Delhi Ganesh Dies At 80. Character actors struggle to make an impact in a film industry dominated by heroes, heroines, and villains. That explains Tamil cinema fans’ deep admiration for Delhi Ganesh. Despite the skewed nature of the game, Delhi Ganesh has established himself as a fan favorite across multiple generations. The veteran actor Delhi Ganesh died on November 11 at his home in Chennai after battling age-related ailments. The actor leaves behind a massive body of work that spans approximately 400 films over 48 years!
After a few years in the Indian Air Force, Delhi Ganesh, a part-time theatre artist with Delhi-based Dakshina Bharata Nataka Sabha (hence the prefix ‘Delhi’), was discovered by Tamil filmmaker K Balachander, who has unearthed several such talents. Pattina Pravasam (1974) marked his feature film debut. Ganesh, like many of Balachander’s mentees, worked extensively with the legendary filmmaker. He received the Special Tamil Nadu State Award for the film Pasi four years after making his acting debut. Though he played the lead in Engamma Maharani (1981), he established himself as a character actor in films directed by Balachander and Visu, including Dowry Kalyanam, Sindhu Bhairavi, Samsaram Adhu Minsaram, Kalyana Agathigal, and many others.