Veteran Tamil actor Delhi Ganesh passed away on Saturday, November 9 at his home in Ramapuram near Chennai. According to reports, Ganesh died due to old age-related illnesses. He was 80 years old.
Ganesh, who debuted in the 1976 Pattina Pravesam directed by K Balachander, has acted alongside some of Kollywood’s biggest stars including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijayakant and Vijay, Ajith and Suriya, often donning the role of a comical father figure.
His son and actor Mahadevan Ganesh released a short statement, confirming his father’s passing. “We deeply regret to inform you that our father Mr Delhi Ganesh passed away on November 9, 2024 at around 11 pm,” he said.
One of Ganesh’s most iconic roles is in the 1990 comedy film Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), where he plays a short-tempered cook serving one of Kamal Haasan’s four characters in the film. With their characters’ diametrically opposite personalities, every conversation between the two spirals into absurd misunderstandings. The two actors play impeccably off each other and their ludicrous arguments in the film remain a fan favourite.
Kamal and Ganesh have acted together in many other films which went on to be hits including Nayakan (1987), Apoorva Sagodharagal (1989), Avvai Shanmugi (1996) and Thenali (2001).
He has also worked with other senior actors such as K Bhagyaraj in films like Rudhra (1991), Sarathkumar and Nassar. The actor also moved to the Tamil serial drama circuit, with roles in Sun Tv’s Sondha Bhandham, Lakshmi Stores and Devathai among others.
Ganesh was known in film industries in other languages as well. He acted in the Telugu 1991 Jaitra Yatra. He also appeared in Naayudamma (2006) and Punnami Naagu (2009). In Hindi he has appeared in movies like Dus (2005), Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and (2009) Chennai Express (2013). He has appeared in about 400 films, across multiple languages, reports say.
In 1994, he was given the Tamil Nadu state government’s Kalaimamani Award for his contribution to the arts. Ganesh was also in the Indian Air Force from 1964 to 1974, before entering the film industry.