A day Tamilnadu can never forget is the 24th of December 1987. A day that witnessed lakhs of teary eyes all across the State. There was bereavement almost everywhere. Disappointment led to rapid rioting, looting and general unrest so much so the police was forced to enforce the shoot-at-sight order. Around 30 people committed suicide. Lakhs of people tonsured their heads. Around 29 people died in the violence. Scores were injured.
Chaos reigned supreme.
The darling of the masses MGR, the name that had spelt magic for decades was no more. The man who
penetrated and permeated within the hearts of Crores of Tamil speaking people had succumbed to kidney failure.
Who was this man and what did he possess to make millions of hearts pound for him?
To answer this question we'll have to travel to the year 1917. The place is Nawalapitiya, a small village near Kandy, Sri Lanka. Maruthur Gopala Ramachandran (MGR) was born to Malayalam speaking parents, Gopala Menon and Maruthur Sathyabama. As the baby grew into a boy, he was brought to India where he was raised. Young Ramachandran lost his father at a very early age and due to poverty could not continue his education.
A drama troupe named 'The Original Boys' was committing itself to entertaining the masses and a young MGR joined it. His introduction to the world of acting had started then. A quick and enthusiastic learner, young MGR was initially asked to don the roles of girls.
At age 18, MGR stepped into the world of films playing a character in the 1935 film 'Sathileelavathi' directed by Ellis Dungan (A British director who made Tamil films). A rather eventful journey followed.
In 1947 at age 30 MGR was introduced as hero in the film 'Rajakumaari'. An eventful journey had started. Tamil audiences simply loved the presence of this pleasant looking man. The 1950s definitely belonged to MGR. He was simply stunning in the plethora of films he acted in such as Gul-E-Bagaavali, Alibabavum Narpadhu Thirudargalum, Madhurai Veeran, Thaaikkuppin Thaaram, Nadodi Mannan etc.
A star was born.
MGR's magnetic eyes, pleasant demeanor and his thirst to uphold justice on screen was loved and cherished by the whole of Tamilnadu and people started asking for more. There was another factor that helped MGR's career graph. The Dravidian Movement was making waves in the State and MGR became its official ambassador on the silver screen. The magic of cinematic stories, the ideologies of a political movement and a refreshing scenario for possible change reached the common man through MGR.
The man was referred to with immaculate respect just about everywhere. In addition to his cinematic brilliance the innate nature of the person that MGR was also loved and cherished by the masses. Known to be a person who was afflicted by tremendous poverty in his early years because of which he had to go without food on many occasions, MGR made it a point to enquire to everyone if they had had their meal. He was also known to be a great philanthropist.
Every single film that released was met with celebrations and MGR was undoubtedly the biggest star Tamilnadu had ever seen and probably will ever see. Movies such as Padagotti, Thozhilali, Vettaikkaaran, Aayirathil Oruvan, Enga Veettu Pillai, Anbe Vaa, Naan Aanaiyittal, Chandhrodhayam, Adimai Pen etc will live on as some of the most loved Tamil Cinema of all time.
MGR was a great admirer of the Hollywood actor Errol Flynn and even remade some of his films. The master entertainer that MGR was Indianized them with many of the sentiments that he believed in. He even styled himself after Errol Flynn in swashbuckling sequences involving sword fighting. His knowledge of filmmaking was vast and few know that he was a terrific film editor. MGR won the National Award for Best Actor for the film 'Rikshawkaaran' which he directed himself in the year 1971.
His Himalayan success led him to the world of politics and MGR became the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu in the year 1977. He remained the Chief Minister until his death in 1987.
The master filmmaker 'Puratchi Nadigar' (Revolutionary Actor) as he was called has scaled such great heights that probably will not be equaled in a very long time to come ….if at all. The magic of MGR has been phenomenal….his name is still a mighty factor during elections to woo the hearts of his admirers….about 22 years after his death.
Chaos reigned supreme.
The darling of the masses MGR, the name that had spelt magic for decades was no more. The man who
penetrated and permeated within the hearts of Crores of Tamil speaking people had succumbed to kidney failure.
Who was this man and what did he possess to make millions of hearts pound for him?
To answer this question we'll have to travel to the year 1917. The place is Nawalapitiya, a small village near Kandy, Sri Lanka. Maruthur Gopala Ramachandran (MGR) was born to Malayalam speaking parents, Gopala Menon and Maruthur Sathyabama. As the baby grew into a boy, he was brought to India where he was raised. Young Ramachandran lost his father at a very early age and due to poverty could not continue his education.
A drama troupe named 'The Original Boys' was committing itself to entertaining the masses and a young MGR joined it. His introduction to the world of acting had started then. A quick and enthusiastic learner, young MGR was initially asked to don the roles of girls.
At age 18, MGR stepped into the world of films playing a character in the 1935 film 'Sathileelavathi' directed by Ellis Dungan (A British director who made Tamil films). A rather eventful journey followed.
In 1947 at age 30 MGR was introduced as hero in the film 'Rajakumaari'. An eventful journey had started. Tamil audiences simply loved the presence of this pleasant looking man. The 1950s definitely belonged to MGR. He was simply stunning in the plethora of films he acted in such as Gul-E-Bagaavali, Alibabavum Narpadhu Thirudargalum, Madhurai Veeran, Thaaikkuppin Thaaram, Nadodi Mannan etc.
A star was born.
MGR's magnetic eyes, pleasant demeanor and his thirst to uphold justice on screen was loved and cherished by the whole of Tamilnadu and people started asking for more. There was another factor that helped MGR's career graph. The Dravidian Movement was making waves in the State and MGR became its official ambassador on the silver screen. The magic of cinematic stories, the ideologies of a political movement and a refreshing scenario for possible change reached the common man through MGR.
The man was referred to with immaculate respect just about everywhere. In addition to his cinematic brilliance the innate nature of the person that MGR was also loved and cherished by the masses. Known to be a person who was afflicted by tremendous poverty in his early years because of which he had to go without food on many occasions, MGR made it a point to enquire to everyone if they had had their meal. He was also known to be a great philanthropist.
Every single film that released was met with celebrations and MGR was undoubtedly the biggest star Tamilnadu had ever seen and probably will ever see. Movies such as Padagotti, Thozhilali, Vettaikkaaran, Aayirathil Oruvan, Enga Veettu Pillai, Anbe Vaa, Naan Aanaiyittal, Chandhrodhayam, Adimai Pen etc will live on as some of the most loved Tamil Cinema of all time.
MGR was a great admirer of the Hollywood actor Errol Flynn and even remade some of his films. The master entertainer that MGR was Indianized them with many of the sentiments that he believed in. He even styled himself after Errol Flynn in swashbuckling sequences involving sword fighting. His knowledge of filmmaking was vast and few know that he was a terrific film editor. MGR won the National Award for Best Actor for the film 'Rikshawkaaran' which he directed himself in the year 1971.
His Himalayan success led him to the world of politics and MGR became the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu in the year 1977. He remained the Chief Minister until his death in 1987.
The master filmmaker 'Puratchi Nadigar' (Revolutionary Actor) as he was called has scaled such great heights that probably will not be equaled in a very long time to come ….if at all. The magic of MGR has been phenomenal….his name is still a mighty factor during elections to woo the hearts of his admirers….about 22 years after his death.
Quite a befitting writeup on the great actor who inspired lakhs and lakhs of minds by the good deeds he portrayed through the films.
ReplyDeletePeople refrained going to wine shops, reduced or refrained from smoking, started respecting women in the form of mother.
The cultivation of human mind to do the rightful thing is the motto of MGR. He remained a simple man with high amount of regards for the public which elevated him to great heights from a pauper to a king as played by him in one of his films Nadodi Mannan.
krishn@ mumbai
swamykrishn@gmail.com