His acting career was a period of 42 years
He entered the acting world from Drama stage in 1935 and acted till 1977. Maduraiyai Meeta Sundharapandiyan(1978) was the last film that got released before his death. Avasara Police 100 and Nalladhai Naadu Kaetkum are movies that got released in 1990, which is almost three years after his death (He died on December 24,1987). They were unfinished movies by MGR as he had quit acting after he became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977. After his death, the crew had reconstructed the whole story with a different plot and released it with the available footage of the scenes that MGR had acted in.
He acted for free of cost in ‘Urimai Kural’
As the director of the film C.V.Sridhar was in a financial crisis due to a box office disaster in his previous film, MGR had agreed to act in the film free of cost. But surprisingly, it was one of the biggest hits in both MGR’s and C.V.Sridhar’s career. The movie had a brilliant cast and crew that had actor MGR himself, Latha, Anjali Devi, M.S.Viswanathan (music director) and Kannadasan (lyricist).
A 50 feet banner for MGR was kept at Chennai
A banner of MGR’s face morphed with Keanu Reeves’ body from the movie matrix was placed in his rememberance. The 50 feet banner was worshipped by many in the city and it was placed in one of the hotspots of the city in the year 2008. He was adored even a decade after his death and people still love him.
MGR’s movie was celebrated in Sri Lanka too
MGR was not only celebrated in Tamil Nadu but many other parts around Tamil Nadu. The following picture is a photo forwarded by David from France. It is the photo of MGR’s banner kept in front of the ‘Raja Theater’ in Sri Lanka.
MGR had married 2 women before he had married his wife V.N.Janaki
MGR had first married a woman named Barghavi who died in just 3 months post their wedding, due to illness. He then married Sathanandavathi, who also died due to TB. Later he married V.N.Janaki, an actress who did not divorce her ex-husband Ganapathi Bhat. MGR did not have any children for which the reason is unknown.
MGR and his wife Janaki in the film ‘Mohini’
MGR acted in the first colour film in Asia
He had acted in Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum, which was shot in Geva colour and is the first full-length Tamil feature released in colour.
MG stands for Marudhur Gopalamenon
He was fondly known as MGR while a lot of millennials don’t know his actual name. MGR stands for Marudhur Gopalamenon Ramachandran. MGR was a Malayali born in Sri Lanka but he had an acting career in Tamil Nadu. He died at the age of 70 and it’s been 30 years and his followers still love him to bits!
