Sivaji Ganesan’s reaction to Nagesh’s criticism on his acting

Sivaji Ganesan’s classic ‘Vasantha Maaligai’ (1972) has been digitized and is getting ready for release soon.  The romantic tragedy film directed K.S. Prakash Rao and produced by D. Rama Naidu is about a rich playboy and alcoholic Anand (Sivaji Ganesan) who falls for a middle class air hostess (Vanishree) who turns him into a new man but destiny brings them apart and destroys their love.  Immortal songs like ‘Oru Kinnathai Yendhukiren’, ‘Yaarukaaga’, ‘Kalaimagal Kaiporule’, ‘Mayakkam Enna’ and ‘Irandu Manam Vendum’ were penned by Kannadasan and composed by K.V. Mahadevan.

At the trailer launch function veteran producer, director and actor Chithra Lakshmanan stated that aspiring actors need not go to film school but watch ten Sivaji Ganesan films to learn every aspect of acting.  He also shared a news that while shooting for ‘Gauravam’ climax Sivaji Ganesan who played the aged lawyer would finish his final argument in English and after the shot the entire unit applauded him.  However Nagesh who played the lawyers assistant told Sivaji that the English diction was not perfect and Y.Gee Mahendran too felt the same.  Sivaji replied to Nagesh that he was just a primary school dropout and did not know English and can only do the shot to his ability.

However the perfectionist Sivaji Ganesan was not taken in by the applause of the hundred people in the unit but the one voice of criticism of Nagesh and decided to reshoot the whole scene again and corrected the dialogue with the perfect English diction.  Chitra Lakshmanan said that such was the dedication of the superstar of superstars and that’s why he remains unparalleled to this day.