Trivia

Father of Rekha

A documentary film on the legend in the name of Kadhal Mannan was produced by Dr. Kamala Selvaraj and directed by Ashok Kumar, DFT (Programme Head-Vendhar TV) in 2011. It was screened by many film stalwarts and fans of the legend and received rave reviews from critics for bringing out a candid representation of the actor's life in detail. Following the response, a DVD version of the film was released in the same year.

Though he interacted cordially with fans, he avoided promoting fan clubs.

His hostile relationship with daughter Rekha was also criticised. He did not acknowledge Rekha's paternity during her childhood. It was in the early 1970s, when Rekha was looking for a career in Bollywood, that she revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told an interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation. She did not even attend her father's funeral in 2005.

Despite being one of the most successful actors of Tamil cinema during his time, Gemini Ganesan was criticized for being "fossilized in one type of portrayal", as most of his films were typical "boy meets girl" romantic films.