ROTARY SIVAJI AWARDS PRESENTED

(N.THYAGARAJAN)



Rotary Sivaji Awards were presented to the veteran actress Saroja Devi, Lakshmi, Nagesh, Playback singers like P.Susheela, Vani Jayaram at the 79 th birthday celebration of the Late Shivaji Ganesan at a function organized by the Chennai Vision Charitable Trust and Rotary Club of Chennai -Samudra recently (30.9.07). The money received by way of ticket sales were given to the various community projects undertaken by the Rajan Eye Care Hospital with Rotary Club, actor Y.G.Mahendran said.

Y.G.Mahendra who has been celebrating the birthday of Shivaji Ganesan for the last five years was instrumental for the community service projects. This year Shivaji Ganesan's birthday coincided with celebrating of the Tamil films two directors late A.P.Nagarajan and late A.C.Trilokchander who produced a lot of films with the late Shivaji in main roles. Thillalana Mohanambal, Thiruvarut Chelvar to cite a few films which rocked the Tamil film industry in seventies.



In the celebration Y.G.Mahendran's Y.Gee Melody Makers music troupe performed the songs of Shivaji Ganesan in which the late directors A.P.Nagarajan and A.C.Trilokchander were associated. This is the 79th birthday of Shivaji Ganesan. Besides, the film songs, the clippings of those films in which the late actor acted were shown for a few minutes, to brush up the veteran audiences mind.



While receiving the Sivaji Award, the actress Saroja Devi said that she feels still at the passing away of Shivaji Ganesan. It was he who taught her how to act, the actress recalled. She had flew down to Chennai from Bangalore to receive the award. Actress Lakshmi said, that she had been considered and accepted as an actress because of her association she had with the late actor Shivaji Ganesan. Nagesh who has to receive the award was not present due to his health problems, and his award was received by Y.G.Mahendran itself. Playback singers T.M.Soundararajan, Vani Jayaram and P.Susheela received the award.



Shivaji Ganesan's wife Kamala sons actor G.Prabhu and G.Ram Kumar and the late directors' wives of A.P.Nagarajan and A.C.Thirulokachander and their family members were present on the function.