Its Heart not Vote

Whenever MGR meets an old Lady he hugs them and also questions about there conditions and offers help. And another instance MGR uses to interact with kids. This behaviour was still used by some Leaders in India as well as in foreign countries.

When asked why MGR did these things? Most of the people say because for VOTE sake. But for me I think differently. The love he showered to Old ladies and children came from his heart and not for his political rise as the other Politicians do for the sake of VOTE. Cho Ramasamy (Cho) Editor and Actor sarcastically mentions in his film "Mohammed Bin Thuglaq".

MGR respects women and in his speech intro he uses "Ennai Vazha vaikkum Deivangal agaiya Thaimargala" and then only his fans favourite words "En Rathathin Rathamana Udanpirapukala" (My Dear Blood Brothers).

When MGR comes out of his home he pays respect to his Mother, he constructed a Temple for her Mother in Ramavaram Garden.

Why MGR did like this, to my knowledge after my father's death whenever I see a person resembling my father's qualities like the hair style, nose, talk etc. I stare at them and try to speak, because I miss my father very much. This same principle applies to MGR also; he was fond of his Mother, in his Biography MGR mentions that his mother used to clean his teeth till he was 17 years old. So much he loved his mother. This is the reason why he always speaks and hugs them in public.



And in one instance my brother when he was 6 years had a chance of seeing MGR while he was on an election rally. The van stopped shortly, MGR looked out, his party members were holding children, he took a girl child having running nose, without any hesitation he took the kerchief wiped her nose clean and kissed her. And next was my brothers turn but he did not go near him feeling MGR hand is dirty with what he did to the girl. See a 6 year old is not interested to go near a person like MGR, for the sake of he is not clean enough to kiss him. Why MGR liked children? Because he did not have one, these feelings came straight from the Heart how much will understand this.

Party Cadres Psychology

In 2004 Parliament Elections, AIADMK allied with BJP and faced the elections. The party was white washed, loosing all the 39 seats that means AIADMK the ruling party in the state was having 131 seats out of 234 in State, now the result was 0 out of 234.

Ms.Jayalalithaa, changed her policies, the killing of Veerappan and success of Veeranam project (drinking water to Chennai city) gave her some popularity. When the Elections for the State was announced nearly a year, the ADMK cadres know how to pull his party men to work and gain the vote. This was the picture (film "Mattukara Velan" – Cowherd Velan) they painted in the Walls to signify that ADMK (in directly means MGR) is in danger. And another one was from a film "Neerum Nerupum" (Fire and Water) mounted on horse symbolizes the return of MGR.

Look closely 6 men are attacking him; fortunately ADMK was opposed by six parties at that time. When the results were announced ADMK was the opposition party, most politicians believed that AIADMK will be routed like in 1996 elections. But AIADMK got more than 60 seats and DMK 94 (with six party alliances)

HOW MUCH THEY HATE

So far in my Blog I have told how much people loved MGR. In this chapter I am going tell how much one hated MGR. I studied in Thiru.vi.ka. Higher Secondary School (Government School). In 1958 MGR donated Rs.5,000/- to our School, the donor names are engraved and still you can see it. It was October 31 1984 as usual we had prayers, my Head Master Mr.Sivaji Padmanabasingh asked us to pray for MGR health. We prayed. During the Tamil Class my teacher was Mr.Vasudevan (as every Tamil teacher he liked Mr.Karunanidhi) was taking lessons and he was explaining about a phrase in poem about Goddess. Suddenly he said lot of them is praying for that fellow. His God Moogambigai is she going to see through X ray and going to save him, no chance. And the class laughed to his joke.

Now I think why my Tamil Teacher has so ill felling about MGR? What did MGR personally did to his life? Nothing only thing he does not like MGR is the propaganda of the opposition party that Tamilnadu is ruled by non Tamil.

Long bell rang unusually and we came out of the class my Head Master was nervous that how we are going to reach our home. We were perplexed, long bell means there is no school after this class. We came out of the School everything in the Road was quite, no buses no other vehicles running, I thought MGR was dead. But when I reached home my aunt said Indira Gandhi was shot dead.

Whatever the ill feeling he had, our prayers were answered. There is a song in his movie "Dharmam Thalaikakum" (Dharma saves life) தர்மம் தலைகாக்கும் தக்க சமயத்தில் உயிர் காக்கும்.

Poets View of MGR

An Aroordhas Anecdote on MGR
Recently I provided a translation of an anecdote about movie maestro Sivaji Ganesan which had appeared in renowned Tamil movie script writer Aroordhas’s memoir book ‘Naan Muham Paartha Cinema Kannadigal [The Cinema Mirrors I have Looked At, Kalaignan Publishers, Chennai, 2002, 224 pages]. Here I provide the translation of another anecdote recollected by Aroordhas in this book, but on M.G.Ramachandran (MGR), whose 89th birthday was on January 17th.
It is a well known fact that MGR was born in Kandy for an Indian immigrant couple in 1917. Aroordhas had visited Kandy nearly six decades later, when the shooting for Pilot Premnath movie starring Sivaji Ganesan took place in Kandy. Here follows Aroordhas’s anecdote [pp. 33-34], in my English translation:
“When the shooting for ‘Pilot Premnath’ movie took place in Kandy, I grapped a handful of soil from that city and filled it in a plastic vial. After returning to Chennai, I met MGR.‘Elder, I’m offering you a gift now, which othes might not have given it for you until now.”‘Is that so? May I know what is it?’‘Will you open your palm?’[MGR] offered his palm.I placed that particular plastic vial in his sandal wood-colored palm.‘What’s this? Soil?’‘Yes of course. This is your birth soil. I collected this from Kandy, and brought it especially for you’, I explained. When MGR heard this, he became so emotional and touched both his eyes with that vial.He opened the lid of the vial. Like picking the holy ash (viboothi), he pinched a little of the soil by his thumb and index finger, and placed it in his mouth. Then he applied a little soil onto his head as well.I saw both his eyes were welled [with tears]. Like a child, he asked me, ‘Can I keep this vial?’I replied, ‘Elder, what are you talking? I brought this especially for you.’‘Thank you. I’ll keep this gift forever with care.’ he said and grapped my hands.”
For further reading and viewing Videos of MGR http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/mgr.htm

Sister in Law 2

The most loved pair of MGR Fans is none other than Jayalalitha (now lovingly called by her Party members as "Amma") She first acted with him in the movie named "Ayirathil Oruvan" (One in One thousand) due to the success the pair continued from 1965 to 1973. Aggregating to 28 out of this in "Arasa Kattalai" (Kings Order) both Saroja Devi and Jayalalitha acted together. In the climax Saroja Devi dies and MGR marries Jayalalitha. But the real climax was MGR saves Saroja Devi and Jayalalitha chooses to be a Nun (Why they changed the climax?)

Jayalalitha was given prominent character which is equal to the Hero role. Domination of Jayalalitha in MGR movie is high when compared to other Heroines. She got individuals songs to show her talent in dancing, her dress sense and style. She was given a bigger role of teaching MGR all kind of martial arts in "Adimai Penn" (Slave Girl – for further reference click this http://mgrroop.blogspot.com/2006/03/story-of-adimai-pen.html) which MGR fan can't digest, but the fans were convinced in the film. In most of MGR-Jayalalitha starrer films in a song or in a dialogue, she mentions that MGR is born for her, which is notable.

After 1972 when MGR expelled from DMK, the pair also parted, the last movie they acted "Pattikattu Ponnaiah" she has the merit of acting with MGR in his 100th film and 2 Silver Jubilee films Oli Vilakku and Adimai Penn. Though she was cast as First Heroine in "Ulagam Sutrum Valiban" (World Trotting Youth) that role was given to Actress Manjula later.

In 1972 there were gossip columns in Newspapers that MGR married her in Nepal, but was turned as a rumour.

After MGR became Chief Minister for the second time he gave Jayalalitha a post in his party. There she gained importance and after his death she became the party Leader overcoming some difficulty.

The first MGR tomb was erected in Karunanidhi's period designed like an umbrella but it looked like a mushroom in directly meaning MGR not worthy. When Jayalalitha came to Power in 1991 she reconstructed the Tomb in the form of Lotus and paid respect to her Mentor and Guide.

The first tomb was constructed by a contractor named B.L.Srinivasan and he is the same contractor who again given Tender to demolish the Tomb. How I know it? Because I worked as Typist in the Public Works Department, the work was carried out by Buildings Sub Division I of Buildings Division II. I also had the chance to talk with the Contractor he was a nice gentleman.

SISTER IN LAW

MGR acted in 134 films (2 films after his death) and he co stared with many actress but MGR fans most loved pairs are Saroja Devi, Jayalalitha and Lath. MGR Fans admire these 3 actresses, so much and they call them lovingly as Sister-in-laws.

Saroja Devi was called Elder Sister-in-law (Periya Anni) MGR first paired with Saroja Devi in the movie "Thirudathae" (Don’t Steal) as she was a new face to Tamil movie. Her mother tongue is Kannada. She was also called as "Abinaya Saraswathi" and "Kannada Paingkili". The shooting of "Thirudathae" was postponed and eventfully MGR's block buster movie "Nadodi Mannan" (Wander and King) released. That gave her immediate Stardom status.


This pair continued for a decade until Saroja Devi got married with Mr.Harsha. MGR and Saroja Devi acted as Hero and Heroine in 26 films and out of these "Nadodi Mannan" and "Enga Veetu Pillai" were Silver Jubilee films. One flop film (only flop film for MGR) "Pasam" (Love)

When MGR was shot in January 12th 1967 by his fellow actor M.R.Radha, some of his films were dropped, some films were rechristened and some of the film heroines were changed one of these was "Ragasiya Police 115", earlier Saroja Devi was in the role of Heroine but after the accident Jayalalitha donned the role.


One peculiar thing is that all of MGR most loved pairs showed their skin to the camera but not Saroja Devi, her character as well as the costumes is immaculate, that gave her homely appearance.

Whenever she was interviewed she says her God is MGR and she has two sad incidents in her life that were the death of her Husband and death of MGR. She never forgets MGR.

Minority Report

4 Months back I was traveling in a Bus. When the Bus was nearing the Nehru Indoor Stadium all the vehicles were stopped for 20 minutes because the Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi was to be felicitated by the Tamil Film Industry in the Stadium. Inside of the Bus was so humid some people started to oppose such acts done by the VIPs.

Cams motorcade went past us, and then we were allowed to move. I was standing near two Muslims, they were in late 60s and were commenting about this traffic blockades and was describing how when MGR was the Chief Minister this kind of annoyance to public was not done. And further they started to talk in Hindi and I can't understand most of the words but this was in my memory. "MGR Rajya se ……. zabardast aura kaligner, Amma Rajya ….teak nahi" (MGR's rule was very good but other is not that much)

In India Muslims are minority but they are targeted by the Politicians for vote sake by participating in their Festivals like opening the Fast in Ramadan month. But MGR was different from others. He never opened the fast as like the others. Despite of this the Muslim community knows that MGR an actor in profession never acted in Politics. They feel MGR is do gooder to their community. One of his Story writers Ravindran is a Muslim and one of his lawyers was also a Muslim.

False Prophecy of an Editor

A Comedy of 1977.

Those who know Tamil please click this link.
http://allaboutmgr.blogspot.com/2007/02/blog-post.html

How fast (H) is fast

Sorry for the inconvenience.

The Post I have published here is been published as a Book. Publication date of the book will be conveyed soon.

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Michael Jackson Sings for MGR

Although I posted a remix of "Beat It" earlier, this video is more apt. Just CVP – Click, View, Post - Enjoy and post your comment.

Photos II

This is the Photo I have mentioned in my earlier blog (The Pendant and Bracelet)
For further reference for MGR click this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._G._Ramachandran