M. G. Ramachandran
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- In this Indian name, the name "Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, "Ramachandran".
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran | |
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MGR with Janaki Ramachandran | |
Born | January 17, 1917 Nawalapitiya, British Ceylon |
Died | December 24, 1987 (aged 70) Chennai, India |
Other names | M. G. R., Puratchi Thalaivar |
Occupation | Actor, Politician, Producer |
Spouse(s) | Thangamani (deceased) Sathanandavathi (deceased) V. N. Janaki (died in 1996) |
This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text. |
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Early life and background
MGR was born in Nawalapitiya near Kandy, British Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka), to immigrant Keralite Nair parents — Gopala Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama. (Nairs are traditionally matrilineal, hence he shares his matrilineal family surname "Maruthur"). His family was originally from Vadavannur, Palakkad, Kerala, but his father had migrated with his family to Ceylon.[1][2]MGR was a Hindu and portrayed himself as a devotee of Lord Murugan, as is common practice for many Hindus in Sri Lanka.[3] This was during his early days. Later, when he joined the DMK,a pro-rationalist party,he followed the rationalist ideology, though not appearing very aggressively atheistic.However,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.[4]
His followers even prayed for him when it was determined that he had a kidney illness.[5] After his demise, his wife opened up a temple in his name.
After his father's death, he joined a drama troupe called Original Boys. Later, he entered the world of cinema, becoming an actor, and later a director, producer, and editor. MGR married Bargavi also known as Thangamani who died early due to illness. He later married Sathanandavathi who also died soon due to Tuberculosis. M. G. R. married V. N. Janaki a former Tamil film actress as his third wife after the death of his second wife. Janaki divorced her husband Ganapati Bhat, to marry MGR.
[edit] Acting career
He made his film debut in 1935, in the film Sati Leelavati[6], directed by Ellis Dungan, an American born film director[7]. Generally starring in romance or action films, MGR got his big breakthrough in the 1947 film Rajakumaari, written by M. Karunanidhi. He had the maximum number of all-time blockbusters to his credit at the time viz. Malaikkallan, Nadodi Mannan, Enga Veetu Pillai, Adimai Pen, et al. He was shot by fellow actor Mohan R. Radha, that affected his ability to speak clearly. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Rickshakaran. His film Nadodi Mannan, which was produced and directed by himself and released in 1956, ran to full houses. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1988 (posthumous).[edit] Political career
M. G. Ramachandran | |
Constituency | Andipatti |
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Political party | ADMK |
On the 12th of January 1967, he was shot in the neck by fellow actor M.R. Radha. The bullet was permanently lodged in his neck and his voice damaged. Within hours of the shooting, some 50,000-odd fans had gathered at the hospital where MGR had been taken. People cried in the streets; shops closed. 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.[8]
In 1972, DMK leader Karunanithi started project his first son M.K.Muthu in a big way in film industry and also in politics. Understanding the tactics played by Karunanithi to corner him, MGR started to claim that corruption had grown within 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, as expected, MGR was expelled from the party, and floated a new party named Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), later renamed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the only powerful opponent of the DMK.He mobilised the period between 1972-1977 to spread and preach his party ambiition with films like Netru Indru Naalai(1974), Idhayakani(1975) etc..,. He became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on the 30th of July 1977, remaining in office till his death in 1987. In 1979, members of his party Satyavani Muthu and Aravinda Bala Pajanor, became the first non-Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu to be ministers in the Union Cabinet. The AIADMK won every state assembly election as long as MGR was alive. Although Anna Durai as well as Karunanidhi had acted in stage plays in trivial roles, in their younger days, before becoming chief minister, MGR was the first popular film actor to be a Chief Minister in India.
Once he became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, he placed great emphasis on social development, especially education. One of his most successful policies was the introduction of the "Mid-day Meal Scheme" introduced by the popular Congress Chief Minister and Kingmaker K Kamaraj to a nutritious Mid-day Meal Scheme in the Government-run and aided schools in Tamil Nadu, which encouraged underprivileged children to attend schools. He also introduced Women's Special buses. He set up a free school for the Cinema Technicians children in Kodambakkam called MGR Primary & Higher Secondary School which provided Free Mid-Day meals in the 1950s.
His was instrumental in setting up the Tamil University and the Mother Theresa Women's University in Tamil Nadu.[citation needed]
[edit] Member of Legislative Assembly
Year | Elected/Reelected | Place | Party |
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1967 | Elected | St. Thomas Mount | DMK |
1971 | Reelected | St. Thomas Mount | DMK |
1977 | Elected | Aruppukottai | ADMK |
1980 | Elected | Madurai West | ADMK |
1984 | Elected | Andipatti | ADMK |
[edit] Chief Minister
From Year | To Year | Election |
---|---|---|
1977 | 1980 | Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1977 |
1980 | 1984 | Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1980 |
1984 | 1987 | Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1984 |
[edit] Awards
- National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Rickshakaran in 1972
- Honorary doctorate received from University of Madras and The World University (Arizona)
- Bharat Ratna was conferred by the Government of India (posthumous)for his reformation activities and support from Tamil Nadu
[edit] Philanthropy
He personally offered relief in disasters and calamities like fire, flood, drought, and cyclones. He was the first donor during the war with China in 1962, donating Rs. 75,000 to the war fund. He was the founder and editor of Thai weekly magazine and Anna daily newspaper in Tamil. He was the owner of Sathya Studios and Emgeeyar Pictures (willed to charity) which produced many of the films he acted in. He gifted golden sword weighing half a Kilogram to Mookambika temple in Kollur, Udupi district.[1][edit] Death
In October 1984, MGR was diagnosed with kidney failure and rushed to the Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States for treatment, undergoing a kidney transplant. MGR died on December 24, 1987 after his prolonged illness. His death sparked off a frenzy of looting and rioting all over the state of Tamil Nadu. Shops, movie theatres, buses and other public and private property became the target of violence let loose all over the state. The police had to resort issuing shoot-at-sight orders. Tamilians from Bangalore rushed to Madras in trains to see the mortal remains of MGR. Govt had announced free train facility for this visit. The violence during the funeral alone left 29 people dead and 47 police personnel badly wounded. [2],[3] This state of affairs continued for almost a month all over the state of Tamil Nadu. Around one million[4] people followed his remains, around 30 followers committed suicide and people had their heads tonsured. After his death, his political party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, split between his wife Janaki Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa; they later merged in 1988. In 1989 Dr. M. G. R. Home and Higher Secondary School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired was established in the erstwhile Residence MGR Gardens, Ramavaram, in accordance with his will dated January 17, 1986. His official residence at 27, Arcot Street, T.Nagar is now MGR Memorial House and is open for public viewing.[edit] Filmography
Main article: M. G. Ramachandran filmography
[edit] As producer
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1958 | Nadodi Mannan | MGR's First film as Director, | |
1969 | Adimai Pen | MGR's second film as Director, | |
1973 | Ulagam Sutrum Valiban | MGR's Third film as Director, |
[edit] Gallery
MGR with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi |
[edit] References
- ^ MGR
- ^ L. R., Jegatheesan. "ஆளும் அரிதாரம்" (in Tamil). BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil/specials/178_wryw/. Retrieved 2006-11-08.
- ^ P. 39 Religions in Modern World By Linda Woodhead, Fletcher, Kawanam
- ^ P. 131 The image trap By M. S. S. Pandian
- ^ P. 18 The image trap By M. S. S. Pandian
- ^ M. G. Ramachandran Summary
- ^ The Hindu : Americans in Tamil cinema
- ^ Velayutham, Selvaraj (2008). Tamil cinema: the cultural politics of India's other film industry. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-39680-8.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: M.G. Ramachandran |
- M.G. Ramchandran: Jewel of the Masses
- The Hindu - Politics and Suicides in TN
- All about Dr MGR
- MGR Memorial Charitable Trust
Preceded by M Karunanidhi | Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu 1977–1987 | Succeeded by Janaki Ramachandran |
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Categories: 1917 births | 1987 deaths | Recipients of the Padma Shri | Recipients of the Bharat Ratna | Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu politicians | National Film Award winners | Indian actor-politicians | Malayali people | Indian Hindus | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians
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