The other day a friend and I were having a conversation about actors and their style. He said that he liked Gemini Ganesan. For those who don't know, Gemini Ganesan was a romantic hero, both in reel and real.
I was a bit taken aback.
Now usually in Tamil Nadu if someone is asked who was their favorite actor, the reply is usually one of the top two in that generation. Say in my dad's generation one would have said either MGR or Shivaji. In my generation, it was either Kamal or Rajini. Then maybe it was Vijay or Ajith. Of course now, there is plenty to chose from. There are so many heroes that we may have to segment and then decide the top stars in each category. Now that makes a topic for another post.
I quizzed my friend why he liked the Kadhal Mannan.
He said that Gemini is probably one of those few stars who cannot be imitated. He wasn't an acting genius, but did manage to become the character. Have you come across anyone who can mimic him? I haven't.
Am not saying that Gemini excelled in method acting. In my opinion, he didn't have any exceptional skills and he also never tried different roles. But then Rajini and MGR are no different. Gemini, as my friend put it, fitted into the characters he portrayed. His movies revolved around the story and not on the character.
I have from that day onwards started appreciating Gemini. He is a rare breed, inimitable. In an industry where personal brand has become far more important than the characters, Gemini was like the clay that could be molded to suit the requirements.
In the present day, I think Jeeva and Dhanush are probably more Gemini than the other actors. The former more than the latter.
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