59-637: Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankurichi in Tamil Nadu , India. He fought the British East India Company and was captured by the British with the help of the ruler of the kingdom of Pudukottai , Vijaya Raghunatha Tondaiman , and at the age of 39 he was hanged at Kayathar on 16 October 1799. He belongs to Thokalavar sub-sect of Rajakambala Nayakkar Community. Veerapandiya Kattabomman
118-684: A career that spanned close to five decades, he had acted in 288 films in Tamil , Telugu , Kannada , Malayalam and Hindi . Sivaji Ganesan is the only actor in Tamil cinema to have played the lead role in over 250 films. Ganesan was the first Indian actor to win a "Best Actor" award in an International film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo , Egypt in 1960. Many leading South Indian actors have stated that their acting
177-418: A landmark film in Tamil cinema, Pasamalar is arguably one of the best films of Sivaji Ganesan and Savitri together. Once again directed by A Bhimsingh, the film has a cult following and rightly so. When it released in 1961, it became a trendsetter of sorts and was a money spinner at the box-office. Post its release, several films based on a similar theme were made, for example, Mullum Malarum . It also won
236-646: A monument. He has donated elephants to many temples like Venkateswara Temple , Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur . Ganesan started his political career as an activist of the Dravidar Kazhagam . Ganesan joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after it was founded by C. N. Annadurai in 1949. Until 1956, Ganesan was a staunch supporter of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). In the 1950s, however, Sivaji Ganesan
295-424: A new tax policy through which they intended to completely bypass the polygars and other intermediaries during tax collection. Kattabomman saw this as an attempt to usurp his sovereignty over his domain by the British and stopped paying them tributes contending that his taxes ought to be waived due to the prolonged drought in his domain, whilst fighting against polygars allied with the British. In 1798 Kattabomman and
354-552: A series of wars fought by a coalition of Palaiyakkarar's against the British between 1798 and 1805. The war between the British and Veerapandiya Kattabomman is often classified as the First Polygar War (1799), while the Second Polygar War (1800–1805) against the British was fought by a much bigger coalition over the whole of western Tamil Nadu headed by Dheeran Chinnamalai and Maruthu Pandiyar , brother of
413-587: A single film and in extension, inspiring subsequent films (at least) in Tamil like "Navarathinam" (the great MGR – starred), "Dasavatharam" (featuring Kamal Haasan), a man with a scared face as in Deiva Magan , a murderer in Pudhiya Paravai , or a traitor as in Andha Naal , the first movie that had no songs at all. On 1 October 2021, Google commemorated Ganesan's 93rd birth anniversary with
472-573: A touring stage drama company at the age of seven. At the age of 10, he moved to Tiruchirappalli and joined a drama troupe in Sangiliyandapuram and began to perform in stage plays. From the drama troupe trainers, he was fortunate enough to learn acting and dancing. He was trained in Bharatanatyam , Kathak and Manipuri dance forms. Ganesan exhibited the ability to remember lengthy lines easily. The group favoured Ganesan to play
531-461: A variety of roles such as freedom fighters, like Tiruppur Kumaran , Bhagat Singh and epic characters like Karna , Bharatha , Narada , Appar , Nayanmars and Alwars . Spanning genres like epics to Crime thrillers; from romantic escapades to comic flicks and action flicks, Ganesan has covered it all. Ganesan played supporting role to Rajendra Kumar in the Hindi film Dharti in 1970, which
590-750: A year to suppress the rebellion completely. After a long and expensive campaign the British East India Company finally defeated the rebelling Polygars, some of whom were executed while others were banished to the Andaman Islands . Of the Polygars who submitted to the British, some of them were granted Zamindari status, which had only tax collection rights and disarmed them completely. Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy , better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001)
649-454: Is a notable Tamil actor. Ganesan established a film production company in the late 1950s, now called Sivaji Productions , which is now being looked after by his elder son Ramkumar . He has two daughters Shanthi and Thenmozhi. Two of his grandsons namely Vikram Prabhu and Dushyant Ramkumar have also appeared in films, with Ramkumar's son Dushyanth Ramkumar having the stage name of Junior Sivaji. Moreover, Prabhu's son Vikram Prabhu debuted in
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#1732797830877708-592: Is known for his versatility and has acted as a blind man in Palum Pazhamum , a physically handicapped person in Bhaaga Pirivinai , enacting Nine numbers of totally different personas from various social strata and the corresponding body language (gait, voice, facial expression, etc.) in " Navarathiri", thereby becoming probably the first-time in Indian cinema history as an actor reprising Nine roles in
767-497: Is named INS Kattabomman . Palayakarrar Palaiyakkarars , or Poligar , Palegara (as the British referred to them) in Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were the holders of a small kingdom as a feudatory to a greater sovereign. Under this system, palayam was given for valuable military services rendered by any individual. The word pālayam means domain, a military camp, or a small kingdom. This type of Palayakkarars system
826-471: Is the subject of several traditional narrative ballads in the kummi verse form. The site of his execution at Kayathar has become a "powerful local shrine" and at one time sheep were sacrificed there. The Tamil Nadu government rebuilt the Panchalankurichi fort in 1974. The Government of Tamil Nadu maintains a memorial at Kayathar and the remnants of the old fort at Panchalankurichi is protected by
885-661: The Archaeological Survey of India . In 2006, the Tirunelveli district administration organised a festival at Panchalankurichi on his birth anniversary. The 1959 Tamil-language film Veerapandiya Kattabomman , starring Sivaji Ganesan , is based on his life. To commemorate the bicentenary of Kattabomman's hanging, the Government of India released a postal stamp in his honour on 16 October 1999. The Indian Navy communications centre at Vijayanarayanam
944-625: The Marudu brothers , Maruthanayagam , Dheeran Chinnamalai , and Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy were some notable Palaiyakkarar who rose up in revolt against the British rule in South India . Their wars against the British East India Company predates the Indian rebellion of 1857 in Northern India by many decades but is still largely given less importance by historians. The Polygar's role
1003-512: The Sivaganga . A final Polygar War in 1847 against the British was fought by Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy at Kovelakuntla (Koilakuntla) The Polygars often had artillery and stubbornly resisted the storming of their hill forts. The British columns were exposed throughout the operations to constant harassing attacks and had usually to cut their way through almost impenetrable jungles while being fired on from under cover on all sides. It took more than
1062-682: The Telugu region as well as the Tamil area, had themselves come from the Kallar , Maravar and Vatuka communities. Most palayakkars in western Tirunelveli and in Ramanathapuram were Maravar , those of Madurai, Tiruchi and Thanjavur Kallar , and those of eastern Tirunelveli, Dindigal and Coimbatore Nayak. The Palaiyakkarar of Madurai Country were instrumental in establishing administrative reforms by building irrigation projects, forts and religious institutions. The Palaiyakkarar who worshipped
1121-473: The goddess Kali did not allow their territory to be annexed by Aurangzeb . Their wars with the British East India Company after the demise of the Madurai Nayakas is often regarded as one of the earliest struggles for Indian independence . Many captured Palaiyakkarar commanders were either executed or banished to the Andaman Islands by the British. Puli Thevar , Veerapandya Kattabomman ,
1180-545: The 1960s and 1970s his films have been well received and he was able to deliver constant hits. Some of his famous hits during this period are Vasantha Maligai , Gauravam , Thanga Pathakkam and Sathyam . Many of his films inspired remakes in Sinhalese . Films such as Pilot Premnath and Mohana Punnagai were shot in Sri Lanka , with Sri Lankan actors such as Malini Fonseka and Geetha Kumarasinghe playing
1239-574: The 1980s, his supporting roles were received positively, as in Thevar Magan , which won him the National Awards Jury's Special Jury award in 1993. Sivaji, incidentally, declined the award. Sivaji Ganesan is considered one of the best Indian actors of all time. He was also acknowledged as a consummate actor and one of the most imitated ones. He was praised for his body language and his resounding voice and dialogue delivery. Ganesan
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#17327978308771298-528: The British. After his defeat and capture in October 1801, he too was hanged along with the other polygars who resisted the British, while the Panchalankurichi fort was razed to the ground, with its site ploughed over and planted with castor seeds, and its name expunged from all registers in the district. The historian Susan Bayly says that Kattabomman is considered a Robin Hood -like figure in local folklore and
1357-797: The National Award that year and was remade in several languages. Uthama Puthiran is the first film to feature Ganesan in dual roles and the first Indian film to have the shots with zoom technique. Sivaji Ganesan has acted in many Tamil movies co-starring with many popular and talented Tamil actresses of his time. He gave many commercial success films such as Palum Pazhamum , Irumbu Thirai , Padikkadha Medhai , Paava Mannippu , Padithal Mattum Podhuma , Aalayamani , Iruvar Ullam , Annai Illam , Aandavan Kattalai , Kappalottiya Thamizhan , Mahabharata (1965), Kai Koduttha Dheivam , Puthiya Paravai and his 100th film, Navarathri whereby ganesan acted nine distinct roles in
1416-608: The United States in June 1995, he visited Columbus, Ohio . Participating in the dinner hosted to honour Ganesan, the mayor of the city, Greg Lashutka honoured him by announcing him as an honorary citizen of Columbus. On the same occasion, the mayor of Mount Vernon read out and gave him a special welcome citation. The Columbus Tamil Sangam was formulated on that day and Ganesan was made the honorary president of that association. Although Sivaji appeared less in leading roles after
1475-503: The assistance of polygars allied to the British like Ettappan of Ettaiyapuram and the king of Pudukkottai Vijaya Raghunatha Thondaiman. Following his capture, Kattabomman was interrogated for 15 days and sentenced to death. He was hanged to death at Kayathar on 16 October 1799. His surviving relatives including his deaf-mute brother Umaidurai were also arrested and locked up in the fort of Palayamkottai , however Umaidurai escaped, joined up with other polygars and continued fighting
1534-420: The collector, the British sent an armed force under Major John Alexander Bannerman . Kattabomman had to make a stand at his fort in Panchalankurichi, largely unprepared, although his forces were able to hold back the company troops initially, his fort was incapable of taking on British artillery, so he withdrew from the fort into nearby forests, fighting a guerilla campaign till his capture on 1 October 1799 with
1593-515: The critically acclaimed Thevar Magan , which won him a Special Mention Award at the 40th National Film Awards . His other films released during this period are Pasumpon , Once More , En Aasai Rasave and Mannavaru Chinnavaru , where he was cast in prominent roles. He acted with Mohanlal in the movie Oru Yathramozhi (1997). He worked in Pooparika Varugirom , which released as his last film before his death, however
1652-549: The critically acclaimed film Kumki in 2012. Suffering from respiratory problems, Ganesan was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai on 1 July 2001. He also had been suffering from a prolonged heart ailment for about 10 years. He died at 7:45 pm (IST) on 21 July 2001 at the age of 72 just three months prior to his 73rd birthday for which he had special plans. A documentary Parasakthi Muthal Padayappa Varai
1711-546: The entry of Ganesan into films: The principal artists in Tamil films during the 1940s and 1950s were Telugus , whose acting was not matched by their dialogue delivery in Tamil. (In fact, Sivaji Ganesan lent his voice to Mukkamala Krishna Murthy, a Telugu actor, for a Tamil film Niraparathi . The film was well received by the Tamil audience.) Secondly, the 1950s saw the growth of the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu, under
1770-471: The female lead. In 1979, he appeared in the biggest blockbuster of his career, Thirisoolam his 200th film, an adaptation of the Kannada film Shankar Guru in which Rajkumar had played the lead role. Muthal Mariyathai (1985) won him a Filmfare Award under Best Actor – Tamil category. The 1990s was a period in which Ganesan started enacting matured roles. In 1992, he acted with Kamal Haasan in
1829-771: The film rights of Parasakthi . P.A. Perumal cast Ganesan after being impressed with his performance as Nur Jahan in the Sakthi Nadaga Sabha play of the same name. It was he who, in 1950, gave Ganesan a flight ticket to Madras for the screen test for Parasakthi . Ganesan had simultaneously shot for the Telugu-Tamil bilingual film Paradesi / Poongothai , which was supposed to be his actual film to release first, but released much later after Perumal requested its co-producer Anjali Devi to let Parasakthi release first, and she agreed. Parasakthi did not begin well for Ganesan. When shooting began and 2000 feet of
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1888-417: The film was shot, Meiyappan was dissatisfied with Ganesan's "thin" physique, and wanted him replaced with K. R. Ramasamy . Perumal refused, and Ganesan was retained. Meiyappan was also satisfied with the final results of the film. The initial scenes of Ganesan which he earlier disliked were reshot. Ganesan was paid a monthly salary of ₹ 250 (valued at about US$ 52.5 in 1952 ) for acting in the film. The script
1947-661: The film. It is arguably one of Sivaji Ganesan's best films in its tribute to the actor. He had comedic roles in several movies, such as Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachari (1954), Sabaash Meena (1958), Ooty Varai Uravu (1967), and Galatta Kalyanam (1968). His portrayal of Lord Shiva in the movie Thiruvilayadal (1965) won him many accolades. Ganesan could strike a balance between commercial cinema, Mythological cinema and experimental cinema. His epical portrayals in films such as Thiruvilayaadal , Thiruvarutselvar , Saraswati Sabatham , Thirumal Perumai and Thillana Mohanambal won him critical acclaim. He played
2006-407: The lead and he would continue to do so. His portrayal of Shivaji in the stage play Shivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam written by C. N. Annadurai earned him the monicker "Sivaji", which was conferred on him at a public function presided over by social reformer Periyar . Since then, he was referred to by the name of "Sivaji". Ganesan made his acting debut in the 1952 Tamil film Parasakthi , which
2065-427: The leadership of C. N. Annadurai , and M. Karunanidhi . Their transformation of language skills to films through script writing ensured their instant acceptance. Ganesan's entry into films at this stage of popularity was easy and inevitable, and he could establish himself in a better position. Andha Naal (1954) was a trendsetter in Tamil cinema because it had no songs and Ganesan played an anti-hero. The film won
2124-433: The local Tamil people, his father Jagaveera Kattabomman Nayakar named his son Pandiya Kattabomman Nayakar and added a shorter version "Veera" from his own name Jagveera. Veerapandiya as a polygar retained the right to collect taxes and recruit soldiers in his domain, the British viewed the polygars as illegitimate rulers and wanted to end their taxation powers, and curtail their power and influence. To this end they introduced
2183-402: The original AIADMK. Tamil Nadu Congress decided to ally with Jayalalitha's fragment of AIADMK. This move was opposed by Sivaji Ganesan and hence he left the party along with his supporters to form the new party Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani on 10 February 1988. To popularise the party Ganesan produce a movie titled En Thamizh En Makkal (My Tamil language and my people). At the time the party
2242-419: The penultimate film he worked in before his death was Padayappa (1999). Chinna Ponnusamy Padayatchi is the teacher of theatrical arts who trained Ganesan in his troupe. During an interview with V.S. Srinivasan, Ganesan said: "Theatre has taught me everything. My teacher ( Chinna Ponnuswamy Padayachi of Chidambaram ) taught me Bharatnatyam , acting , body movements & practically everything. Padayachi,
2301-611: The president's silver medal the following year. The same year, he co-starred with his competitor M. G. Ramachandran in Koondukkili , where he played the antagonist. His role in the film Veerapandiya Kattabomman won him the Best Actor Award at the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in March 1960 at Cairo . Incidentally, Ganesan was also the first Indian actor to get an award for Best Actor abroad. Often considered to be
2360-688: The role of India's cultural ambassador. During his visit there, he was honoured by being made the honorary mayor of Niagara Falls, New York , for one day and was presented the golden key to the city . The only other Indian who has had this honour before Ganesan was Jawaharlal Nehru. Upon returning to India from both Egypt and the US, massive crowds of fans were present at Madras Airport to celebrate his arrival. On 22 March 1976, he travelled to Mauritius on an invitation from Prime Minister Ramagoolam and took part in their independence day celebrations and stayed as their government guest for four days. During his visit to
2419-416: The rulers taxed regions according to the cultivable and fertility of the land. Often several new rainwater tanks were erected in the semi-arid tracts of western and southern Tamil Nadu. Their armed status was also to protect the civilians from robbers and dacoits who were rampant in those regions and from invading armies which often resorted to pillaging the villages and countryside. The Polygar Wars were
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2478-482: The then Tirunelveli collector Jackson got into a disagreement over left over taxes, when Kattabomman was able to meet with Jackson three months later in Ramnathapuram, where there was an altercation between company troops and the polygar resulting in the death of the deputy commandant of the company's forces Clarke, Kattabomman was acquitted from this following an inquiry. In 1799 following his refusal to meet with
2537-691: Was a remake of his 1969 Tamil film Sivandha Mann , in which he played the lead role. In the Hindi version, Ganesan played the role which Muthuraman had played in the original. Several directors such as Krishnan–Panju , T. R. Sundaram , T. R. Ramanna , A. P. Nagarajan , L. V. Prasad , B. R. Panthulu , T. Prakash Rao , D. Yoganand , A. Bhim Singh , K. Shankar , C. V. Sridhar , A. C. Tirulokchandar , P. Madhavan , K. S. Gopalakrishnan , Muktha V.Srinivasan , C. V. Rajendran , and K. Vijayan directed Ganesan in different roles. Jaggayya offered his voice to Sivaji when his movies were dubbed into Telugu. In
2596-441: Was an Indian actor and film producer. He was mainly active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Ganesan is acknowledged as one of the greatest Indian actors of all time and among the most imitated one by other actors. He was known for his versatility and the variety of roles he depicted on screen, which also gave him the Tamil nickname Nadigar Thilagam ( transl. the pride of actors ). In
2655-493: Was born on 1 October 1928, as the fourth son of Chinnaiya Manrayar and Rajamani Ammal in Villupuram , India in a Kallar family. Early in his career, Ganesan acted under the name V. C. Ganesan. Media outlets said that the initial 'V' stood for Villupuram, though one of Ganesan's sons stated that it stands for Vettaithidal, a village from which their family originates. Without his father's consent, Ganesan decided to join
2714-536: Was born to his parents Jagaveera Kattabomman Nayakar and Arumugathammal in a Telugu origin Rajakambala Naicker caste. His father Jagaveera was the polygar of Panchalankurichi. He belonged to the Bommu and Aathi Kattabomman clans of Panchalankurichi. He inherited his father's position as the polygar of Panchalankurichi when he turned 30, becoming the 47th polygar of the village. To acquire the support of
2773-566: Was created it was considered to be pro- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam . The party opposed the presence of Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka stating that the force was trying to wipe out the LTTE and its leader V. Prabhakaran . The party also urged the Government of India to hold talks with the LTTE without any pre- condition. In the 1989 elections, his party lost all of its seats in favor of V. N. Janaki Ramachandran . Sivaji himself
2832-630: Was criticized for going "against the stated values of rationalism" during a visit to Tirupathi. In 1956 he left the DMK. Due to his popularity, he was requested to be part of the Indian National Congress Tamil Nadu. His respect for Kamaraj made him support Congress. From 1964, Ganesan became a strong supporter of the Indian National Congress . He embraced Congress leader Kamarajar's leadership. He
2891-578: Was defeated by DMK candidate Durai Chandrasekaran in the Tiruvayaru seat by a difference of 10,643 votes. He later joined the Janata Dal under VP Singh and rose through the ranks to become the party's state president, but his political career came to an end in 1993. (1956-1961) Ganesan was the fourth son of his family. He had three brothers and one sister. Ganesan married Kamala on 1 May 1952 and had four children. His younger son Prabhu
2950-571: Was directed by the Krishnan–Panju duo and co-starred actress Pandari Bai . The film became an instant commercial success, running for over 175 days in several theatres, and ran for over 50 days in all the 62 centres it was released, and at the Sri Lanka–based Mailan Theatre, it ran for nearly 40 weeks. Film distributor P. A. Perumal Mudaliar of National Pictures , with the patronage of A. V. Meiyappan of AVM Productions , bought
3009-472: Was himself an outstanding stage actor and I learnt in an atmosphere that was reminiscent of an ashram school." Sivaji Ganesan has made many financial contributions during natural disasters and for the educational development. In 1960, K. Kamaraj introduced the Midday Meal Scheme for which Sivaji Ganesan donated one lakh rupees. Sivaji Ganesan presented a 80 gram gold chain to P. Kakkan , who
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#17327978308773068-518: Was in practice during the rule of Pratapa Rudhra of Warangal in the Kakatiya kingdom . The system was put in place in Tamil Nadu by Viswanatha Nayak , when he became the Nayak ruler of Madurai in 1529, with the support of his minister Ariyanathar . Traditionally there were supposed to be 72 Palayakkarars. The majority of those Palaiyakkarar, who during the late 17th- and 18th-centuries controlled much of
3127-796: Was influenced by Ganesan. In 1997, Ganesan was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award , the highest honour for films in India. He was also the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres . In addition, he received National Film Award (Special Jury) , four Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards . Ganesan is remembered as an iconic figure of Tamil cinema. Upon his death, The Los Angeles Times described him as "the Marlon Brando of south India's film industry". Ganesan
3186-599: Was living in poverty, and also he donated the entire proceeds from the play 'Thanga Padhakkam' which is held at the Salem Nehru Auditorium. He also donated a large amount of money during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . Sivaji ganesan bought the place where Veerapandiya Kattabomman was hanged in Kayatharu and placed a statue of Veerapandiya Kattabomman at his expense which is still remain
3245-584: Was made the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Indira Gandhi's death in 1984 also brought Ganesan's political career to an end. After the death of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founder and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran in 1987, AIADMK broke into two, one headed by his wife V. N. Janaki Ramachandran and other by another Tamil movie star J. Jayalalithaa . Election Commission of India refused to accept either of them as
3304-543: Was made to commemorate Sivaji Ganesan's legacy. He was given a State funeral . His funeral the next day was telecast live on Sun TV and was attended by thousands of viewers, politicians and personalities from the South Indian film fraternity. Ramkumar, performed his last rites at the Besant Nagar Crematorium, Chennai. When President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt visited India, Sivaji Ganesan
3363-443: Was the only individual granted permission by the then-Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru , to host a party for Nasser. Nasser was given a number of valuable mementos depicting the civilisation and culture of South India. Sivaji Ganesan was the first artist from India to visit the United States in a cultural exchange programme by the US government. In 1962, Ganesan was invited by the then-US President John F. Kennedy , where he took
3422-512: Was to administer their Palaiyams (territories) from their fortified centres. Their chief functions were to collect taxes, maintain law and order , run the local judiciary , and maintain a battalion of troops for the king. They served as regional military and civil administrators. In turn they were to retain 1 ⁄ 4 of the revenue collected as tax, and submit the remaining to the king's treasury . The Polygars also at times founded villages, built dams, constructed tanks and built temples. Also
3481-489: Was written by later Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu , M. Karunanidhi . Since actors who are well-trained in classical dance can effectively showcase expressions called Nava Rasa on their faces, Ganesan went on to become one of the popular actors in Tamil cinema in the 1950s. His unique voice had a greater appeal. His style of dialogue delivery with a long spell of dialogues—like a poetry recitation with much clarity—earned him critical recognition. Two factors can be attributed
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