M.G. Ramachandran (MGR)

In 1967 a gunman shot a film star in his own home. The star survived and won his first election from a hospital bed. Ten years later he became Chief Minister, and fans called him their revolutionary leader.

M.G. Ramachandran, or MGR, turned screen fame into political power. He founded a party that still matters in Tamil Nadu. This lesson follows him from a Ceylon-born boy to Bharat Ratna.

1Who was M.G. Ramachandran?

Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran was born on 17 January 1917 in Nawalapitiya, near Kandy, in British Ceylon. His family came from the Palakkad region of today’s Kerala. His father worked as a magistrate in Kandy.

His father died when he was about two and a half. The family fell on hard times. His mother moved to her brother’s house in Kumbakonam and worked as a housemaid to keep her two sons in school.

As a boy he joined a drama troupe called Boys Company. He learned acting on the stage. He even played female roles on a brief tour of Rangoon and Singapore.

Why does this matter? His fans saw a man who had known hardship. That story fed his later image as a friend of the poor.

• Born 17 January 1917 at Nawalapitiya, British Ceylon.
• Family from the Palakkad region of Kerala.
• Started in the drama troupe Boys Company.

2How did he become a star?

He made his film debut in 1936 in Sathi Leelavathi. The film was directed by Ellis R. Dungan, an American-born director. His role was small, and he worked in minor parts for years.

His breakthrough came with lead roles in the late 1940s and 1950s. Manthiri Kumari (1950) and Marmayogi (1951) made him an action hero. Malaikkallan (1954) added to his fame.

He played brave, honest heroes who protected the poor. Audiences loved the image. His fur cap and dark glasses became part of it.

He acted in more than 130 films, mostly in Tamil. He also directed, including Nadodi Mannan (1958). His last film came out in 1978, after he had become a Chief Minister.

Why does this matter? The screen image was his political capital. Voters felt they already knew him.

• Debut film: Sathi Leelavathi, 1936.
• Action-hero hits: Manthiri Kumari, Marmayogi, Malaikkallan.
• Acted in 130+ films; directed Nadodi Mannan (1958).

3What happened in 1967?

MGR had left the Congress and joined the DMK in 1953. C.N. Annadurai led the party then. He became a member of the Madras Legislative Council in 1962.

On 12 January 1967 the actor M.R. Radha came to his home. The two had acted together before. Radha shot MGR near his left ear.

MGR survived after surgery. He lost hearing in the left ear, and his voice changed for good. Fans filled the hospital, and the news spread across the state.

The 1967 election was only weeks away. MGR campaigned from his hospital bed and won his first seat in the assembly. The DMK also won the state that year.

Why does this matter? The shooting turned sympathy into votes. It showed how far his fame could carry a cause.

• Joined the DMK in 1953, under Annadurai.
• Shot by M.R. Radha on 12 January 1967.
• Won his first assembly seat in 1967 while recovering.
• Read about C.N. Annadurai.

4Why did he leave the DMK?

Annadurai died in 1969. MGR then became the DMK’s treasurer. He supported M. Karunanidhi as the new Chief Minister and party president.

Soon the two men drifted apart. MGR’s fame was growing fast. In October 1972 he said that corruption had grown inside the party. He asked its ministers to declare their assets in public.

The DMK expelled him on 10 October 1972, at first for a short time. Days later the expulsion was made permanent. On 17 October 1972 he founded his own party, the ADMK.

In 1976 the party was renamed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, or AIADMK. The name honoured Annadurai. The party took its fight to the voters.

Why does this matter? The 1972 founding and the 1976 renaming are often confused in exams. Learn both dates.

• Treasurer of the DMK from 1969.
• Expelled in October 1972 after accusing the party of corruption.
• Founded the ADMK on 17 October 1972; renamed AIADMK in 1976.
• Read about M. Karunanidhi.

5What did he do as Chief Minister?

The AIADMK won the 1977 election, and MGR became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He served until his death in 1987. The only gap was a short one in 1980, when the state came under President’s rule. He won again in 1980 and 1984.

On 1 July 1982 his government launched the Chief Minister’s Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme. Earlier leaders, such as Kamaraj, had begun a school meal programme. MGR enlarged it to reach millions of children each day.

In October 1984 he fell seriously ill with kidney failure. He had a transplant and received treatment in the United States. His party still won the election that year.

He died on 24 December 1987 at home in Chennai, still in office, aged seventy. Reports say crowds poured onto the streets. He was buried on the Marina beach, where his memorial stands.

In March 1988 he received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, after his death. His followers called him Puratchi Thalaivar, “Revolutionary Leader”. Jayalalithaa, his co-star in many films, later led his party and the state.

Why does this matter? He proved that a film star could win and keep power. His noon meal idea also shaped later welfare schemes.

• Chief Minister from 1977 until 24 December 1987.
• Noon Meal Scheme launched on 1 July 1982.
• Posthumous Bharat Ratna, March 1988.
• Called Puratchi Thalaivar, “Revolutionary Leader”.
• Read about K. Kamaraj and J. Jayalalithaa.

6What are the exam traps?

• Born in Ceylon, not in Tamil Nadu or Kerala.
• ADMK founded 1972; renamed AIADMK 1976; first win 1977.
• The shooting was in 1967, while he was still in the DMK.
• The Bharat Ratna came in 1988, after his death.