Sivaji Ganesan’s gift of baby elephant to American children and his U.S. visit as state guest Premium

Discover Sivaji Ganesan's remarkable U.S. visit as a state guest and his heartfelt gift of a baby elephant.

Sivaji Ganesan, the legendary thespian of Tamil cinema, was often compared with Marlon Brando, one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, as both were celebrated for their mastery of method acting. Yet the two had never met until 1962, when Sivaji Ganesan was invited to the United States as part of the U.S.–India Cultural Exchange Programme, reportedly after President John F. Kennedy inquired about him.

What had drawn Kennedy’s attention was Sivaji Ganesan’s unusual gift to the children of the United States — a baby elephant. Sivaji had a friend at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, and when he asked what gift from India would delight American children, the suggestion set him thinking.

“He pondered deeply. At last, he decided he would send them a baby elephant. From India, the little elephant was flown all the way to Indianapolis in the United States,” writes Dr. S.A.P. Jawahar Palaniappan, the noted cardiologist who later treated Sivaji Ganesan.

The cover of the book ‘Sivaji: My Guest in America — The Untold Story of the Legend’ by noted cardiologist Dr. S.A.P. Jawahar Palaniappan who later treated Sivaji Ganesan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In his book Sivaji: My Guest in America — The Untold Story of the Legend, Dr. Palaniappan — son of S.A.P. Annamalai, the late editor of Kumudham — records several conversations and incidents from Sivaji Ganesan’s visit. During the trip, Sivaji was treated as a state guest, assigned two officials to assist him, and given a daily allowance of $160, a considerable sum at the time.

Sivaji Ganesan is being greeted by Charles Lanier, president of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce at Albuquerque airport on June 2, 1962 | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives