Ramachandran, Marudur Gopalamenon
(c. 1912–1987), Tamil film star and politician. Marudur Gopalamenon Ramachandran was a superstar in Tamil films from about 1950 to 1978. After that he moved into state politics to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu state in southeast India for three terms. MGR, as he is popularly known, was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka, possibly in 1912. Supposedly, his father died as he was born, and so the poor family moved to Tamil Nadu at that time. He joined a theatrical group in Madurai at the age of six. His first film was Sati Leelavathi (1936). From then on he starred in dozens of other movies, usually playing the underdog oppressed by upper-caste or wealthy villains. Repeatedly, he is seen dispensing justice and well-merited violence, winning access to young women and to education. He also directed three films.
When C. N. Annadurai, the founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Party, died in 1969, MGR set up a rival political party, renamed in 1977 the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIA-DMK), which then won state elections in alliance with the national Congress Party of Indira Gandhi (1917–1984). AIA-DMK never became a force outside Tamil Nadu. While serving as chief minister, MGR died in office. His funeral procession was attended by two million people and was broadcast live on television. Almost immediately, his mistress, Jayaram Jayalalitha (b. 1948), was appointed the chief minister. (She was elected to another term in 1991.) A temple was built in the city of Madras in Tamil Nadu state in which MGR's image was enshrined as the deity.
Further Reading
Pandian, M. S. S. (1992) The Image Trap: M.G. Ramachandran in Film and Politics. New Delhi: Sage Publications.
Mohandas, K. (1992) MGR, The Man and the Myth. Bangalore, India: Panther Publishers.
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