MGR fan members in Facebook and Mayyam will know who is Muthaiyan. He is one of the MGR fans who had a special talent in uploading Puratchi Thalaivar MGR images from his movies. He had a knack of exhibiting MGR in various themes, as he had experience in audio-visual his images stands apart from other MGR fans.
It is disheartening to me when I came to know that Muthaiyan from Salem is no more. He passed away on 11th April, 2017. We have lost one hard working guy who carried MGR legacy to the media. We srimgr.com team prays for his soul to rest in peace and our heartfelt condolences to the grieving family.
Muthaiyan once gave me title cards of most of MGR movies, I took all the colour movie title cards and uploaded in our MGR blog a couple of years back. The images he posted from the video will give a doubt from which movie MGR had given such a pose and a specialist in still images taken during action scenes without jerks. His works include collection of MGR's titles shown in the title card such as Makkal Thilagam, Puratchi Nadigar, Ponmanachemmal and Puratchi Thalaivar from every movie MGR acted, types of glasses he used, MGR in various disguises, uploading MGR smile images, collage of MGR images etc. He used to post in alphabetical order and he used to work late hours, you can still see his posting in mayyam which are uploaded during 2 and 3 am. I want to say about his humour, he posted his bike and named it as "Kadhal Vaganam" remembering one of Thalaivar movie. He is against using water mark in MGR images and he also not wanted to use his name in his shared images.
Here is an email from MGR Fan 53 years old Mr.Jayan from Singapore who is also a regular reader of our MGR Blog he wanted to share his experience and his likeness to our beloved Puratchi Thalaivar MGR. He also given the images of some of his collections.
MGR Fan Jayan, Father name Krishnan.
My name is Jayan and I am born and have been living in Singapore. I was first introduced to MGR thru Adimai Penn when it was released here in 1969. Ever since, I have become a huge MGR fan. Since then, I have watched all MGR films released here. Movies that run for a month are considered a huge success because of the small Tamil film audience here. Nalla Neram, Ulagam Sutrum Valiban ran to packed houses for more than a month in 1972-73. I have also watched Annan's (I call him that) earlier films on VHS tapes and DVDs. My favourite movie is Sirithu Vaazha Vendum. The fast pace of the movie, songs, MGR's dual role impressed me. I can never forget the double MGR fight scene - Annan's entrance whistling a tune, his costume with a cloth flower-like bow at his neck, the exciting fight sequence, and the background music! I had the fortune of meeting Annan when he visited Singapore as Chief Minister. Many fans waited for him on the ground floor of the Housing Development Board office where he was having a meeting in 1978 or 79. As the lift door opened, he greeted everyone with a handshake despite his busy schedule and smiled a warm smile. His hand felt warm and he had a firm grip. I felt his hands for about 2 days and I remember I did not wash that hand for about 1 and half days! A brief but unforgettable moment.
Over the years I have also collected many of Annan's movie records (about 120). I have attached photos of my collection. My most prized possession is a rare long playing record of Ulagam Sutrum Valiban with it's beautiful cover.
His dialogues and song lyrics have taught good life values to me and all MGR fans. The line from the Pallandu Vazhgha song "Ondre Kulam Oruvanay Devan" has become my life philosophy. "Dairiyamaaga Sol Nee Manithan Thaana" from Oli Vilakku has taught me never to drink and smoke. He is truly "Kalaimagan Kalaimagal Punniyamo, Thaikulam Vazhangiya Seethanamo!" (from song 'Minminiyai Kanmaniyai' - Kannan En Kathalan movie). To all MGR fans - continue to spread the warmth and good messages of this wonderful man.
One MGR Fan from Malaysia Sree Sitharan was friend of mine. Nearly a year back I saw his video Ulagam piranthathu in youtube, MGR song enacted by him then I contacted him and we became friends. We share our daily dose of MGR in facebook. He also made many contributions in our MGR blog like commenting and sending some images from MGR functions held in Malaysia.
Below is Sree Sitharan’s view of MGR from his own words.
We come across many people in our life – some are incidental and others are pertinent to our experience. But as we journey through in time, we tend to forget those moments, the people and the encounters. Here I must acknowledge that the only instants that have stayed for so long in my life are the philosophies and teachings of a man, a man born to lead by his acute personality as well as his portrayals on screen. That man is my dearest ‘Vathiar Makkal Thilagam MGR”. My fascination with MGR started at the age of 14, when my friend took me to a film for the very first time in my life as if destiny brought me to meet my “Thalaivar”. MGR appeared on the screen simultaneously entering my life through the movie “Deivathai”. The film and especially the song “Moondru Yezhuthil Yen Moochu” captured my thinking and attention as I was mesmerized by the emergence of my hero.
From that point onwards, I started to go for all the MGR’s movies. I pay great deal of attention to the details of MGR’s songs as I felt that whenever the songs are played, some great wisdom is delivered. As life went on, I too was carried away by the superficial joys of life from the habits of drinking and smoking. At the age of 25, a great change came into me when I watched the film “Oli Vilaku”. The song “Dairiyamaga” poked my conscience and I immediately abandon my bad habits. I can honestly say that my attitude and outlooks towards life is formed at that very moment in time. I am banished from cigarettes and liquor from then on and I have not gone back to such vices till now. MGR became my role model and a huge component in my life. The most beautiful day that I will never forget, will be the day when I met MGR personally and shake hand with him during the shooting of “Ulagam Sutrum Valiban” in the year 1970.
I admire his style and acting in films. My most favorite films are “Ayirathil Oruvan” and “Ulagam Sutrum Valiban”. I always strived to be like him, especially his portrayals in these films and in my attempts to embody the experience of being MGR, I ended up making short music videos. The most significant music video that I cherish deeply is “Ulagam Pirantha Enakage”. I have tried my level best to expose and enlighten my children with the philosophies and life of MGR. I as explain the meanings and context of each motivational songs of MGR, it has been instrumental for me to guide my children in the proper path of succeeding in life.
Today I am proud with the achievements of my children, thanks to my “Thalaivar”. The most significant moment of me thanking my hero came when I was in America for my son’s graduation. My son asked me “What do you want to see in America and what do you want to do here?” He promised that whatever my request might be, he would fulfill. With a great outburst of joy I told him that I wanted to sing and dance like my “Thalaivar” and you must record it. Initially my son hesitated but with the obligation to keep his promise, he agreed. I was running around dancing in the middle of San Francisco with the song “Puthiya Vanam Puthiya Bhoomi” playing in the background. It was truly a remarkable experience that later became a collaborative piece of video art that I created with my son. We did many other music videos together from then onwards.
This video clip is now in the permanent collection of a museum in Malaysia. Today, as my son made his career as a successful media artist in Malaysia, his collaboration with me – the beautiful, wonderful and potent songs of my “Thalaivar” has become a crucial video work that has become part of the national art heritage. Our collaborative video music are published, written about, researched and collected by official institutions. I am grateful to my MGR and I can go on to write pages after pages of instances where MGR has been (and still is) an all-inspiring beacon in my life. It’s never is enough to speak about “Thalaivar” and I hope this sincere confession will inspire many more generations to come - of the goodness and strength that I have gained from my hero.
Please Note: the use of video “Puthiya vanam puthiya bhoomi” is restricted by copyright. Thus I cannot supply a copy of the video with this text.
Book published with all the collaborative video works cited as part of my son’s solo exhibition.
Puthiya Vanam Puthiya Bhoomi video published in the book.
Exhibition of Puthiya Vanam Puthiya Bhoomi video in the museum’s gallery space.
Here is the video of MGR song he enacted. Ulagam Piranthathu Enakkaga.
He does not look like MGR but his creativity does.
MGR Devotee Tirupur Ravichandran forwarded the news of an article that have been published in Times of India Madurai Edition.
The article is about MGR Devotee Tamilnesan who have collected some 800 odd tickets of MGR movies that he had watched from 1990s. Below is the article that have appeared in Times of India dated 2nd July 2012.
MADURAI: For this 52-year-old BSNL employee in Madurai, movie tickets are not just an entry pass to the cinema hall, but memorabilia to showcase his love for legendary actor and former chief minister MG Ramachandran.
M Tamilnesan, from T Kunnathur near Perayur, has religiously collected tickets of all the MGR movies that he has watched in the last 20 years. While almost all theatres in Madurai are covered, he also has tickets of theatres from Coimbatore, Salem, Dindigul, Palani, Chennai and other towns. "I missed tickets from theatres in Hyderabad and Bangalore," says Tamilnesan, proudly displaying the tickets pasted in the order of date. Some of them he possesses are truly memorabilia as those theatres no longer exist now.
An SSLC holder, Tamilnesan recollects that he got introduced to MGR films when he was studying in the ninth standard. "I vividly remember the day. The film was Mugarasi, screened in a theatre in nearby Kallupatti village. There was a huge crowd that came in bullock carts from various villages. I was surprised to see that a large number of women had also come," says Tamilnesan. "But after watching the movie, I understood the reason for the huge crowd. It was the aura of MGR," he says. But he did not start collecting tickets from that time. "It occurred to me to collect tickets only much later, in the 1990s. Till date, I have 800 tickets costing from Rs 2 to Rs 50 bought from over 150 theatres," he says. Tamilnesan maintains a diary where he has pasted the tickets with notes of the film, theatre and the show timings. "Half of the theatres have been razed down now," he says.
A diehard fan of MGR, so much so that he offers prayers to the matinee idol's portrait in his house everyday, Tamilnesan claims he has not watched films of any other actor. "Even in television, I don't watch any other films or programmes except for news. But every Sunday, without fail, I watch an MGR movie. I have even watched movies like "Adimai Penn" 100 times," he says.
Tamilnesan has also founded Madurai District MGR Devotees Club that has 130 members. The main activity of the club is to visit various towns and watch MGR films. Tamilnesan has planned a library in Kunnathur with the 150-odd books about MGR he possesses. "MGR's life, like his films, is a messages to the masses. I want to spread them," he says.
The above image is from MGR’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration 2010.
On my way to one of my clients company I had to take an auto rickshaw. The second I seated inside the Auto, the Driver switched the mobile phone which was kept over the windshield and started to play Endrum MGR video songs.
The first song was from Vettaikaran followed by Ulagam Sutrum Valiban and Netru Indru Nalai, during that I captured the video to share this in our MGR Blog.
I asked him are you a MGR Fan he said YES Sir, and also told that he will be working from 6 pm to midnight and he will play this MGR video and MGR mp3 songs often. MGR songs gives him enormous strength and makes him to work hard. He was very eager to visit MGR temple in Nathamedu. His name is Jagadeesan.
The mobile screen is smaller even though I zoomed to capture, the screen was pixelated and you can only hear the MGR songs. The songs playing are all duet songs.
He was hesitant in sharing his photo instead he asked to put a captivating MGR photo in the Blog.
Beloved Leader Puratchi Thalaivar MGR’s fan and Son of Mr.Sampath (former AIADMK Councilor of Shimoga) Mr.Sivakumar has been honoured as Commandant – Home Guards – Shimoga.
Mr.Sivakumar is working as Lecturer in Pharmaceuticals College Shimoga and currently doing his Ph.D Thesis. A very young and hardcore MGR Fan and a very active member of Makkal Thilagam MGR Mandram in Shimoga and Bangalore.
Our beloved Leader MGR spirit will bless him. We srimgr.com team, MGR Fans and MGR Devotees of Chennai District also wish him success.
MGR Devotee from Bangalore S.Vinod has forwarded an article written by Ramesh in Alaikal E news website, six pages about our beloved Leader Puratchi Thalaivar MGR.
Click the above image for further reading.
He has given a detailed account how he became a MGR Fan and how he enjoyed MGR movies when he was in Srilanka.
MGR Fan from United States Abul Hassan (a.k.a. MGR Visiree) has sent me an article that appeared in The Hindu Newspaper to share it in our Blog.
“I am now known in the cine world as the man who garlands MGR” One is a struggling flower-seller. The other is a cinematic legend and a former Chief Minister.
Every morning, for the past 10 years or so, the two have met in the middle of Anna Salai here. ‘Poo Kadai’ Sakthi (41) comes armed with just a flower garland for his “idol,” a statue of MGR near the Spencer Plaza junction. After cleaning the gleaming figure, he removes the previous day’s dried garland and places a fresh one – exchanging a few words as he goes about his task. The rush-hour traffic rolls on by either side.
Poo Kadai Sakthi Garlanding our Beloved Leader Puratchi Thalaivar MGR statue in Anna Salai.
“More than an actor”
“This is not just a statue and he was much more than an actor. He was a good human being,” says Mr. Sakthi. His gesture is simple, but he has done it every single day since he started a decade ago.
During the 2005 monsoon when he had to wade through hip-deep water from the Gemini flyover as his M80 moped refused to move, during the tragic days in 2006 when the Tsunami struck and during innumerable strikes and rallies that paralysed Anna Salai.
His morning routine includes a visit to the MGR samadhi where he lays another garland. After that, he heads back to his flower stall where he works till 10 p.m. to earn his daily wage of Rs.500. Encouraged by film personalities such as comedian Mayilsamy and ‘Idaya Kani’ S.Vijayan, who were outraged by the plight of the statue, Sakthi set out to do what he could “to restore some dignity”.
“Just another fan”
Sakthi says that he was just another MGR fan who has seen Nadodi Mannan a countless times.
Life-changing
I never knew much about him initially. But seeing all the love and adulation, the tearful visitors at his samadhi, and the frail old women who give me the little money they have just because I garland MGR...his life changed me.” “I am now known in the cine world as the man who garlands MGR,” he says. Whenever there is a function at the Nadigar Sangam or in case a flower decoration is required during a shoot, he usually gets the contract.
“Though I have never seen him in flesh and blood, I get to eat because of MGR. He offers hope and a livelihood to people even when he is not there.”
