Delhi Ganesh: An actor who could be anyone on screen

Delhi Ganesh, the versatile character artiste of Tamil cinema, leaves behind a legacy of warmth, trust, and laughter.

Delhi Ganesh had a malleability that suffused every role he portrayed in the movies. The thespian (80), who passed away late on Saturday (November 9, 2024) night, was the quintessential character artiste, offering warmth and trust, laughter, and the odd tear, and was a vital cog in the Tamil film industry.

Having been a part of a drama troupe in Delhi besides a stint in the Indian Air Force, Ganesh preferred the stage and celluloid. K. Balachander, the great director who groomed both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, added the moniker Delhi to Ganesh; the name stuck, and a great actor had found his moorings in the same stable that nursed the versatile Nagesh.

Ganesh was an apt foil to Kamal Haasan in iconic films like Nayagan, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, and Thenali. To offer the right counter to Kamal is never easy, but Ganesh always had the suitable words, the ideal expression, and the perfect pitch. He could be a tired cop, a world-weary grandfather, a broker sensing a deal, and in all this, he would meld himself completely to the role.

When he said “Nayakkare” to Kamal in Nayagan, we felt his reverence towards the Dharavi don, and also humanised Velu Nayakar. Ganesh’s half-concealed tear would make your lacrymal glands work overtime. If there was a Nedumudi Venu in Malayalam, Kollywood had its Delhi Ganesh, the everyday man, who could be anyone when the director hollered action!

With more than 400 films under his kitty, Ganesh’s presence in Tamil films was an enduring tapestry till age caught up with him. In recent years, he would do the odd speech; this was TedX talk infused with self-deprecatory humour and some philosophy. He could mimic well, was adept with different Tamil dialects, and there was always a twinkle in his eye when he recalled the good old days.

This was a grounded man, inextricably a part of celluloid, but one who refused the glitz of stardust. He was the quintessential neighbourhood uncle to whom you could confess your fears. With his departure, the Tamil film industry has lost a giant.