Gemini Ganesan was married four times with almost all his marriages being concurrent. He also had children outside wedlock, something his daughter resented him for.
While polygamy may be an aberration today, before the law was amended in the 1950s, it was pretty common. So much so that even public figures sometimes married multiple times. This one superstar, regarded as one of the greatest actors India ever produced, was no different. He was married twice with the second marriage created quite a scandal in its time.
The superstar who married co-actor while being married
Gemini Ganesan is regarded by many as the first true superstar of Indian cinema. The actor rose in Tamil cinema around the Indian independence. From the 1950s to 70s, he was the undisputed king of the Tamil box office, delivering hit after hit. Prior to entering films, Ganesan – whose real name was Ramasamy – was married. In 1940, he married Alamelu with whom he had four children. However, upon entering films, Ganesan began an affair with his co-star Pushpavalli. In 1952, Ganesan stunned his fans when he married his co-star Savitri, while still being married to Alamelu.
Why Gemini Ganesan’s daughter hated him
Bu the mid-1950s, Gemini Ganesan had two wives and four children. But he continued his affair with Pushpavalli. In 1954, they had their first child, a girl. This girl names Bhanu Rekha would go on to become a huge star herself and be known as Rekha. Given the unusual nature of Ganesan’s household, Rekha always had a fractured relation with her father. Pushpavalli’s career declined soon after and despite Ganesan being around, they saw financial peril. This meant that Rekha had to start working at the age of 13, for which she resented her father. The actress reportedly did not even visit Ganesan when he was on his deathbed.
Gemini Ganesan’s marriages and affairs
Gemini Ganesan, despite being a top star, developed an image of being a little to free with his relationships. In his heydays, there would often be news of his affairs with co-stars despite the fact that he had three wives. But most of these reports were unsubstantiated. In the late 90s, Gemini Ganesan married for a fourth time. He was 77 and his wife Juliana Andrew was 34.
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 "Gemini Ganesan with his second wife Savitri")
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