Today marks the 18th death anniversary of the immortal legend Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan who is revered as the very definition of acting even to this day. Much has been written about this performer par excellence that it becomes difficult to add anything without sounding monotonous. There may be criticisms of overacting but it is undeniable that Sivaji brought 300 odd distinct characters to the screen like no other.

One more notable aspect of Sivaji's greatness is that he was always surrounded by powerhouse performers in his movies namely V. Nagiah, S.V. Subbaiah, S.V. Rangarao, M.R. Radha, T.S. Balaiah, SSR, Gemini, Savithri, Padmini and later years Muthuraman, Manorma and Nagesh. That he survived the onslaught of so many talents and still stood out in the minds of Tamils for generations is what makes him unique and incomparable. It's a pity that he did not live into this digital age for he would still have connected to another generation not only through his swag and emoting but as a mentor as well.