M. G. Ramachandran | |
|---|---|
![]() Portrait of M.G.R. from a 2017 commemorative stamp | |
| Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | |
| In office 9 June 1980 – 24 December 1987 | |
| Governor | |
| Cabinet | |
| Preceded by | President's rule |
| Succeeded by | V. N. Janaki Ramachandran[a] |
| Constituency | |
| In office 30 June 1977 – 17 February 1980 | |
| Governor | Prabhudas B. Patwari |
| Cabinet | Ramachandran I |
| Preceded by | President's rule |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| Constituency | Aruppukottai |
| Member of theTamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 24 December 1984 – 24 December 1987 | |
| Chief Minister | Himself |
| Political Party | AIADMK |
| Preceded by | S. S. Rajendran |
| Succeeded by | P. Aasiyan |
| Constituency | Andipatti |
| In office 9 June 1980 – 15 November 1984 | |
| Chief Minister | Himself |
| Political Party | AIADMK |
| Preceded by | T. P. M. Periyaswamy |
| Succeeded by | Pon. Muthuramalingam |
| Constituency | Madurai West |
| In office 30 June 1977 – 17 February 1980 | |
| Chief Minister | Himself |
| Political Party | AIADMK |
| Preceded by | Sowdi Sundara Bharathi |
| Succeeded by | M. Pitchai |
| Constituency | Aruppukottai |
| In office 1 March 1967 – 31 January 1976 | |
| Chief Minister | |
| Political Party | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Constituency | St. Thomas Mount |
| Member of theTamil Nadu Legislative Council | |
| In office 30 March 1962[1] – 7 July 1964 | |
| Chief Minister | |
| Succeeded by | S. R. P. Ponnuswamy Chettiar |
| General Secretary of theAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| In office 17 October 1986 – 24 December 1987 | |
| Preceded by | S. Raghavanandam |
| Succeeded by | J. Jayalalithaa |
| In office 17 October 1972 – 22 June 1978 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan |
| Treasurer of theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| In office 27 July 1969 – 10 October 1972 | |
| President | M. Karunanidhi |
| General Secretary | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan |
| Preceded by | M. Karunanidhi |
| Succeeded by | K. Anbazhagan |
| President of theSouth Indian Artistes' Association | |
| In office 1961–1963 | |
| Preceded by | R. Nagendra Rao |
| Succeeded by | S. S. Rajendran |
| In office 1957–1959 | |
| Preceded by | N. S. Krishnan |
| Succeeded by | Anjali Devi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Maruthur Gopalan Menon Ramachandran (1917-01-17)17 January 1917 |
| Died | 24 December 1987(1987-12-24) (aged 70) |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest[2] |
| Resting place | M.G.R. and Amma Memorial |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (1972–1987) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouses | |
| Relatives |
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| Residences | |
| Profession |
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| Awards |
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| Nicknames |
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Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 – 24 December 1987), popularly known by his initialsM. G. R., was an Indianpolitician,actor,director,film producer, andphilanthropist, who served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987. He was the founder and firstgeneral secretary of the political partyAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).[3] He is regarded as one of the most influential politicians of post-independent India,[4] and was known by the epithetsMakkal Thilagam (Jewel of the People) andPuratchi Thalaivar (Revolutionary Leader).[2] In March 1988, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
Born inBritish Ceylon in 1917, Ramachandran's family emigrated later to India. In his youth, he became part of a drama troupe to support the family. After a few years of acting in plays, he made his debut in theTamil film industry withSathi Leelavathi in 1936. In a career spanning more than five decades, he acted in more than 135 films, majority of them inTamil.[5] He was regarded as one of the three biggest male actors of Tamil cinema during the period alongsideSivaji Ganesan andGemini Ganesan.[6] He won theNational Film Award forBest Actor in 1971, threeTamil Nadu State Film Awards, and threeFilmfare Awards South.
Ramachandran became part of theIndian National Congress in the late 1930s. In 1953, he became a member of theC. N. Annadurai-ledDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He rose through its ranks based on his popularity as a film star. In 1972, three years after Annadurai's death, he left the DMK to establish AIADMK. He steered theAIADMK-led alliance to victory in the1977 assembly election, defeating the DMK in the process, and was sworn in as thechief minister of Tamil Nadu. Except for a four-monthinterregnum in 1980, he remained as chief minister until his death in 1987 and led the AIADMK to electoral wins in the1980 and1984 elections.[7][8]
In October 1984, Ramachandran was diagnosed withrenal failure caused bydiabetes, which led to further health problems. Despite undergoing arenal transplant and subsequent treatment at the United States, his condition worsened. He died on 24 December 1987 in his residence inRamapuram due to acardiac arrest. On 25 December 1987, his remains were buried at the northern end of theMarina beach, where theMGR Memorial was constructed later. In December 2006, a life-size statue of Ramachandran was unveiled in theIndian Parliament.India Post has released several stamps in his honour, and several establishments and places have been named in his honour including theChennai Central railway station.
Ramachandran was born on 17 January 1917 inNawalapitiya,Kandy District,British Ceylon (now in Sri Lanka) in aMalayaliNair family to Melakkath Gopalan Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama. His family hailed fromPalakkad region in the modern-day Indian state ofKerala.[9][10][11] Ramachandran later claimed himself to be ofTamilKongu Vellalar descent, whose ancestors had settled in the Kerala region.[12][13][14] His father worked as amagistrate in Kandy, and moved back to India with his family after retirement.[15] He was the youngest of the two sons, and his elder brother wasChakrapani.[15][16] Ramachandran's father died when he was two and a half years old. Soon after the death of his father, his sister also died due to ill health.[16] After his father's death, their relatives did not support the family, and his mother moved to her brother's house inKumbakonam.[15] His mother worked as a housemaid to put both her sons through school.[16]
During his school days, Ramachandran joined a drama troupe called Boys Company. He trained himself in various aspects, and took on different roles.[16] With help from Kandasamy Mudaliar, he had a brief acting stint overseas inRangoon andSingapore, where he took up female roles. He returned to India to rejoin Boys Company, and started playing lead roles.[16]

Ramachandran made his film debut in 1936, in the filmSathi Leelavathi,[17] directed byEllis R. Dungan, an American-born film director.[18] He followed it with minor appearances and supporting roles in many films.[19] He worked for over a decade in various films before he played his first lead role inRajakumari, which was commercially successful.[20] Ramachandran later delivered various hit films such asManthiri Kumari andMaruthanad Elavarasee in 1950.[21][22] He established himself as anaction hero inTamil cinema withManthiri Kumari (1950) andMarmayogi (1951).[23][24] His popularity rose with the success ofEn Thangai (1952) andMalaikkallan (1954).[21][25]
Ramachandran's 1955 filmAlibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was theTamil film industry's first-ever full-lengthgevacolor film.[26] He acted further in commercially successful films such asMadurai Veeran (1956),Chakravarthi Thirumagal andMahadevi (both released in 1957).[27][28][29] He also directed few films, and his first film as a director and producer wasNadodi Mannan (1958), which became a blockbuster.[30][31] He later starred inKalai Arasi (1963), which featured a storyline of aliens visiting the earth.[32] The following year, he appeared inThozhilali andPadagotti.[33][34] After starring in numerous commercially successful films, he held amatinée idol status in Tamil Nadu.[27]

Ramachandran was shot in 1967, which permanently changed his voice.[35] His first film to release after his release from the hospital wasArasakattalai, which had been finished earlier. However, he was shooting for the filmKaavalkaaran, when he was shot, and the film had parts featuring his old and new voices across scenes.[36]
Ramachandran won theTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for the filmKudiyirundha Koyil in 1968 and theNational Film Award for Best Actor forRickshawkaran in 1972.[37] His 1973 filmUlagam Sutrum Valiban was one of the first Tamil films to be filmed abroad, and broke the previous box office records of his films.[38] His acting career ended in 1978 with his last film beingMadhuraiyai Meetta Sundharapandiyan.[22][39]
Ramachandran remarked there was no question of retirement for anyone associated in whichever capacity with the cine field.[40]Kali N. Rathnam, a pioneer of Tamil stage drama, and K.P. Kesavan were mentors of Ramachandran in his acting career.[41] Ramachandran was often paired with actressesB.Saroja Devi, andJ.Jayalalithaa.[42] Jayalalithaa, who later followed him into politics, acted with him in 28 films, with the last film beingPattikaattu Ponnaiya in 1973.[42][43]
Ramachandran was a member of theIndian National Congress till 1953. In 1953, he joined theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), founded byC. N. Annadurai, and became a prominent member of the party. He became a member of theMadras State Legislative Council in 1962.[44]
On 12 January 1967, actorM. R. Radha, who has worked with Ramachandran in various films visited Ramachandran to discuss about a future film project. During the conversation, M. R. Radha stood up and shot Ramachandran near his left ear and then tried to shoot himself.[45] The bullet was lodged behind the firstvertebra, and Ramachandran underwent a surgery to remove the bullet. However, a piece of the bullet was left behind as the doctors were apprehensive that it would cause further damage if attempted to be removed.[36]
As a consequence of the surgery, he lost hearing in his left ear and his voice was altered permanently.[46] The bullet piece left behind got dislodged later, and was removed safely, with Ramachandran attributing it to God's grace.[36] He was hospitalised for six weeks and was visited by commoners and people from the film industry, polity and bureaucracy. He conducted his campaign for the1967 assembly elections from the hospital bed, and was elected to thelegislative assembly for the first time.[47][48] Radha was later sentenced to five years in prison for the incident, and died in 1979.[36]
After the death of his mentor Annadurai, he became the treasurer of the DMK in 1969 after he helped Karunanidhi became thechief minister of the state and president of the party.[49] However, in the early 1970s, the growing popularity of Ramachandran caused a rift with the DMK president and chief minister Karunanidhi. Ramachandran played a key role in the victory of the DMK in the1971 assembly elections.[50]

Later in the same year, when the DMK government led by Karunanithi wanted to repel the law that was in effect in Tamil Nadu, Ramachandran launched a staunch opposition to it. In 1972, Ramachandran accused that corruption had grown in the DMK after the demise of Annadurai, and demanded the ministers to publicly declare their assets. As a consequence, Ramachandran was expelled from the party temporarily on 10 October 1972, and permanently four days later.[50]
On 17 October 1972, Ramachandran became the leader and general secretary ofAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), established byAnakaputhur Ramalingam.[50] He continued to act in films such asNetru Indru Naalai (1974),Idhayakkani (1975),Indru Pol Endrum Vaazhga (1977), and used cinema as a medium to spread his political messages.[5][51]
The AIADMK allied with Congress (I) for the1977 parliamentary election. Though the combine won 34 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, theJanata party won the election andMorarji Desai became theprime minister.[52] The AIADMK contested the1977 elections, and was part of a four cornered contest against the DMK, theIndian National Congress (Organisation) and theJanata Party. The AIADMK allied itself with theCommunist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), while Congress (I) andCommunist Party of India (CPI) contested as allies.[53][54] The AIADMK-led alliance won the elections by winning 144 seats out of 234 and Ramachandran became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on 30 June 1977.[55][56]
However, Ramachandran later extended unconditional support to the Janata party government. He continued his support to theCharan Singh-led government in 1979, andSatyavani Muthu andAravinda Bala Pajanor from the AIADMK became part of theUnion Cabinet.[57][58][59]

After the fall of the Charan Singh government, freshparliamentary elections were conducted in 1980. The AIADMK and Janata party alliance won only two seats in the elections, that was won by the DMK-Congress (I) coalition. Following the victory, the AIADMK ministry and the Tamil Nadu assembly dismissed by the central government led by the Congress and fresh elections conducted in 1980.[59] Despite their victory at the 1980Lok Sabha polls, DMK and Congress failed to win thelegislative assembly election. AIADMK won the election and Ramachandran was sworn in as chief minister for the second time.[55][56]
Karunanidhi claimed in April 2009 and in May 2012 that Ramachandran was ready for the merger of his party with the DMK in September 1979, with formerOrissa chief ministerBiju Patnaik acting as the mediator. The plan failed, becausePanruti S. Ramachandran, who was close to Ramachandran acted as a spoiler and Ramachandran changed his mind.[60][61][62]
Indira Gandhi wasassassinated on 31 October 1984,[63] and was succeeded by her sonRajiv Gandhi, who sought a fresh mandate.[64] Ramachandran-led AIADMK allied with the Congress for the1984 Indian general election. Despite his poor health, he did contest theassembly election held later that year while still confined to the hospital, winning fromAndipatti.[65] During the election, photos of Ramachandran recuperating in hospital were published, creating a sympathy wave among the people.[66] Indira Gandhi's assassination, Ramachandran's appeals from the hospital, and Rajiv Gandhi visits to the state helped create a sympathy wave that helped the alliance sweep both the elections.[67] In the Tamil Nadu assembly, the combine won 195 seats and Ramachandran was later sworn in as the chief minister for the third time.[55][56]
Ramachandran was very popular in the state and had high approval from the public.[68][69] He introduced and expanded welfare schemes such as free electricity to farmers, andmid-day meal scheme.[70] The meal scheme for school students, which had been introduced by Kamaraj in 1956, was significantly expanded by Ramachandran in 1980. The scheme was expanded to cover all government and aided schools for all the days of the year including holidays.[71][72] He introduced a free electricity scheme for small and marginal farmers in 1984.[73]
However, as per a study by theMadras Institute of Development Studies in 1988, Ramachandran's tenure did not see a significant upliftment in the economic condition of the poor and the shift of government resources from industrial sector to social welfare schemes contributed to the same.[68]
The decision-making was often centralised during Ramachandran's tenure. While there were criticism regarding the efficiency of such working, supporters of Ramachandran counter that most of these problems were a result of the party members serving Ramachandran rather than the leader himself. His charisma and popularity trumped policy decisions that led to his eventual success during his tenure as chief minister.[74]
Ramachandran allowed the continued sale of liquor, which he opposed when the ban on which was overturned by his predecessor Karunanidhi in 1971. He rescinded the ban ontoddy in 1981, and reversed it six years later. He established theTamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation in 1983 for the import and sale of foreign made liquor.[75]
Natwar Singh in his autobiographyOne Life is Not Enough alleged that Ramachandran covertly supported the cause of independentTamil Eelam and financed theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a militant organisation in Sri Lanka. He also alleged that the LTTE cadres were given military training in Tamil Nadu, and that Ramachandran had gifted₹40 million (US$470,000) rupees to the group without the knowledge of the Indian government.[76]
Ramachandran's government often used state machinery against political criticism and opposition.[68] In April 1987, the editor ofAnanda VikatanS. Balasubramanian was sentenced to 3 months in jail by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for publishing a cartoon, depicting government ministers as bandits and lawmakers as pickpockets, though specific legislature was not specified. He was later released due to media outcry and Balasubramanian won a case against his arrest.Vaniga Otrumai editor A.M. Paulraj was also sentenced to two weeks imprisonment by the assembly for his writing.[77][78]
| Elections | Assembly | Constituency | Political party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Political party | Vote percentage | |||||||||
| 1967 | 4th | St. Thomas Mount | DMK | Won | 66.67% | T. L. Raghupathy | INC | 32.57% | |||
| 1971 | 5th | 61.11% | INC(O) | 38.10% | |||||||
| 1977 | 6th | Aruppukottai | AIADMK | 56.23% | M. Muthuvel Servai | JP | 17.87% | ||||
| 1980 | 7th | Madurai West | 59.61% | Pon. Muthuramalingam | DMK | 37.59% | |||||
| 1984 | 8th | Andipatti | 67.40% | Thangaraj | 31.22% | ||||||
| Elections | Position | Constituency | Term in office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 1962 | Member of the Legislative Council | — | 30 March 1962 | 7 July 1964 | 2 years, 99 days |
| 1967 | Member of the Legislative Assembly | St. Thomas Mount | 15 March 1967 | 5 January 1971 | 3 years, 296 days |
| 1971 | 22 March 1971 | 31 January 1976 | 4 years, 315 days | ||
| 1977 | Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | Aruppukottai | 30 June 1977 | 17 February 1980 | 2 years, 232 days |
| 1980 | Madurai West | 9 June 1980 | 9 February 1985 | 4 years, 245 days | |
| 1984 | Andipatti | 10 February 1985 | 24 December 1987 | 2 years, 317 days | |

In October 1984, Ramachandran was diagnosed withkidney failure as a result of uncontrolleddiabetes, which was soon followed by aheart attack andstroke.[79][80] He underwent akidney transplant at theDownstate Medical Center in New York City, United States. He returned to Madras on 4 February 1985 following his recovery.[81]
Over the next three years, Ramachandran had frequent trips to the United States for treatment. He never fully recovered from his health issues and died on 24 December 1987 at 3:30 am in his Ramavaram Garden residence inManapakkam at the age of 70.[82] His body was keptin state atRajaji Hall for two days for public viewing. On 25 December 1987, his remains were buried at the northern end of theMarina beach, now calledMGR Memorial, adjacent to theAnna Memorial.[83] Around one million people were estimated to have attended his funeral.[84]
Ramachandran's death sparked a frenzy of public rioting over the state, and various shops, cinemas, buses and other public and private property became the target of the violence. The police were given shoot-at-sight orders to bring the situation under control. Schools, colleges and various establishments announced holidays due to the situation. The state of affairs continued for almost a month across Tamil Nadu. Some women allegedly shaved their heads bald, and dressed like widows. A few whipped or self immolated themselves. Violence during the funeral alone left 129 people dead and 47 police personnel wounded.[85][86][87]
In 1939, Ramachandran married Chitarikulam Bhargavi, who later died in 1942 due to an illness. In late 1942, he married Sadanandavati, who died later due totuberculosis in 1962.[88][89] In 1963, he married actressV. N. Janaki, who later became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu after his death.[89][90] He had no biological children from any of his marriages.[91]
In his early days, Ramachandran was a devoutHindu and a devotee ofMurugan and his mother'sfavourite god,Guruvayurappan.[92] After joining the DMK, he identified himself as a rationalist.[93] He gifted a golden sword weighing half a Kilogram toMookambika temple inKollur,Udupi district.[94]
Ramachandran was the founder and editor ofThai weekly magazine andAnna daily newspaper in Tamil.[citation needed] He establishedSathya Studios and Emgeeyar Pictures.[95] He offered personal financial donations during disasters and calamities, and donated Rs. 75,000 to the war fund during theSino-Indian War.[96]

Ramachandran was awarded honorary doctorates byThe World University in 1974 for his contributions to Indian cinema,[97] and theUniversity of Madras in 1987 for his contributions to public affairs.[98] On 19 March 1988, Ramachandran was posthumously honoured withBharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.[99] He became the third chief minister of the state to receive the award afterC. Rajagopalachari andK. Kamaraj. The timing of the award was controversial, and his opponents criticised the central government led by Congress under Rajiv Gandhi to have influenced the decision to give the award to help win the upcoming1989 Lok Sabha election.[100]
Ramachandran is widely known by the epithets "Makkal Thilagam" (Jewel of the People), "Puratchi Thalaivar" (Revolutionary Leader), and "Ponmana Chemmal" (Generous one) in Tamil Nadu.[101] In 1989,Dr. M. G. R. Home and Higher Secondary School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired was established at the his erstwhile residence inRamapuram, in accordance with his last will and testament written in January 1987.[102] His official residence located at 27, Arcot Street,Thyagaraya Nagar was converted into a memorial house and opened for public viewing.[103] TheDr. MGR-Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women was established in a part of the land that housed Sathya Studios.[104]
A life-size statue of Ramachandran was unveiled on 7 December 2006 in the Parliament House by thenLok Sabha SpeakerSomnath Chatterjee.[105] To commemorate Ramachandran's birth centenary in 2017, theReserve Bank of India issued Rs. 100 and Rs.5 coins that bore his image as a portrait along with an inscription mentioning the event.[106]
Several localities, roads, places, and establishments have been named in his honour.MGR Nagar, a residential neighbourhood in Chennai was named after him.[107]Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus,[108]Salem Central Bus Stand,[109]Tirunelveli New Bus Stand,[110] andM.G.R. Bus Stand atMadurai are named after him.[111] On 5 April 2019,Government of India renamed theChennai Central railway station as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station to honour him.[112] On 31 July 2020,Central Metro station of theChennai Metro was renamed after Ramachandran.[113] On 17 October 2021, the AIADMK headquarters inRoyapettah was renamed asPuratchi Thalaivar M.G.R. Maaligai by party leaders in memory of the party's founder.[114]
| Year | Event | Category | Film | Conferred by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 19th National Film Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Rickshawkaran | Government of India |
| 1968 | 2nd Tamil Nadu State Film Award | Best Actor | Kudiyirundha Koyil | Government of Tamil Nadu |
| 1969 | 3rd Tamil Nadu State Film Award | Best Film | Adimai Penn | |
| 1978 | 12th Tamil Nadu State Film Award | Special Award | Madhuraiyai Meetta Sundharapandiyan | |
| 1965 | 13th Filmfare Awards South | Special Award – South | Enga Veettu Pillai | Filmfare |
| 1969 | 17th Filmfare Awards South | Best Film – Tamil | Adimai Penn | |
| 1973 | 21st Filmfare Awards South | Special Award – South | Ulagam Sutrum Valiban |
Ramachandran's autobiography, "Naan Yaen Piranthen? (Why Was I Born?)", was published in 2003.[115]
The 1997Tamil filmIruvar, byMani Ratnam, is based on the rivalry and friendship between Ramachandran and Karunanidhi.Mohanlal played Anandan, the character based on Ramachandran.[116] In the 2019web seriesQueen,Indrajith Sukumaran portrayed G. M. Ravichandran, the fictional adaptation of Ramachandran.[117] In the Tamil filmThalaivii (2021), Ramachandran was portrayed byArvind Swamy.[118][119]
MGR has said that his ancestors were originally from Pollachi, and were Mandradiyars of the Kongu Vellalars...MGR greatly resented being considered a Malayali
Krishna Menon of the Valluva Nadu royal family had five sons, of whom the fourth was Sankunni Valiya Mannadiyar, born in 1832. Sankunni Mannadiyar held a judicial post in Cochin. His son was Gopala Menon, born in 1884. Gopala Menon's wife, Satyabhama, belonged to a family in Mathur, which was referred to as Vadavanur Vellalar in copper plates. To Gopala Menon and Satyabhama, a son was born in 1917, who was to become famous not only in Tamil films, but in the political scene in Tamil Nadu. That son was M.G. Ramachandran! So M.G.R. had Kongu Vellala ancestors, both on his father's side and mother's side!
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by M. Karunanidhi | Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu 1977–1987 | Succeeded by |