameraman (Ravi K Chandran), who has to be there at least 15 minutes prior. Everyone welcomed this new name I gave him by applauding. I told him I won't come at 5.30, and the best I can do is 7 am. I said, 'At 5.30, it will just be the two of us, sitting there and talking. No one else will be around. So, you do you; I will come by 7.' He is not just an early bird; he is a bird with wings larger than most birds,' Kamal quipped during a promotional event organised by Raaj Kamal Films International, the co-producer of Thug Life. Simbu, meanwhile, heaped praise on the filmmaker for his professionalism and shared why he is never late to a Mani Ratnam set. The actor has frequently faced criticism for allegedly arriving late to sets and having conflicts with the makers of his films. 'Many have asked me how I go on time to Mani sir's sets and if he is strict or if I am afraid of him. It's not because I am scared of him. Yet, I have never been late to his set even once. There have been days when I reached before he did. The reason is we are actors… When we agree to act in a movie trusting a director or the producer, they should complete the movie on time,' Simbu pointed out as Kamal patted him in appreciation for speaking out. Watch Kamal Haasan's Thug Life teaser here: He continued, 'The director should come on time. Only then would the actors come on time. When Mani Ratnam comes to the set, he won't sit around thinking, 'What or how to do something?' He would know exactly what he needs and what needs to be done. And thus, he won't waste an actor's time or call sheet, would complete the movie on time, the payment would come on time, and the movie would also be released on the scheduled date. If a man has perfectly followed all these years, which actor would feel like not reaching his set on time?' Adding to Simbu's statement, Kamal Haasan mentioned that he too faced the same with people asking him why he would go to K Balachander and Balu Mahendra's sets on time, but when certain others told him to come at 9, he would reach only by 10. 'I didn't react back then (like how STR did now) because they walked around carrying staffs. But all they had were staffs (like sceptres), but it's people like them (Balachander, Balu and Mani) who ruled cinema. When we work with people like them, an alarm automatically goes off inside us.'
