The children of midnight M. G. Ramachandran: Also called as MGR, a great actor but a greater politician!

MAJOR KULBIR SINGH. Dated: 5/26/2017 2:06:53 PM


Major Kulbir Singh Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 – 24 December 1987), popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for ten years between 1977 and 1987. MGR is a cultural icon in the state of Tamil Nadu now (Chennai), and he is regarded as one of the most influential actors of the Tamil film industry. He was popularly known as “Makkal Thilagam” (People’s King) as he was popular with the masses. In his youth, MGR and his elder brother, M. G. Chakrapani, became members of a drama troupe to support their family. Influenced by Gandhian ideals, MGR joined the Indian National Congress. After a few years of acting in plays, he made his film debut in the 1936 film Sathi Leelavathi in a supporting role. By the late 1940s he graduated to lead roles and for the next three decades dominated the Tamil film industry. He became a member of the C. N. Annadurai-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and rapidly rose through its ranks, using his enormous popularity as a film star to build a large political base. In 1972, three years after Annadurai’s death, he left the DMK, now led by Karunanidhi, MGR’s once friend and now rival, to form his own party the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Five years later, he steered an AIADMK-led alliance to victory in the 1977 election, routing the DMK in the process. He became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the first film actor to become a chief minister in India. Except for a six-month interregnum in 1980, when his government was overthrown by the Union government, he remained as chief minister till his death in 1987, leading the AIADMK to two more electoral triumphs in 1980 and 1984. M.G.R’s autobiography ‘Naan Yaen Piranthaen’ (‘Why I was born’) was published in 2003 in two volumes. M.G.R. was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka, to Malayali Nair family Melakkath Gopala Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama from Palakkad, in the modern-day state of Kerala. In his early days, M.G.R. was a devout Hindu and a devotee of Murugan, and his mother’s favorite God guruvayoorappan. Later, when he joined the DMK, a pro-rationalist party, he followed the rationalist ideology, though not appearing very aggressively atheistic. In later days after he founded his own party following his expulsion from the DMK, he seems to have shown some leaning towards religious faith. He had asked his followers to pray for the success of his AIADMK party. M.G.R’s first marriage was to Chitarikulam Bargavi, also known as Thangamani who died early due to an illness. He later married for the second time, to Sathanandavathhi who also died soon after marriage due to tuberculosis. In 1965, M.G.R. married for the third time, this time to V. N. Janaki a former Tamil film actress. Janaki divorced her husband, Ganapati Bhatt, to marry M.G.R. Ramachandran made his film debut in 1936, in the film Sathi Leelavathi, directed by Ellis Dungan, an Americanborn film director. Generally starring in romance or action films, MGR got his big breakthrough in the 1950 film Manthiri Kumari, written by M. Karunanidhi. Soon he rose to popularity with the 1954 Malaikkallan. He acted as hero in the Tamil film industry’s first ever Gevacolor movie, the 1955 Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum. He rose to become the heartthrob of millions of tamilians with movies such as Thirudadhe, Enga Veettu Pillai, Aayirathil Oruvan, Anbe Vaa, Mahadevi, Panam Padaithavan, Ulagam Sutrum Vaalibhan, etc. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Rickshawkaran in 1972. He acted in many movies that appealed to the direct sentiments of the common man and the rich as well. His 1973 blockbuster Ulagam Sutrum Vaalibhan broke previous box office records of his movies. It was one of the few movies filmed abroad in those days. It was shot in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. The DMK tried very hard to illegally prevent the screening of the film using strongarm tactics but ultimately failed in its attempt. His acting career ended in 1987 with his last film, Ullagam Suthi Paru, in which he acted even though he had been diagnosed with kidney failure. Narayana Padaiyatchi Rathnam a pioneer of Tamil stage drama and K.P.Kesavan were chief mentors of Ramachandran in his acting career. MGR was a member of the Congress Party till 1953, and he used to wear khadi. In 1953 MGR joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) attracted by founder C.N. Annadurai. He became a vocal Tamil and Dravidian nationalist and prominent member of the DMK (“Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam” aka Dravidian Progressive Federation). He added glamour to the Dravidian movement which was sweeping Tamil Nadu. MGR became a member of the state Legislative Council in 1962. At the age of 50, he was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1967. After the death of his mentor, Annadurai, MGR became the treasurer of DMK in 1969 after Muthuvel Karunanidhi became the Chief Minister. The actor and politician M. R. Radha and MGR had worked in 25 films together. On 12 January 1967, Radha and a producer visited MGR to talk about a future film project. During the conversation M. R. Radha stood up and shot MGR in his left ear twice and then tried to shoot himself. After the operation MGR’s voice changed. Since he had been shot in his ear MGR lost hearing in his left ear and had ringing in the ear problems. These further surfaced in 1983 when he had kidney problems. When Chinnappa Devar paid his first visit to see MGR at the hospital after the shooting incident he paid MGR an advance for the next MGR’s movie. After getting released from the hospital and finishing Arasakattalai MGR acted in Devar’s movie Vivasaayee against doctors’ advice. Due to the operation, MGR’s speaking parts in the movie Kaavalkaaran were reduced. This was the only movie MGR spoke with old and new voices between scenes: MGR was acting in the film Kaavalkaran in 1967 opposite J. Jayalalithaa when the shooting occurred. Petralthaan Pillaya was the last movie of MGR-MR Radha together. Shooting ended just few days before MGR was shot at. The bullet was permanently lodged in his neck and his voice damaged. Within hours of the shooting, some 50,000 fans had gathered at the hospital where MGR had been taken. People cried in the streets. For six weeks, he lay in the hospital as fans awaited each report of his health. He was visited by a steady stream of commoners and luminaries of film industry, polity and bureaucracy. From his hospital bed, he conducted his campaign for Madras Legislative Assembly. He won twice the number of votes polled by his Congress rival and the largest vote polled by any candidate for the Assembly. In 1972, DMK leader Karunanidhi started to project his first son M.K. Muthu in a big way in film and politics. Understanding the tactics played by Karunanidhi to corner him, MGR started to claim that corruption had grown in the party after the demise of Annadurai and in a public meeting asked for the financial details of the party to be publicized, which enraged the leadership of DMK. Consequently, MGR was expelled from the party as per Karunanidhi’s plan.

 

Face to Face

Face To Face With Atul Kumar Goel (IPS) DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range J&K... Read More
 

FACEBOOK

 

Twitter

 
 

Daily horoscope

 

Weather