Sivaji Ganesan, the legendary thespian of Tamil cinema, was often compared with Marlon Brando, one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, as both were celebrated for their mastery of method acting. Yet the two had never met until 1962, when Sivaji Ganesan was invited to the United States as part of the U.S.–India Cultural Exchange Programme, reportedly after President John F. Kennedy inquired about him.

What had drawn Kennedy’s attention was Sivaji Ganesan’s unusual gift to the children of the United States — a baby elephant. Sivaji had a friend at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, and when he asked what gift from India would delight American children, the suggestion set him thinking.