Marathur Gopala Ramachandran was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Later his family moved to Tamil Nadu where they lived in poverty. At the age of 6, he joined a theatre group — the Madurai Original Boys — where he learnt acting, dancing and swordplay.
MGR made his screen debut in Sati Leelavathi (1936) but his first major breakthrough came with Rajakumari (1947). MGR’s 1950s screen persona in adventure films constructed an image of political as well as physical invincibility. Often the themes of his films were derived from heroic ballads, which are part of the oral tradition of rural Tamil Nadu. For example, Madurai Veeran (1956), one of his most popular films, is based on the legend of Madurai Veeran, a popular deity of southern Tamil Nadu.
In the 1960s MGR turned to more ‘realistic’ fantasies, mostly in a contemporary setting, often playing someone from the oppressed class — a peasant, taxi driver or fisherman. For millions of fans, his image as the knight in shining armour, saving damsels in distress and being totally dutiful towards his mother, was a reality. He based his popularity on love and respect for the mother tongue, motherland and motherhood. He was considered the champion of lower castes/classes who repelled against their exploitation by the upper castes/classes — in reel and real life.
In Engal Thangam (1970) for example, playing a truck driver Thangam, MGR fights, sings, cares for the poor and preaches against smoking and drinking.
MGR’s stint in politics was equally successful. He had joined the DMK party in 1953 and remained its member till 1972. He fell out with the DMK chief Karunanidhi and used the DMK’s propaganda idiom against the DMK itself in Nam Naadu. In 1972, he set up the rival Anna-DMK party. In 1977 his party, renamed the AIADMK, won the state elections in alliance with the Congress (I). MGR became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and was re-elected for three consecutive terms. He introduced several populist schemes like a mid-day meal for school children.
He survived a bullet wound when shot by fellow actor M.R. Radha in 1967. Despite suffering a paralytic stroke in 1984, he survived for three years.
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1988 (posthumously). When he died in 1987, his funeral procession comprised over two million people!
A temple has been built in Madras with MGR as the deity.