Sivaji remembered AVM Studios unveils monument for the Tamil icon

N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai

The Tamil film industry cinema remembered thespian Sivaji Ganesan Thursday, when AVM Studios installed a monument for him on the very spot he had uttered his first dialogue the same day 50 years ago.

'Success' was the word Ganesan uttered in his maiden film, Parasakthi.

Penned by Muthuvel Karunanidhi, Parasakthi changed the face of Tamil cinema until Rajnikanth breathed a whiff of fresh air two decades later. The film with its rationalist social theme ushered in long-winding dialogues and monologues in place of song-and-dance sequences. These showed Ganesan as the master of the spoken word on celluloid.

Actor Kamal Haasan formally inaugurated a memorial for Sivaji Ganesan, with the names of all actors and technicians involved in the project inscribed on a plaque. The monument carries an icon of Sivaji Ganesan, from Parasakthi.

Also present at the function were Sivaji's family members, producer A V M Saravanan and others.

More on Sivaji Ganesan on Rediff:
How V C Ganesan became Sivaji Ganesan
'A book on my life as it came out of my mouth'
He wanted people to know the truth
A tribute to Sivaji Ganesan
A rhapsody for Sivaji Ganesan
'Perhaps they thought I had come of age