In memoriam | Delhi Ganesh (1944-2024): The funny man who made Nagesh his fan

CHENNAI: A comedian, hero, character artiste, a villain — you could dial Delhi Ganesh up for any role, and he was always up for it. “This is why I quit my job in the Indian Air Force and joined the Dakshina Bharata Nataka Sabha in Delhi,” he had reminisced during one of our many meetings. Then Ganesh befriended actor Kaathadi Ramamoorthy who was instrumental in making him meet legendary filmmaker K Balachander, who would go on to become his mentor. Speaking about how he became 'Delhi' Ganesh, he said, “Naanum Ganesan ah poiten (I ended being a Ganesan too). There is Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan, so Balachander sir gave me the moniker Delhi," the actor shared. There was no looking back after that.

Having starred in almost 500 films to date, Ganesh was a constant in K Balachander, Kamal Haasan and Visu's films. Being a comedian during what was considered the golden age for comedians in Tamil cinema was not an easy task by any means. Nagesh, Thenga Srinivasan, Surulirajan, Goundamani, and Vennira Aadai Moorthy were in their prime in the late 70s and early 80s. Then there was Ganesh, who may not have carved a particular niche for himself but still managed to thrive among the funny men. He wasn’t as loud as Goundamani was with his brand of comedy nor was he a complete entertainer like Nagesh. But he proved his mettle with his unique dialogue delivery and understated mannerisms combined with a touch of sarcasm.

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Ganesh always expressed gratitude when fans and others noticed his work. But there was one admirer he always remembered publicly --- Nagesh. Their bond was formed during the shoot of Kamal Haasan’s Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989) directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao where Ganesh played the iconic role of Francis Anbarasu, one of the film's villains. On a humid afternoon, the Apoorva Sagodharargal team had taken a lunch break under the shamianas on the sets. Kamal, Nagesh, Singeetam and Ganesh were present. They were chatting about their families when Ganesh started mimicking his father-in-law, a Palakkad Brahmin. Such was the finesse with which he spoke the Palakkad Brahmin dialect that Nagesh stood up and laughed loudly. “He hugged me and even used a cuss word while complimenting me. Dei ivan ella baashayum pesaraan da Kamal (This guy gets all dialects right, Kamal),” Ganesh had recalled, while brimming with pride.

The Apoorva Sagodharargal team later got together for the classic Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990) where, no choices for guessing, Ganesh was the unanimous choice to play a Palakkad Brahmin, father to Kamal’s character (Kameshwaran).

The thespian was also an unforgettable presence in several of Kamal Haasan’s acting and production ventures including Nammavar (1994), Avvai Shanmugi (1996), Tenali (2000), Nala Damayanthi (2003), Papanasam (2015), and even the recent Indian 2 (2024) — films where his performance fetched him significant public appreciation. After 2003, Ganesh appeared to have lost touch with Kamal Haasan, until Papanasam came, which was released in 2015. “I wonder why Kamal sir stopped considering me for his films. I will ask him if I get the opportunity to,” he had said.

Also Read: Delhi Ganesh: A versatile actor and his iconic roles in Tamil cinema

An affable person in real life, too, Ganesh was a man who enjoyed his evening drinks at his home and had zero enemies in the industry. But even the funny men have sorrows and regrets. “I wanted to make my son, Mahadevan, a hero in Tamil cinema but I couldn’t. I approached everyone but I did not succeed in my efforts,” he used to say with sadness.