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Google on Friday, October 1, paid tribute to late Tamil actor Sivaji Ganesan on his 93rd birth anniversary. Sharing the special doodle that was illustrated by Bengaluru-based guest artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi, Google described Sivaji as “one of India’s finest method actors and widely considered among the nation’s most influential actors of all time.” Google also added that the actor is "renowned for his expressive voice and diverse performances in Tamil-language cinema.”
Many Kollywood movie-buffs and social media users heaped praises on Google for honouring the legendary actor on his birth anniversary. Sivaji Ganesan’s grandson, actor Vikram Prabhu, shared the doodle on Twitter on Friday and appreciated Google India and artist Noopur for the doodle. He also added that he loves his grandfather and misses him every year. “Appreciate the people from Google India & their guest artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi for the doodle art. Another proud moment!?? Love him and miss him more every year! (sic),” Vikram Prabhu’s tweet read.
The vintage doodle features 3 varied looks of the actor from different points in his career. Explaining how the doodle was conceptualised, artist Nupur told Google, “Sivaji Ganesan was known for his versatility and the variety of roles he portrayed on screen. I loved seeing the evolution of his looks across movies and all the eccentric facial hair he sported through the years. You can tell that he loved immersing himself into the narrative of the characters he portrayed on screen, so I really wanted to represent his artistic range through the Doodle.”
Born in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram as Ganesamoorthy, Sivaji left his home at the age of seven and joined a theatre group, where he played the roles of child actors and female roles before he went on to play lead roles in plays. He acquired the name ‘Sivaji’ after he made a mark with his theatrical portrayal of 17th-century Indian king Shivaji in 1945.
He forayed into films in the early 1950s, with his acting debut Parasakthi, which released in 1952. Navarathri, the actor’s 100th film where he played nine different roles, Pasamalar, an emotional family drama and period film Veerapandiya Kattabomman, continue to remain as fan favourites. In his career spanning over close-to-five decades, Sivaji Ganesan has acted in more than 300 films.
He ascended to international fame with several movies. In 1995, France awarded him its highest decoration, Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honour. Back home, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, considered to be India’s highest award in the field of cinema, in 1997. “Today, his legacy is carried on for international audiences through the performances of the many contemporary Indian acting greats who cite Ganesan as a major inspiration,” Google wrote.
Here is the #Googledoodle honouring the Legend #SivajiGanesan on his 93rd birthday. Appreciate the people from Google India & their guest artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi for the doodle art. Another proud moment! Love him and miss him more every year!❤️ https://t.co/jq7WkUsBCw pic.twitter.com/A1aczdPEPl
— Vikram Prabhu (@iamVikramPrabhu) September 30, 2021