06 July,2009 09:58 AM IST | | Chetan R
Stardom has changed nothing between golden star Ganesh and his friend from his days as a struggling actor
Golden star Ganesh, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Thursday, could not have hoped for a bigger fan than his friend Nagashekhar.
A roommate of Ganesh during his years of struggle, Nagashekhar is an actor and director who has found a unique way to celebrate their friendship.
Most days, he can be seen sporting shirts with the alphabet 'G' emblazoned on a star, and wearing one of the half-dozen wristwatches that Ganesh has gifted him, including luxury brands like Tag Heuer.
Rare friendship
Both were struggling actors trying to get a foothold in the film industry. Not surprisingly, they ended up sharing a room at Basavanagudi for nearly seven years.
Their bond has only grown stronger with the years, even as Ganesh's fortune changed with the Yograj Bhat-directed Mungaru Male. Since they no longer stay together, Nagashekhar ended up devising a unique way to mark their friendship.
"He used to present me wristwatches wishing me good times in life. I never gifted him anything. Instead, I celebrate his birthday every day," he says.
Birthday gift
Nagashekhar remembers Ganesh sending him chitranna (lemon rice) as a birthday gift last year. In return, he plans to gift Ganesh with nothing less than a superhit movie for his next birthday.
"I will direct Murali Mohana for him and that will be my gift for his next birthday," says Nagashekhar, who has acted as a comedian in over 70 films including a few with Ganesh, and has also directed the star in the recent hit, Aramane.
Ganesh too is equally proud of his friend. "We are together in both hard and good times," he said.
Hi-five for Ganesh
Five things Nagashekhar shares about Ganesh
> Chitranna is his favourite food
> Ganesh loves listening to ghazals
> He is a great mimic
> He is an excellent yoga teacher
> He is the worst cook ever!
