The male lead cast of Parasakthi, left to right: SV Sahasranamam, Sivaji Ganesan and SS Rajendran Since then, he was referred to by the name of "Sivaji". His portrayal of Shivaji in the stage play Shivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam earned him the monicker "Sivaji", which was conferred on him at a public function presided over by social reformer Periyar. The group favoured Ganesan to play the lead and he would continue to do so. Ganesan exhibited the ability to remember lengthy lines easily. He was trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Manipuri dance forms. From the drama troupe trainers, he was fortunate enough to learn acting and dancing. At the age of 10, he moved to Tiruchirappalli and joined a drama troupe in Sangiliyandapuram and began to perform in stage plays. Without his father's consent, Ganesan decided to join a touring stage drama company at the age of seven. Media outlets said that the initial 'V' stood for Villupuram, though one of Ganesan's sons stated that it stands for Vettaithidal, a village from which their family originates. Early in his career, Ganesan acted under the name V. Ganesan was born on 1 October 1928, as the fourth son of Chinnaiya Manrayar and Rajamani Ammal in Villupuram, India. 10.1 Civilian honours: national and international.2.3 Puranic and historical roles: 1965–1969.Upon his death, The Los Angeles Times described him as "the Marlon Brando of south India's film industry". Ganesan is remembered as an iconic figure of Tamil cinema. He was also the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 1997, Ganesan was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour for films in India. In addition, he received four Filmfare Awards South and a National Film Award (Special Jury). Many leading South Indian film actors have stated that their acting was influenced by Ganesan. Ganesan was the first Indian film actor to win a "Best Actor" award in an International film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt in 1960. In a career that spanned close to five decades, he had acted 288 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He was known for his versatility and the variety of roles he depicted on screen, which gave him also the Tamil nickname Nadigar Thilagam ( transl. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. Today, his legacy is carried on for international audiences through the performances of the many contemporary Indian acting greats who cite Ganesan as a major inspiration.V. The Indian government in 1997 honoured him with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award which is India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 1995, France awarded him its highest decoration, Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honour. Other distinguished accolades came near the end of his career. In 1960, Ganesan made history as the first Indian performer to win Best Actor at an international film festival for his historical movie "Veerapandiya Kattabomman," one of his biggest blockbusters with people remembering the dialogues from the movie even today. His best-known blockbusters include the trendsetting 1961 film "Pasamalar," an emotional, family story considered one of Tamil cinema's crowning achievements, and the 1964 film "Navarthri," Ganesan's 100th film in which he portrayed a record-breaking, nine different roles. Renowned for his expressive voice and diverse performances in Tamil-language cinema, Ganesan quickly ascended to international fame. He made his on-screen debut in the 1952 film "Parasakthi," the first of his over 300 films spanning a nearly five-decade cinematic career. This regal stage name stuck and Ganesan carried the crown as "Sivaji" as he conquered the world of acting. In December 1945, Ganesan made a name for himself - literally - with his theatrical portrayal of 17th-century Indian King Shivaji. At the young age of 7, he left home and joined a theater group, where he started playing child and female roles then lead roles. On this day in 1928, Sivaji Ganesan was born as Ganesamoorthy in Villupuram, a town in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu, India. The eye-catching doodle has been created by India-based guest artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi. Google today celebrated the 93rd birthday of Sivaji Ganesan, one of India's first method actors and widely considered among the nation's most influential actors of all time. The Google Doodle was created by India-based artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi.Ganesan was the first Indian to win Best Actor at a global film festival.Google today celebrated the 93rd birthday of method actor Sivaji Ganesan.