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Gemini Ganeshan is no more

     Chennai: The South Indian star of yesteryears, "Gemini" Ganesan died at his residence here early on Tuesday after prolonged illness, informed family sources. Gemini, 84, is survived by seven daughters and a son. Noted star of Bollywood, Rekha, is one of the daughters of the late film star. Ganeshan, who worked in more than 200 films in his career span of five decades, died around 1.30 am. He acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. He was also known as "Kadal Mannan" (king of romance), a title bestowed on him by a famous magazine "Pesumpadam". Born in an orthodox Brahmin family in Pudukottai near Thanjavur in 1920, Ganesan started his career as a lecturer in the Madras Christian College. However, his career changed after he met a cameraman of Gemini Studios, Ramnath, who led him to join the famous production house as an executive in 1947 and was thus given the tag "Gemini" when he started acting. Some of his more memorable movies are "Vanjikottai Valiban", "Konjum Salngai", "Missiamma", "Pasa Malar", "Kalyana Parisu", "Kalathur Kannamma", "Karpagam", "Then Nilavu" "Iru Kodugal", and "Punnagai". In "Nann Avanillai", he played nine roles. He had acted opposite most of the popular heroines in his heydays such as "Sowkar" Janaki, Savithri, whom he later 'married', Vaijayanthi Mala, Devika and B Saroja Devi. Gemini was awarded the Padmasree in 1971 and bagged several other prestigious honours including the Kalaimamani Award, MGR Gold Medal and Screen Life Time Achievement awards.

Karunakaran loyalist minister resigns in Kerala (Go To Top)

     Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Minister for Culture and Scheduled Caste Welfare and Backward Communities, AP Anilkumar, tendered his resignation here today. The resignation comes in the wake of the ongoing tug-of-war between the two senior Congress leaders in Kerala, Oommen Chandy and K. Karunakaran. Anilkumar is a loyalist of senior leader K Karunkaran. Anilkumar sent his resignation to the Chief Minister Ommen Chandy. Anilkumar did not attend the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, which was held on Monday.

Notice to MLAs supporting Karunakaran (Go To Top)

     Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday issued show cause notices to 13 Congress MLAs for attending a rally organized by former chief minister K Karunakaran's faction in Kochi defying the high command. According to informed sources, Chandy in his capacity as CLP leader asked the MLAs to explain why they attended the rally yesterday defying the AICC and KPCC ban. They have been asked to furnish their reply within two days or it would be taken as that they did not have anything to say and proceed with further action, CLP sources said. The MLAs' participation in the rally, organised by suspended Karunakaran's son and former KPCC president K Muraleedharan against the directive of AICC and KPCC, was violative of the Congress constitution,the source said. In the notice issued to P P George, Congress chief whip, the Chief Minister also asked him to explain why he should not be removed from the post for attending the rally. Congress whip V D Sateeshan handed over the show cause to P P George while the notice to the others were delivered by messengers. Those who attended the Kochi rally are: former Minister P Sankaran, T V Chandramohan, Savithri Lakshman, Shobana George, Malaeth Sarladevi, M V Gangadharan, A D Musthafa, A A Chandrasekharan, E M Augustin, V Sugathan Radha Raghavan and N D Appachan were the MLAs.

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