View of Journalist

MGR I SAW HIM

by S.N.Narayanan, Journalist.

The Year was 1975, I had an assignment from Film World, Bombay (now Mumbai), and to interview MGR. Till then I had not met the great star in person. So I was in a fix.

I had been seeing almost all his starrers as also reading a lot of pro and anti writings on him. Unwittingly influenced by political speeches, I never developed a desire to cultivate friendship with him. However, for the Film World interview I had to establish a contact. And I did meet him. That was my turning point, a correction of a deceptive conviction, a metamorphosis of the MGR image that loomed in my mind till then!

I met him in his Arcot Mudaliar Road residence (Now MGR memorial) there was a large crowd comprising party workers, favour seekers, fans and film personnel. I lost hopes that I could meet him at all, because I did have absolutely no influence there. That feeling was further fanned by my inherent prejudice!

Hardly had I waited for ten minutes. Muthu (now the Care taker of MGR memorial) his valet came to me. "Thalaivar (Leader) calls you in". I was ushered into the august presence of MGR, sitting behind his desk, cap-less, make-up-less, clad in a sleeveless banian and lunghi. He looked as handsome as in his moves! That was my first shock!

He enquired about my calling, welfare, family and only then permitted me to begin the interview. (Note MGR's nature when interacting) We talked for an hour. All my questions, some political and hence irritable, he answered patiently.

I came out, a totally changed man. My ambiguous and ill-founded impression about the great star, nay the great human vanished. In its place, I installed the 'MGR' as I really saw him. Then only I understood why millions in the country owe everything to him. He deserves it! Thereafter I had the good fortune to be with him for shooting at Bangalore (Capital of Karnataka) and Ooty (hill resort) I was an eye witness to the perennial fountain of generosity that MGR is.

"I came into the world as a have-not. Let me depart also so" He said. Had he wished, he could have owned half of Madras city (Now Chennai) with his fabulous earnings! But his munificence always overtook his income! Well, Sir, now the whole state is in your balanced hands!

MGR has given new interpretation to the word PHILANTHROPY. No dictionary can improve upon it, ever!

The interview of 1975 was titled "MGR – next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu" It was no clairvoyance on my part. Any one who knows this great leader even casually would have attested my view. The State of Tamil Nadu reached a stage when it had to be reclaimed by a strong and soft hand. Only MGR possesses that! And, we, the people of Tamil Nadu today experience the niceties!

LONG LIVE MGR – HELPER OF THE HAPLESS!

This is an extract of the Journalist experience when MGR came to Power in 1977.

Down Memory Lane

North East Monsoon has started, and heavy rain is lashing the City. I saw School children half drenched returning home. Government declared holiday to Schools lately. My thoughts went down memory lane, when I was in High School and when MGR was the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

I studied in Government School, whenever there was drizzle I tune to Radio to hear that Government declaring holiday. That happy moment happened always. MGR albeit had 3 years of formal education know the difficulties of School going Children.

In his tenure whenever rain lashes the City, I can expect a Newsreader spelling out these familiar line "Schools and College will be closed due to Rain ". Sometime the weather changes, but I enjoyed the period as a School boy.

People in my age group will ever cherish the experience. We as students never suffered any hindrances. Thanks to MGR an exemplar, the Legend with Human touch.

Re-Release and Reaction - Part IV

MGR is the Producer, Director and also Hero of the movie.

As Actor:

MGR as Hero (Dual action) portrayed the character of the King and the Wanderer, the style he introduced in Tamil Film to differentiate the two roles is still followed. (Example – the Nose twitching goes without saying it is meant for MGR) The King enacted with exquisite costumes, charming smile, and easy go attitude. On the other hand Wanderer holds his position by help of dialogues and swashbuckling fights.

The dialogues in the movie for example:

1. when wanderer was obstructed verbally by Commander to use his Power as King, he retorts by saying “You are looking the People from the Palace, I am watching the Palace with the People”
2. Further when he was questioned that he is not aware of the Power of the Kings, wanderer says, “My appearance has changed but not my conscience, I know that I am not a true King, I am not going to rule for ages, but in this short tenure I have to do more good for the Poor”
3. “We don’t like useless Plough and powerless Authority”.

The dialogues are by Poet Kannadasan who later differed with MGR and when MGR became the Chief Minister, Kannadasan was given the most coveted post of Poet Laureate.

As Producer:

“Wanderer and King” is the first production for “MGR Pictures” which produced only 3 films so far and all the films were Super Hit. MGR was a very shrewd Producer, he precisely know how to create awesome sets for the Coronation ceremony and at the same time showing the half of the island in miniature. The sum he had spent for the sets, costumes and meal for the crew sets up for taking another film.

As Director:

First MGR has no intention to be the Director of the movie, he approached the then great Directors, but all of them said MGR to direct as he knows lot about the technology of film making.

In one scene, the death of Heroine was shown as a montage shot, never before used in Tamil film to my knowledge.

Reaction:

His fans were excited from the first frame to the last, in Indian films, the appearance of the Hero in the first scene was given a great applause and MGR movie is no different, and the fact is when the second MGR appears in the screen the same applause continued as the MGR fans feel that there are two MGR’s. His simple gestures involving the real story or his Political side were very well understood by them. When Wanderer and Kings Aide parts before the climax, the wanderer gives a warm hug, the fans admire it, because they look not only the character of the king's aide, who is the real Brother of MGR (M.G.Sakrapani). When the Queen comes to know that Wanderer is not her husband and the Wanderer says "Do you trust me sister?" she tells the Wanderer, "Not only me, the whole country trusts you".

As usual the fans lighted camphor's and throwing bits of colour papers when MGR appeared in the silver screen.

My picture