Sivaji Ganesan has a film appreciation society all to himself

Chennai: Ever heard of a film appreciation society that focuses on just one actor’s films? Rarely. [caption id=“attachment_191407” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Sowcar Janaki, one of Sivaji Ganesan’s favourite actors, with Sivaji’s son, Ramkumar, on the 50th anniversary of popular film, Paarthal Pasi Theerum.”]  [/caption] You’d find one in Chennai, though — the Nadigar Thilagam Film Appreciation Society, which will exclusively screen and discuss films of the late Sivaji Ganesan, former doyen of Tamil cinema and winner of the Padma Bhushan and Dada Sahab Phalke Award. At the launch of the Society in Chennai on Sunday, a popular Sivaji movie, Paarthal Pasi Theerum, was screened to mark the 50th anniversary of its release. The movie also stars Kamal Haasan as a child artist in a double role. Sowcar Janaki, who acted alongside Sivaji in the film — and one of Sivaji’s favourite actors — was the star attraction at the event. Sivaji, along with MG Ramachandran (MGR), the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, was the pillar of Tamil film industry for three decades since the early 1950s. While he was known for his consummate ability to portray diverse characters, MGR appealed to the masses. Sivaji shot into fame with his debut film Parashakthi, scripted by the former chief minister M Karunanidhi.