M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known by his initials M. G. R., was an Indian politician, actor, director, film producer, and philanthropist, who served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987. He was the founder and first general secretary of the political party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He is regarded as one of the most influential politicians of post-independent India, and was known by the epithets Makkal Thilagam and Puratchi Thalaivar. In March 1988, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
Born in British Ceylon in 1917, Ramachandran's family emigrated later to India. In his youth, he became part of a drama troupe to support the family. After a few years of acting in plays, he made his debut in the Tamil film industry with Sathi Leelavathi in 1936. In a career spanning more than five decades, he acted in more than 135 films, majority of them in Tamil. He was regarded as one of the three biggest male actors of Tamil cinema during the period alongside Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1971, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South.
Ramachandran became part of the Indian National Congress in the late 1930s. In 1953, he became a member of the C. N. Annadurai-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He rose through its ranks based on his popularity as a film star. In 1972, three years after Annadurai's death, he left the DMK to establish AIADMK. He steered the AIADMK-led alliance to victory in the 1977 assembly election, defeating the DMK in the process, and was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Except for a four-month interregnum in 1980, he remained as chief minister until his death in 1987 and led the AIADMK to electoral wins in the 1980 and 1984 elections.
In October 1984, Ramachandran was diagnosed with renal failure caused by diabetes, which led to further health problems. Despite undergoing a renal transplant and subsequent treatment at the United States, his condition worsened. He died on 24 December 1987 in his residence in Ramapuram due to a cardiac arrest. On 25 December 1987, his remains were buried at the northern end of the Marina beach, where the MGR Memorial was constructed later. In December 2006, a life-size statue of Ramachandran was unveiled in the Indian Parliament. India Post has released several stamps in his honour, and several establishments and places have been named in his honour including the Chennai Central railway station.
Early life
Ramachandran was born on 17 January 1917 in Nawalapitiya, Kandy District, British Ceylon in a Malayali Nair family to Melakkath Gopalan Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama. His family hailed from Palakkad region in the modern-day Indian state of Kerala. Ramachandran later claimed himself to be of Tamil Kongu Vellalar descent, whose ancestors had settled in the Kerala region. His father worked as a magistrate in Kandy, and moved back to India with his family after retirement. He was the youngest of the two sons, and his elder brother was Chakrapani. Ramachandran's father died when he was two and a half years old. Soon after the death of his father, his sister also died due to ill health. After his father's death, their relatives did not support the family, and his mother moved to her brother's house in Kumbakonam. His mother worked as a housemaid to put both her sons through school.During his school days, Ramachandran joined a drama troupe called Boys Company. He trained himself in various aspects, and took on different roles. With help from Kandasamy Mudaliar, he had a brief acting stint overseas in Rangoon and Singapore, where he took up female roles. He returned to India to rejoin Boys Company, and started playing lead roles.
Acting career
Ramachandran made his film debut in 1936, in the film Sathi Leelavathi, directed by Ellis R. Dungan, an American-born film director. He followed it with minor appearances and supporting roles in many films. He worked for over a decade in various films before he played his first lead role in Rajakumari, which was commercially successful. Ramachandran later delivered various hit films such as Manthiri Kumari and Maruthanad Elavarasee in 1950. He established himself as an action hero in Tamil cinema with Manthiri Kumari and Marmayogi. His popularity rose with the success of En Thangai and Malaikkallan.Ramachandran's 1955 film Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was the Tamil film industry's first-ever full-length gevacolor film. He acted further in commercially successful films such as Madurai Veeran, Chakravarthi Thirumagal and Mahadevi. He also directed few films, and his first film as a director and producer was Nadodi Mannan, which became a blockbuster. He later starred in Kalai Arasi, which featured a storyline of aliens visiting the earth. The following year, he appeared in Thozhilali and Padagotti. After starring in numerous commercially successful films, he held a matinée idol status in Tamil Nadu.
File:MGR and VNJanaki.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|Ramachandran with Janaki in Mohini
Ramachandran was shot in 1967, which permanently changed his voice. His first film to release after his release from the hospital was Arasakattalai, which had been finished earlier. However, he was shooting for the film Kaavalkaaran, when he was shot, and the film had parts featuring his old and new voices across scenes.
Ramachandran won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for the film Kudiyirundha Koyil in 1968 and the National Film Award for Best Actor for Rickshawkaran in 1972. His 1973 film Ulagam Sutrum Valiban was one of the first Tamil films to be filmed abroad, and broke the previous box office records of his films. His acting career ended in 1978 with his last film being Madhuraiyai Meetta Sundharapandiyan.
Ramachandran remarked there was no question of retirement for anyone associated in whichever capacity with the cine field. Kali N. Rathnam, a pioneer of Tamil stage drama, and K.P. Kesavan were mentors of Ramachandran in his acting career. Ramachandran was often paired with actresses B.Saroja Devi, and J.Jayalalithaa. Jayalalithaa, who later followed him into politics, acted with him in 28 films, with the last film being Pattikaattu Ponnaiya in 1973.
Political career
Early career
Ramachandran was a member of the Indian National Congress till 1953. In 1953, he joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, founded by C. N. Annadurai, and became a prominent member of the party. He became a member of the Madras State Legislative Council in 1962.1967 assassination attempt
On 12 January 1967, actor M. R. Radha, who has worked with Ramachandran in various films visited Ramachandran to discuss about a future film project. During the conversation, M. R. Radha stood up and shot Ramachandran near his left ear and then tried to shoot himself. The bullet was lodged behind the first vertebra, andRamachandran underwent a surgery to remove the bullet. However, a piece of the bullet was left behind as the doctors were apprehensive that it would cause further damage if attempted to be removed.
As a consequence of the surgery, he lost hearing in his left ear and his voice was altered permanently. The bullet piece left behind got dislodged later, and was removed safely, with Ramachandran attributing it to God's grace. He was hospitalised for six weeks and was visited by commoners and people from the film industry, polity and bureaucracy. He conducted his campaign for the 1967 assembly elections from the hospital bed, and was elected to the legislative assembly for the first time. Radha was later sentenced to five years in prison for the incident, and died in 1979.
Differences with Karunanidhi and birth of AIADMK
After the death of his mentor Annadurai, he became the treasurer of the DMK in 1969 after he helped Karunanidhi became the chief minister of the state and president of the party. However, in the early 1970s, the growing popularity of Ramachandran caused a rift with the DMK president and chief minister Karunanidhi. Ramachandran played a key role in the victory of the DMK in the 1971 assembly elections.Later in the same year, when the DMK government led by Karunanithi wanted to repel the law that was in effect in Tamil Nadu, Ramachandran launched a staunch opposition to it. In 1972, Ramachandran accused that corruption had grown in the DMK after the demise of Annadurai, and demanded the ministers to publicly declare their assets. As a consequence, Ramachandran was expelled from the party temporarily on 10 October 1972, and permanently four days later.
On 17 October 1972, Ramachandran became the leader and general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, established by Anakaputhur Ramalingam. He continued to act in films such as Netru Indru Naalai, Idhayakkani, Indru Pol Endrum Vaazhga, and used cinema as a medium to spread his political messages.
Chief ministership and continued success
First elections
The AIADMK allied with Congress for the 1977 parliamentary election. Though the combine won 34 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, the Janata party won the election and Morarji Desai became the prime minister. The AIADMK contested the 1977 elections, and was part of a four cornered contest against the DMK, the Indian National Congress and the Janata Party. The AIADMK allied itself with the Communist Party of India , while Congress and Communist Party of India contested as allies. The AIADMK-led alliance won the elections by winning 144 seats out of 234 and Ramachandran became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on 30 June 1977.However, Ramachandran later extended unconditional support to the Janata party government. He continued his support to the Charan Singh-led government in 1979, and Satyavani Muthu and Aravinda Bala Pajanor from the AIADMK became part of the Union Cabinet.