Autobiography of an Actor


Autobiography of an Actor: Sivaji Ganesan, October 1928-July 2001 is the autobiography of Indian actor Sivaji Ganesan published by Sivaji Prabhu Charities Trust. It is a compilation of interviews between Ganesan and journalist T. S. Narayanaswamy. The book was originally published in Tamil under the title Enathu Suya Sarithai in 2002, and the English translated version by Sabita Radhakrishna was released in 2007.

Reception

Sri Lankan historian Sachi Sri Kantha criticised the book for omitting numerous aspects of Ganesan's life, stating, "As an autobiographer, Sivaji’s performance – like many of his movies – provides glimpses of some class in a flop, leaving much to be desired... The $45.00 price I paid for the book in net purchase from a New Delhi vendor seems marginally off-base for a 250 page book, and the price has not been inserted in the book. But for fans of Sivaji, it is a good memento to cherish." Writing for India Today in 2013, Sadanand Menon compared Tamil film actors' biographers to the ones "who light a candle to look at the sun... The few books till now in this genre have crashed on the rock-bed of a comprehensive incomprehension of the audience base of the Tamil film star... Sivaji Ganesan's Autobiography of an Actor is but a series of snippets from interviews done by T.S. Narayana Swamy."