Name |
Dr.M.G.Ramachandran |
|
Lovingly
called |
*
MGR,
* Yezhai Pangalan
* Pruatchi Nadigar by Karunanidhi
* Ponmanachemmal by Kirupanda variar
* Makkal Thilagam by Thiru Tamilvannan
* Kalaivendhan by Singapore fans
* Nruthiya Chakravarthi by Sri Lankan fans
* Puratchi thalaivar, , vaathiyar - by his fans |
Profession |
Politician,
Actor, Producer, Director, philanthropist |
Date
of Birth |
17th
January, 1917 |
Birth
Place |
Kandy,
Sri Lanka |
Died |
Dec
24, 1987 |
Family |
Father:
Marudhar Gopalan
Menon
Mother: Satyabhama
Brother: M.G. Chakrapani
Sisters: Kamalakshi,
Sumitra
Brother: Balakrishnan |
Wives |
*Bargavi (a) thangamani - She died early due to
illness.
*Sathanandavathi also died soon of TB
*V.N.Janaki
|
Education |
upto third standard |
Early
life |
* He lost his father, a brother and a sister
very early in his life.
* After the death of his father, his family moved to Kumbakonam from Kandy to live with
his uncle who was working in the 'Original Boys' Company.
* He was not able to continue his studies and to overcome poverty he joined the
'Original Boys' Company where apart from acting, he learnt to read and write.
* His initial salary was Rs.5/- per month.
* His first role in acting was as 'Uthran' a character in Mahabaratham who helps
Arjunan.
|
Milestones
in his movie career |
* Sathi Leelavathi (1936) directed Ellis
R.Dungan
* Acted in a film titled Chaya
as hero which was not released.
* Rajakumari (1947) directed A.S.A.Sami - was a
breakthrough and he was noticed by the public.
* Nallavan Vaalvaan (1961) by P.Neelakandan - 50th film
* Oli Vilakku (1968) by Sanakya - 100th film
* Siriththu Vaazhavendum (1974) directed by S.S.Balan-
125th film
* Maduraiyai Meetta Sundara Paandiyan (1978)directed
by P.Neelakandan ( last film)
* Only two of his films were given an 'A'
certificate
* Koondukkili(1954) - Only movie he had starred
with Sivaji
Ganesan
* Ulagam Sutrum Valiban(1973) - Shot
mostly in Foreign locations
* "Unnai Vida Matten"
supposed to be the last film that was never
released.
|
Other
language movies |
* Hindi - Ektha raja(1951)
* Telugu - Sarvathikari(1951)
* Malayalam - Jenova(1953)
|
Policies
& formula in his films |
* would never smoke or take
alcoholic drinks
* would never physically or mentally abuse women
* Robin Hood formula—champion of
the underdog, who is truthful, generous and
totally honest.
|
Political
ascendancy |
*1952 - met
Arignar Anna
*1953 - joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
*1962 - became the member of the state Legislative Council(MLA)
*1967 - Was elected as MLA from Parankimalai constituency
and was the minister for Small Savings.
*1969 - was the treasurer of DMK after
Mr.Karunanidhi became the chief minister.
*1972 - October 16, he founded the Anna Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), which contested and
won the subsequent elections.
*1977 - changed his party name to AIADMK(All
India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)
* 1979 - he contested the elections from Madurai
and became the Chief Minister for a second time.
* 1984 - he contested the elections for a third
time that too when he was undergoing treatment
in US and won the election and became the
Chief Minister from Aandipatti.
|
Trademark |
Always seen wearing a white gulla and dark sun
glasses.
|
Party
Symbol |
Two leaves
|
Sivaji
Ganesan |
Originally MGR was
the one supposed to act in Anna's play ' Shivaji
kanda Indu Samrajyam' but V.C. Ganesan acted in
it and later became our famous Sivaji Ganesan.
|
Anna |
about him -
"þó¾ì
¸É¢ ±ý ÁÊ¢ø ÅóРŢØó¾Ð. «¨¾ ±ý þ¾Âò¾¢ø ±ÎòШÅòÐì
¦¸¡ñ§¼ý" |
some
of his achievements |
* Fifth world Tamil conference in
Madurai
in 1981
* Krishna Water Project
* Mid-day Meal Scheme
* Thanjavur Tamil University
* Mother Teresa Women's University
|
Visited |
Sri
Lanka, Burma, Singapore, Japan, Hong-Kong,
France, Mexico, USA and USSR |
Awards |
*
Posthumously awarded "Bharat
Ratna" by the President of India.
* 1983 the University of Madras conferred on him, Honoris Causa, the degree of Doctor of Laws
* A doctorate from the Arizona University, US.
* 1978 the film 'Maduraiyai Meetta Sundarapandian'
won the Tamilnadu Govt's best film award.
* 1972 National Award for the Best Actor for the film "Rickshakaran"
* 1969 'Adimai penn' - Tamilnadu Govt's best film
and Filmfare award
* 1968 'Kudiyurindha kovil' - Tamil nadu Govt's
best film
* 1967 'Kavalkaran'- Tamilnadu govt's best film
* 1960 he refused to accept the 'Padmashree' award
from the Govt of India.
* 1956 Film fans association award for the film
'Ali baba and forty
thieves'
* 1954 'Malai kallan' received Govt of
India award
|
Firsts |
*
Alibabavum Narpathu Thirudargalum(1956) was the
first colour movie in Tamil.
* AM Raja and Jikki
gave their first duet in one of his films.
* became the first film actor in India to be the Chief Minister of a state.
* Also the first time in history a
candidate won an election in absentia
especially when he was in a foreign country with
a serious ailment.
|
Travel |
*
he had never ridden two wheelers in Tamil films
* had phobia for speed and was scared to ride
fast on horses
* Always preferred trains instead of airplanes.
|
Educational
institutions named after him |
* MGR Memorial Charitable Trust
* MGR Higher Sec School and home for the Speech
and Hearing impaired.
* MGR-JANAKI College of Arts and Science for Women
* Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute(It is
a Deemed university has an offshore
campus in Sri lanka)
|
fascination
for |
cameras, watches, weapons
and the country Japan.
|
Favourite
food |
Kesari and fruits particularly mangoes. |
stamp |
A stamp was issued
in memory of him on 17/01/1990 |
famous
song |
"Iraivaa Un maaligayil" from the
film
Oli Vilakku |
Iruvar |
Manirathnam's
movie Iruvar was based on his life and his
relationship with Karunanidhi.
|
fan
associations
|
*
had the most number of fan associations in the
world.
* there were around 35 thousands fan associations.
|
Shuffle
with M.R.Radha |
survived a bullet wound when he was shot at by
fellow actor M.R. Radha on January 12,1967 (which affected
his speech). That did not dither his fans to
watch his films.
|
Kannadasan |
After the death of Kannadasan, he gave an
interview in which he admitted whenever he was
down, he used to
listen to the song "Acham Enbathu
Madamaiyadaa' from 'Mannathi Mannan' written by Kannadasan.
|
Adimai
Penn
|
*
He had a fierce clash
with TMS during recording of songs for the film Adimai
Penn and brought in a new singer called SP Balasubramaniam.
*
Jayalalitha became a singer through his efforts
in this film.
|
En Kadamai
|
MGR went to the
birthday of Mr.Kamaraj and presented him with a
diamond ring, and announced that Kamaraj was his
leader, and Anna was his guide. This angered DMK supporters
who boycotted his movie 'EN Kadamai' and
threatened to burn theatres screening MGR films.
|
Illness |
*
On
october 6, 1984 he was admitted in Apollo hospitals for diabetes and kidney failure.
* On
oct 16 he suffered from Stroke.
* On November 4 he
was admitted to the Brooklyn hospital for
treatment.
* On december 19 he received a kidney
transplant from his niece Leelavathi and
returned to chennai the Feb next year. |
LTTE |
As
reported in the Time magazine (May 11,
1987), he thrashed J.R. with the words, ‘Tamil
groups are spearheading the war against the
dictatorial and fascist actions of the
Jayewardene regime, and they should be
congratulated and helped.’ |
Facts |
*
Maruthur
was the ancestral village in the Kerala state
from where his parents hailed.
* Till 1953 he was in Congress and used to wear
kathar and wear vibhuti on his forehead.
* When Naalai Namatehy was in the production stage
Kamalahasan was booked to dance with MGR for the
song Naan Oru Medai Padagan. Later MGR replaced
this qualified dancer for obvious reason.
*
Initially MGR feared to dance with L.
Vijayalachumy for the song 'Aadaludan Paadalai
Kettu Rasippathilethaan Sugam Sugam Sugam' in
Kudiyiruntha Kovil. But later he agreed on
condition no outsiders are allowed during the
rehearsal and filming of the song scene.
* At a time when MGR and Karunanithi were friends,
MGR acted free for a Megala Pictures-Engal Thangam,
Vali wrote the first line "Naan Alavodu Rasippavan....
and was thinking of the next line. Karunanithi
immediately responded with "Ethaiyum Alavindri
Koduppavan" for the second line. Everyone
accepted.
*In the film Kavalkaran there is a song "Ninaithen
Vanthaai Nooru vayathu" in the second half
of the song he appears with the kulla. It was
after this song that he started to permanently
wear the white kulla.
* In later days made it a point to start his
films with shooting on the Thaikkulam first,
mainly song scenes.
* Over 2 million people attended his funeral.
*
His offical date of birth is Jan17, 1917 but his
actual date of birth may be plus or minus six
months.
*
His third wife V.N.Janaki, a former actress,
divorced her husband Ganapati Bhat, to marry him.
* Devar films produced the maximum number of 17
of his films.
* Director P.Neelakandan directed a maximum of
17 of his films.
* His elder sister
died of
tuberculosis when she was just 20.
* Department of Anna Center for Public Affairs
was established in the University of Madras, out of a donation from him on
behalf of the AIADMK party during the Post
Centenary Silver Jubilee celebrations of the
University of Madras in 1983.
* 22 people committed
suicide when they heard that he was admitted in
the hospital. They hoped that their deaths would
make him better. |
Extracts
of his last will |
He
registered his last will on January 18, 1987.
a) to establish and maintain a free home for the
poor speech and hearing impaired in the
Ramavaram Gardens.
b) to establish
and maintain a memorial at 27, Arcot Mudali
Street, Chennai containing a vast
collection of books and various articles and
awards received by him during his lifetime
from various organisations and people.
c) to maintain
and derive income from his properties at Sathya Gardens, Saligramam and Sathya
Studios, Adyar and use it to maintain the free
home for the poor speech and hearing impaired at
Ramavaram Gardens and maintain and derive income
from the MGR Market, Alandur and use it to
maintain the MGR Memorial House, T.Nagar |
Books |
* MGR, the man and the myth by K
Mohandas
* M.G. Ramachandran, my blood brother by Attar Chand
|
Memorial |
* MGR samadhi is located on the Marina Beach next to Anna samadhi
* MGR Memorial House at
27,Arcot Mudali Street, T.Nagar, Chennai 600017.
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Kindly post a comment.