M. G. Ramachandran

"MGR" and "M.G.R." redirect here. For other uses, see MGR (disambiguation).

In this Indian name, the name Maruthur Gopalan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Ramachandran.

M. G. Ramachandran
Commemorative stamp of M. G. R. from 2017
3rd Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office
9 June 1980 – 24 December 1987
Governor
Preceded byPresident's rule
Succeeded byV. N. Janaki Ramachandran
ConstituencyMadurai West (1980–1985)
Andipatti (1985–1987)
In office
30 June 1977 – 17 February 1980
GovernorPrabhudas Patwari
Preceded byPresident's rule
Succeeded byPresident's rule
ConstituencyAruppukottai
Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
24 December 1984 – 24 December 1987
Chief MinisterHimself
Political PartyAIADMK
Preceded byS. S. Rajendran
Succeeded byP. Aasiyan
ConstituencyAndipatti
In office
9 June 1980 – 15 November 1984
Chief MinisterHimself
Political PartyAIADMK
Preceded byT. P. M. Periyaswamy
Succeeded byPon. Muthuramalingam
ConstituencyMadurai West
In office
30 June 1977 – 17 February 1980
Chief MinisterHimself
Political PartyAIADMK
Preceded bySowdi Sundara Bharathi
Succeeded byM. Pitchai
ConstituencyAruppukottai
In office
1 March 1967 – 31 January 1976
Chief Minister
Political Party
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byposition abolished
ConstituencySt. Thomas Mount
Member of Madras State Legislative Council
In office
30 March 1962[1] – 7 July 1964
Chief Minister
Succeeded byS. R. P. Ponnuswamy Chettiar
1st General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
17 October 1986 – 24 December 1987
Preceded byS. Raghavanandam
Succeeded byV. R. Nedunchezhiyan
In office
17 October 1974 – 22 June 1978
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byV. R. Nedunchezhiyan
Treasurer of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
27 July 1969 – 10 October 1972
PresidentM. Karunanidhi
SecretaryV. R. Nedunchezhiyan
Preceded byM. Karunanidhi
Succeeded byK. Anbazhagan
President of the South Indian Artistes' Association
In office
1961–1963
Preceded byR. Nagendra Rao
Succeeded byS. S. Rajendran
In office
1957–1959
Preceded byN. S. Krishnan
Succeeded byAnjali Devi
Personal details
Born
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran

(1917-01-17)17 January 1917
Nawalapitiya, Kandy District, British Ceylon
(present-day Sri Lanka)
Died24 December 1987(1987-12-24) (aged 70)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
(present-day Chennai)
Cause of deathKidney failure
Resting placeM.G.R. and Amma Memorial
NationalityIndian
Political partyAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (1972–1987)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
  • Thangamani
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1939; died 1942)​

    Sadhanandavathi
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1942; died 1962)​

    ​
    (m. 1963)​
RelativesM. G. Chakrapani (brother)
Residence(s)M. G. R. Thottam, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Profession
  • Actor
  • film producer
  • director
  • politician
  • philanthropist
Awards
Nickname(s)Puratchi Thalaivar
Makkal Thilagam
Ponmana Chemmal
Kodai Vallal
Vaathiyar

Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 – 24 December 1987), popularly known by his initials M.G.R., was an Indian actor, politician and philanthropist who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987. He was the founder and first general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.[2] On 19 March 1988, Ramachandran was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. Ramachandran is regarded as one of the most influential politicians of post-independence India.[3] Apart from politics, as a film personality he won the National Film Award, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and two Filmfare Award South.

In his youth, Ramachandran and his elder brother M. G. Chakrapani became members of a drama troupe to support their family. Influenced by Gandhian ideals, Ramachandran joined the Indian National Congress. After a few years of acting in plays, he made his film debut in the 1936 film Sathi Leelavathi in a supporting role. By the late 1940s, he had graduated to lead roles. Ramachandran was one of the "three biggest names of Tamil cinema", the other two being Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan.[4] While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in dramatic films, Gemini Ganesan was known for his romantic films, M. G. Ramachandran was popular as an action hero.[5]

Ramachandran became a member of the C. N. Annadurai-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK party) and rose through its ranks, using his popularity as a film star to build a political base. In 1972, three years after Annadurai's death, he left the DMK, then led by M. Karunanidhi to form his own party—the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Five years later, Ramachandran steered an AIADMK-led alliance to victory in the 1977 election, routing the DMK in the process. He became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the first film actor to become a chief minister in India. Except for a four-month interregnum in 1980, when his government was overthrown by the Union government, he remained as chief minister till his death in 1987, leading the AIADMK to two more electoral wins in 1980[6] and 1984.[7]

In October 1984, Ramachandran was diagnosed with kidney failure as a result of diabetes. He died on 24 December 1987 in his Ramavaram Gardens residence in Manapakkam after a prolonged illness. His autobiography Naan Yaen Piranthaen (Why I was Born) was published in 2003.[8]

  1. ^ "THE MADRAS LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 1962–67 : A REVIEW" (PDF). Assembly.tn.gov.in. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  2. ^ Sri Kantha, Sachi (8 April 2015). "M.G.R. Remembered – Part 26". Sangam.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Modi to Mamata, M.G.R. to NTR: Vir Sanghvi lists 70 politicians who changed India". Hindustan Times. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Events – MGR-Sivaji-Gemini: TRINITY Album Launched – IndiaGlitz.com". 9 July 2012. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Gemini Ganesan Biography – Gemini Ganesan Profile, Childhood & Filmography". 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ Kumaresan, S (27 April 2021). "From the archives: Why is 1980 Tamil Nadu Assembly election worthy of note?". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. ^ Kumaresan, S (28 April 2021). "From the archives: When MGR sailed on sympathy in 1984 polls". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Janaki's son alone has copyright to M.G.R.'s autobiography: court". The Hindu. 4 July 2012. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.