To see six of Gemini Ganesan's seven daughters together is a rare sight.

In December 2004, when he was very ill, they made it a point to come
down to Chennai and nurse their father.

They met again in February 2005, at Chennai's Apollo Hospital. Rekha
was to inaugurate the Apollo Wellness Clinic, and all the sisters
except Rekha's own sister, Radha, made it a point to attend the function.

The eldest among the six sisters is Dr Revathi Swaminathan, a
radiation oncologist practising in Illinois, USA. Dr Kamala Selvaraj,
Gemini Ganesan's second daughter, runs the G G Hospital in Chennai.
Narayani Ganesan is a journalist with The Times Of India in Delhi. The
youngest is Dr Jaya Shreedhar, a health advisor with Inter News Network.

Rekha and Radha are Gemini Ganesan's daughters from actress
Pushpavalli, and Vijaya Chamundeswari, daughter of actress Savithri,
is a fitness expert working at the G G Hospital.

"The only one missing is Rekha's sister Radha who is in the US," says
Dr Jaya Shreedhar. "She is elder to both Viji [Vijaya] and me.

"Though Appa was unwell, we had some good moments when we met in
December. People may assume that there are strained relationships
because we don't share the same mother but there is nothing like
that," she adds.

"We are professional women, and over the years, have learnt to
appreciate each sister for what she is. We did not have the pleasure
of growing up together. In fact, between my own elder sister Revathi
and me, there is a 20 year age difference. Appa was very happy to have
all of us together. This was a kind of pleasure he never had when we
were young."

Jaya was the only daughter who saw her father at home when she was
young. "By the time I was born, he was a senior star and had moved out
of those relationships, and was with my mother. It is really strange
but the upbringing was in a way that there was never any ill-will. You
are born into it," she says.

"Suppose we were brought up in a middle class, rigid culture, I might
have found it unusual and emotionally challenging. When we sisters met
this time, it was more like six 'wild' cousins meeting and talking
non-stop. It was lots of fun!"

From left to right: Dr Revathi Swaminathan, Narayani Ganesan, Dr
Kamala Selvaraj, Rekha, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Dr Jaya Shreedhar.

Text: Shobha Warrier | Photograph: Sreeram Selvaraj

FROM
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/mar/10look.htm