On Sivaji Ganesan's 93rd birth anniversary, Google pays tribute to the legendary actor with a Doodle

Along with the rest of the country, Google is celebrating the 93rd birth anniversary of late legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan. Credit for the beautiful tribute goes to Bengaluru-based guest artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi. The thespian's grandson, actor Vikram Prabhu, was among the first to share the doodle and remember him. Taking to Twitter, he penned a note of gratitude that read, 'Here is the #Googledoodle honouring the Legendary #SivajiGanesan on his 93rd birthday. Appreciate the people from Google India and their guest artist Noopur Rajesh Choksi for the doodle art. Another proud moment! Love him and miss him more every year.' A fan, paying tribute, penned, 'There are heroes and then there are legends, heroes get remembered but legends never die. happy and memorable birthday to our beloved father of cinema shri Sivaji Ganesan appa.' Another Twitter user, remembering him wrote, 'On this special day, we remember the Iconic நடிகர் திலகம் #SivajiGanesan aiya. Your contribution to Indian cinema is unparalleled and you will always remain in our hearts.' A third wrote, 'The legendary artist. The greatest actor. The pinnacle of acting. The artist incomparable. The Everest of arts #SivajiGanesan'. Among the first brilliant actors from India to gain international fame, Sivaji was born on October 1, 1928, as Ganesamoorthy in Villupuram in Tamil Nadu. He ventured out of his home at the age of seven to join a theatre group, where he started playing child roles and then eventually, lead roles. Interestingly, in 1945, Ganesan played the role of Maratha ruler Shivaji in a play titled 'Shivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam' which pushed him into the spotlight. So memorable and iconic was his performance that the name stuck around, and Ganesamoorthy earned the nickname of 'Sivaji,' after which he was known by that name for the rest of his life. While he was mainly active in the Tamil film industry, Ganesan appeared in nearly 300 films in different languages. In his career spanning nearly five decades, he won numerous awards for his outstanding performances. He passed away on July 21, 2001, at 72.