Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywo ...
has played a vital role in
Dravidian politics in the
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
n state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. Films have been influential in Indian politics since the days of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
, when movies were used for anti-British propaganda. Nevertheless, the leaders of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
viewed movie media with contempt. It was the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK), a Dravidian party, that made extensive use of this media for propaganda purposes. Adversaries of Dravidian parties despised the use of films and screen popularity for political gain, and Congress leaders like
K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
questioned the possibility of movie stars forming governments.
C. N. Annadurai
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 1909 – 3 February 1969), popularly known as Anna also known as Arignar Anna or Perarignar Anna (''Anna, the scholar'' or ''Elder Brother''), was an Indian Tamil politician who served as the fo ...
, the first
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the head of government, chief executive of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the Governors of states of India, governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, bu ...
from a Dravidian party, was the forerunner in introducing Dravidian ideologies into movie scripts. Of the movies made by Dravidian politicians ''
Parasakthi'' (1952) was a turning point, as it was a huge box office hit and made radical comments against the social hierarchy set by the
caste system and glorified the
Dravidian movement.
M. Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister, scripted the screen play for ''Parasakthi'', in which
Sivaji Ganesan
Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Ga ...
and
S.S.Rajendran, two founding members of the DMK, made their screen debuts.
Movies produced by the DMK Party received severe censorship from the then ruling Congress government. According to
Murasoli Maran
Murasoli Maran (17 August 1934 – 23 November 2003) was an Indian politician and an important leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party which was headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M. Karunanidhi. A Member of Parliament for 3 ...
, a former Union Minister from DMK, the censors would remove parts of the movies, so that the coherence of the screen play was lost, making the movies a box office failure. The script writers used equivocating phrases and words to evade the censorship.
Five out of seven chief ministers from Dravidian parties were actively involved in Tamil cinema either as writers or as actors.
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
,
Jayalalithaa
Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. From 9 February 1989 to 5 December 2 ...
was the most successful. He launched his own Dravidian party after personal differences with the leaders of DMK, and rose to power as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu mostly with the help of his movie fans and low level cadres. The legacy of politics in Tamil filmdom still continues, though less prominently than in the 1950s to 1970s.
Background
Dravidian movement
The Dravidian movement was founded in 1925 by
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (popularly known as Periyar). The movement aimed to achieve a society where
backward castes
The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General castes, S ...
have equal human rights, and encouraging them to have
self-respect
Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
in the context of a
caste-based society that considered them to be at the lower end of the social hierarchy. In Tamil Nadu an array of regional parties, termed Dravidian parties, owe their origin either directly or indirectly to the Dravidian movement.
[
][
]
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK) and its political rival
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mi ...
(AIADMK) have been the major Dravidian parties.
[
]
One of the major platforms of the Dravidian movement was to achieve political change by means of awareness within the society in everyday life.
[Hodges S (200]
Revolutionary family life and the Self Respect movement in Tamil south India, 1926–49
Contributions to Indian Sociology, Vol. 39, No. 2, 251-277 Thus Dravidian politicians viewed film media as an apt vehicle to promote such a revolution.
[
]
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema, like its counterparts in other languages in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, is known as a melodramatic entertainment form plotted around twists of fate set in exaggerated locales, and filled with songs and dances.[
.
]
Although a few stars from other southern states have tried to use film popularity as a stepping stone in politics, such as N. T. Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
(Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
), Rajkumar (Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
) and Prem Nazir (Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
), it was in Tamil Nadu that it was most prominent, with five of the seven Chief Ministers from Dravidian parties hailing from the Tamil film industry.[ In a state such as Tamil Nadu, where no single caste is predominant, film stars were considered people with wide acceptability to lead.][ According to Emeritus Professor K. Sivathamby, the movie halls themselves acted as a symbol of social equality. He states
]
Politicizing Tamil cinema
Early Tamil films were mainly based on mythological stories, and movies based on contemporary society started only in 1936.[ With the end of the era of ]silent movies
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...
in the 1930s many stage actors joined the Tamil cinema, and brought the ideologies of Gandhian The followers of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians.
Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environmentalism, ...
philosophies with them.[
Although the Congress party made use of movie stars such as K. B. Sundarambal to appear at political meetings, some congressmen of that era looked upon movie media with contempt. Tamil Congress leaders like ]C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (10 December 1878 – 25 December 1972), popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji (Rajaji'', the Scholar Emeritus''), was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activis ...
considered movie media to be a source of moral corruption.[ ]K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
, then president of the All India Congress, mocked DMK's desire to get into power in this statement:
DMK and cinema
Attempts made by some Congress leaders to use stars of Tamil cinema, however minimal, were limited since this media remained inaccessible to the rural population (who were in the majority).[ The politicising of movies by the Congress virtually stopped soon after Indian Independence in 1947.][ With the introduction of electricity to rural areas in the 1950s Dravidian politicians could implement movies as a major political organ.][
]
In post colonial India, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was the first – at the time the only – party to take advantage of visual movie media.[ Actors and writers of guerrilla theatre, who were inspired by the ideologies of Periyar, brought the philosophies of ]Tamil nationalism
Tamil nationalism is the ideology which asserts that the Tamil people constitute a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Tamil people. Tamil nationalism is primarily a secular nationalism, that focus on language and homeland. It expresses ...
and anti-Brahminism to celluloid media.[ The movies not only made direct references to the independent ]Dravida Nadu
:''Dravida Nadu was also the name of a Tamil language publication started by C. N. Annadurai.''
Dravida Nadu is the name of a proposed sovereign state demanded by the Justice Party led by the founder of the self-respect movement, E.V. Ramasamy ...
that its leaders preached for[ but also at many times displayed party symbols within the movie.][ ]Murasoli Maran
Murasoli Maran (17 August 1934 – 23 November 2003) was an Indian politician and an important leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party which was headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M. Karunanidhi. A Member of Parliament for 3 ...
, former central minister from DMK, considered that the DMK movies reflected the faces of both the past (demonstrating the rich language and culture of Tamils) and the future (with social justice).[ The DMK films espoused Dravidian ideologies through use of lengthy dialogues in its initial movies.][
] Nevertheless, as the party's political aspirations grew, the movies based on Dravidian social reformation themes were replaced with stories that would enhance star popularity.[
]
Censorship in DMK movies
The initial DMK movies were not victims of censorship since the party was little known to the censors, but as the party gained popularity in mid-1950s censorship became stronger. According to Murasoli Maran
Murasoli Maran (17 August 1934 – 23 November 2003) was an Indian politician and an important leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party which was headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M. Karunanidhi. A Member of Parliament for 3 ...
one of the techniques followed by the censors was to make sure that the coherence of the movie was lost so that it was a box office failure. At one point DMK, having had been a target of high censorship, had to move back to stage dramas. But the ''Dramatic Licensing Act'' brought censorship to stage plays as well, and two of Karunanidhi's plays were banned.[
To evade censorship DMK scriptwriters chose to use ]pun
A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
s and equivocal phrases. The most commonly used pun was ''Anna'' which is the word for ''older brother'' in Tamil and also was the popular name for DMK chief C. N. Annadurai
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 1909 – 3 February 1969), popularly known as Anna also known as Arignar Anna or Perarignar Anna (''Anna, the scholar'' or ''Elder Brother''), was an Indian Tamil politician who served as the fo ...
. When ''Anna'' was praised on screen the audience would break into applause.[
]
Script writers of DMK
C. N. Annadurai
The use of movie media as a major propaganda vehicle of Dravidian ideologies was first introduced by Annadurai, the founder chief of DMK, through his scripts. During his initial days with Dravidar Kazhagam, Annadurai wrote dramas which promoted social reforms and non-Brahmin self-respect ideologies. After the formation of DMK, Annadurai, along with E. V. K. Sampath (Periyar's nephew and one of the founders of DMK) and actor K. R. Ramasamy, staged several plays promoting Dravidian ideologies. The DMK party's head office was purchased using the money raised through these plays. Annadurai scripted six screen plays in total.[
His first movie was '' Nallathambi'' (Good Brother, 1948), which starred ]N. S. Krishnan
Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan, popularly known as Kalaivanar () and also as NSK, was an Indian actor-comedian, theatre artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry – in the 1940s and 1950s. He is conside ...
. It promoted cooperative farming and the abolition of the zamindari system
A zamindar (Hindustani language, Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian language, Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous Raja, ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughal Em ...
of taxation.[ His movies such as '']Velaikaari
''Velaikari'' () is a 1949 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by A. S. A. Sami and produced by M. Somasundaram under Jupiter Pictures. It was based on the play of the same name written by C. N. Annadurai, while incorporating plot details ...
'' (Servant Maid, 1949) and ''Or Iravu
''Ore Iravu'' () is a 1951 Indian Tamil-language film directed by P. Neelakantan and co-written by him and C. N. Annadurai. Produced by AVM Productions, it is based on Annadurai's play of the same name. The film stars K. R. Ramasamy, repris ...
'' carried the hallmarks of propaganda for Dravidian politics.[
] On ''Velaikari'', Annadurai said that the movie
''Velaikari'' made direct criticisms of suppressive landlords who were traditionally allied with Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
and Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
.[ When DMK won the elections in 1967, Annadurai served as its first Chief Minister until his death in 1969.
]
Karunanidhi
Karunanidhi, the other major leader from DMK, started his propaganda efforts with '' Parasakthi'' (1952).[ ''Parasakthi'' was a turning point in Tamil cinema, as until then most movies contained up to 55 songs and were mostly based on mythologies.][
] ''Parasakthi'' was initially banned. When it was finally released in 1952 it emerged as a huge box office hit.[
Like that of his political mentor Annadurai, Karunanidhi's movies carried elements of Dravidian political ideologies such as anti-Brahminism and anti Congress Party messages.][ Two of the movies that contained such messages were '' Panam'' and '' Thangarathnam''.][ The overall themes of the movies were remarriage of widows, ]untouchability
Untouchability is a form of social institution that legitimises and enforces practices that are discriminatory, humiliating, exclusionary and exploitative against people belonging to certain social groups. Although comparable forms of discrimin ...
, self-respect marriages, abolition of zamindari and abolition of religious hypocrisy.[
Until 1949-50 Tamil film dialogues were in a Brahminical slang of the Tamil language. Annadurai and Karunanidhi introduced Tamil close to formal language and void of ]Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
influence.[ According to Professor Robert Hardgrave Jr, the popularity of their movie dialogues made both Annadurai and Karunanidhi "stars in their own right."][ After the death of Annadurai, Karunanidhi assumed the office of the Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu, and with intermediate periods of in and out of power, he served his 5th term as the chief minister from 2006 to 2011.
]
Actors from Dravidian parties
K. R. Ramasamy
K. R. Ramasamy was an actor of both stage and screen in the 1940s and 50s. He was one of the founding leaders of the DMK and it was his earnings that initially financed the party. A talented singer and actor, he was called a ''Nadipisai Pulavar'' (acting and singing poet) by the popular masses. Improvements in technology in the film industry, including playback singing
A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not app ...
, along with personal problems ended the career of Ramaswamy. Nevertheless, he was nominated as a member of the Legislative Council (upper house of the State) by Annadurai in recognition of his service to the party.[
]
N. S. Krishnan
N. S. Krishnan, or NSK as he was popularly known, was a Tamil comic actor and, as the times then required, a talented singer. He was never officially a member of any Dravidian party, but served the DMK to a great extent. He was one of the few non-Brahmins of his era to be popular in a Brahmin-dominated Tamil film industry. His favourite character to play in the movies was a Brahmin buffoon, which he would also enact in DMK meetings. NSK was highly influenced by the ideologies of Periyar and sowed the seeds of anti-Brahmanism in his scripts. NSK served the cause of DMK so much that the last public gathering Annadurai ever attended was to unveil a statue of NSK at a busy intersession in Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.[
]
M. R. Radha
M. R. Radha was a stage actor and was popular through his roles as villain on screen. He was an ardent follower of Periyar and was close to most DMK leaders before they split from Dravidiar Kazhagam. Both Annadurai and Karunanidhi were part of M. R. Radha's troupe at different times and had even acted in his plays.[
]
Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan is a veteran actor of Tamil cinema. He started his acting career at the age of six and toured with various drama troupes including that of M. R. Radha.[ The actor himself was named ]Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adil ...
by Periyar E. V. Ramasami after his role portraying the Maratiya king[ in a play named ''Chandra Mohan''. In ''Chandra Mohan'' the Maratiya king triumphs over Brahmins and the role of the villainous Brahmin was played by Annadurai himself.][
Sivaji Ganesan made his movie debut in 1952 with Parasakthi, which opens with a song that glorifies Dravidian culture.][ Sivaji was a ]Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
, whereas at the time he entered the film industry most other major actors were Telugus
Telugu people ( te, తెలుగువారు, Teluguvāru), or Telugus, or Telugu vaaru, are the largest of the four major Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups in terms of population. Telugus are native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh ...
.[ He later became one of the founding members of DMK.][ Although it was DMK movies that brought Sivaji to the limelight he found that the responsibilities that the party threw at him limited his acting career. His association with DK and with DMK gave him an atheistic reputation that acted as a barrier between him and the religious segment of the audience.][ Realising that DMK was no longer an asset to his career, he attacked it as a ''glamour party''][
] and broke party protocol by his pilgrimage to Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Sri Venkateswara Swami Vaari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared ...
.[ With the growing popularity of MGR in the party, Sivaji left DMK and aligned with the ]Tamil Nationalist Party
Tamil National Party was a short-lived political party formed in 1962 in Tamil Nadu, India. The party finds its roots with the split in Dravidar Kazhagam after which Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was formed. E. V. K. Sampath, a founding member ...
of E. V. K. Sampath.[ When the Tamil Nationalist Party was dissolved he joined the Congress Party.][ Although Congress itself lost in the elections in the 1967, Sivaji's fans kept the party alive.][ In spite of being an active member of the Congress party, he made sure his movies were free of political references.][ After differences with party leaders he launched his own party, Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani,][ in 1989][
] but with little success, even losing his security deposit in the 1991 assembly election.[
]
S. S. Rajendran
S. S. Rajendran (known popularly as SSR) was initially a theatre artist like Shivaji who starred in many plays for Dravidar Kazhagam. Like Sivaji, he debuted in Parasakthi. Being one of the most popular stars of Tamil cinema in the 1950s and 60s, he raised funds for DMK and acted in movies glorifying Dravidian ideologies.SSR was the first elected member of legislative assembly among actors in India in 1962.Personal problems led to a fall in his film career and in politics. Having spent most of his earnings for the party he found himself in a deep financial crisis. His movie career brought another star of DMK, M. G. Ramachandran, to cross swords with him, and his political ambitions brought Karunanidhi against him. Sensing trouble in all quarters SSR made a highly political movie, Thangarathinam, to coincide with the 1967 election campaign to prove his loyalty to the party. The party won a landslide victory in the 1967 general elections, but soon after the elections the animosity between SSR and Karunanidhi deepened. SSR complained of threats to his life and eventually left DMK to join AIADMK along with his old friend MGR. His aspirations as a political stalwart and as a film superstar were overshadowed by M. G. Ramachandran.[
]
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran (popularly known as MGR) was the foremost star for DMK propaganda during its peak and was politically the most successful of any film stars in India.[ MGR had a simple beginning in stage plays at the age of six.][ MGR was first invited by Annadurai to star in one of his movies in the 1950s. From then on MGR actively participated in the party's meetings. His films such as '']Nadodi Mannan
''Nadodi Mannan'' () is a 1958 Indian Tamil-language action adventure film directed by M. G. Ramachandran in his debut as a filmmaker. He stars in dual roles alongside P. Bhanumathi, M. N. Rajam and B. Saroja Devi. P. S. Veerappa, M. N. N ...
'' (Vagabond King, 1958), ''Enga Vitu Pillai Enga may refer to:
*Enga Province, Papua New Guinea
*Enga people, ethnic group located in the highlands of Papua New Guinea
*Enga language, language spoken by Enga people
*Enga Sign Language, used among the Enga
*Vålerenga I.F. Fotball, a Norwegia ...
'' (Son of our House, 1965), '' Nam Nadu'' (Our Nation, 1969), ''Adimai Penn
''Adimai Penn'' () is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language action adventure film directed by K. Shankar and produced by M. G. Ramachandran and R. M. Veerappan. The film stars Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, with Ashokan, Pandari Bai, Rajasree, Manohar, ...
'' (Slave Girl, 1969) and '' Engal Thangam'' (Our Gold or Our Precious, 1970) displayed a stereotypical image of a philanthropic, mundane hero made out of a vagrant who becomes a king.[
Unlike other DMK actors, MGR used his screen popularity in social works as well, which included financing the poor, running ]orphanages
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or a ...
and participating in disaster relief. MGR's movies portrayed him as a friend of the poor and downtrodden.[ MGR himself commented
MGR always acted as a hero and made sure that he was always portrayed in a good light on screen. With the departure of Sivaji Ganesan from DMK, MGR's position within the party grew stronger.][ In contrast to '' Parasakthi'', MGR's movies made less reference to social justice but dwelled more on contemporary political scenarios.][ The movies typically included references to '' Dravida'' and MGR would be clad in red and black (the DMK flag colours). In sharp contrast with earlier DMK movies where the overall theme was used for propaganda, in MGR's movies the protagonist was shown as a representative of the party ideology, who would fight against evil and support the poor.][ Thus he played roles that were directly relevant to the filmgoers and displayed himself as a symbol of the fulfilment of their own dreams.][ MGR, however, made sure that his social image, which he gained by independent charity and social works, did not get merged with that of DMK.][
With his rising popularity with the common man MGR fell into controversy by referring to ]K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
, the Congress leader, as ''My leader''. MGR resigned as a Member of Legislative Council. Soon after, the attendance of his then newly released movie dropped, with DMK supporters boycotting the movie.[
Just before the 1967 general elections MGR was shot by M. R. Radha in a personal dispute. This incident gained support of sympathising voters for DMK in the days leading up to the elections.][
] Professor Hardgrave claims that at the time of the shooting incident MGR's popularity was slowly declining and the incident helped him regain his stature with the masses as well as the party.[ Whether DMK gained with MGR's popularity or MGR gained popularity with the rise of DMK remains a question for debate.][
Although MGR's charisma probably played a significant role in DMK's success, his popularity also cost the party much. When the party leaders tried to neutralise his powers, MGR launched his own party in 1972, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, with support of the lower cadres alone.][
] According to Professor Hardgrave one of the reasons for antipathy between MGR and the DMK leadership was Karunanidhi's attempt to bring his son M. K. Muthu into the party to replace MGR and to convert MGR fan clubs into Muthu fan clubs.[
] The fictionalised account of the troubled relationship between Karunanidhi and MGR was later portrayed in the Tamil film Iruvar
''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa is set against the backdrop ...
(The Duo) in 1997.
When MGR formed his own party, Karunanidhi underestimated MGR's popularity and commented on AIADMK as ''"a successful movie's 100-day run"''. However, with the support from his fans and low cadres alone, MGR won the 1977 state elections with a landslide victory and continued to rule the state until his death in December 1987.[
]
J. Jayalalitha
Jayalalitha was one of the main leading ladies to pair with MGR on screen.[ She was inducted into AIADMK by MGR himself and frequently accompanied him to party rallies until MGR left for the United States for medical treatment in 1984.][ After his return, MGR was always accompanied by V. N. Janaki Ramachandran, his wife of forty years, until his death in 1987.][
Soon after MGR's death, AIADMK was split between his widow V. N. Janaki Ramachandran and Jayalalitha.][
] Although both factions had lost the elections, Jayalalitha's AIADMK won 27 seats when compared to just one won by Janaki's party. Following the election defeat, Janaki retired from active politics and the two party factions rejoined.[ Although a successful film star of yesteryear, according to Professor Sara Dickey, Jayalalitha's popularity in politics comes from MGR rather than her own success on screen.][ She served six terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
]
Later years
In post MGR years, political reference in Tamil cinema had been less sporadic.[ Rajinikanth, one of the highest paid actors in India, supported the DMK and its ally ]Tamil Maanila Congress
The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (; TMC(M)) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is founded by the former Member of Parliament of the Republic of India G. K. Moopanar on 29 March 1996 as a breakaway fact ...
in the 1996 elections. His movie '' Muthu'' (1995) makes indirect reference to the then AIADMK head and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha. His movies such as ''Mannan (film)
''Mannan'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Rajinikanth, Vijayashanti and Khushbu. It is a remake of the 1986 Kannada film ''Anuraga Aralithu'', which in turn was based on the nove ...
'' and ''Padayappa
''Padayappa'' is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, Ramya Krishnan and Soundarya with Abbas, Lakshmi, Radha Ravi and Nassar playing supporting roles. The ...
'' had characters which were politically identified with Jayalalitha. He later moved his allegiance to the Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Indian general election of 2004. He briefly made an entry into politics in 2020 with the intention of contesting the 2021 TN assembly election, eventually withdrawing due to his poor health. Rajinikanth is no longer active in politics, but is known to be sympathetic to the BJP and its ideology. Another leading actor in Tamil cinema, Kamal Hasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali f ...
, is a well known follower of Periyar
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the ' ...
. He started his own political party called Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2018. Yet another leading Tamil film actor Vijay campaigned for the AIADMK in the 2011 TN assembly election and speculations have been rife over his potential future entry into politics, with his fan club contesting the Rural Local Body elections in Tamil Nadu in 2021.
Two contemporary celebrities have launched their own parties. Of them, T. Rajendar was a well known supporter of DMK for a long time, although he did not incorporate its ideas into films.[ After a personal feud with the DMK leadership he launched his own party All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 2004. ]Vijayakanth
Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (born 25 August 1952), better known by his stage name Vijayakanth, is an Indian politician and former actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Leg ...
, a mainstream lead actor who was active in films between the 1980s and 2000s, had earlier converted his fan clubs
A fans club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity. Most fans clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the per ...
into social service
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administ ...
organisations, initially in a "typical, Dravidian, for-the-Tamils" fashion. His party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (; DMDK) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Vijayakant (Captai ...
is now placing itself as an alternative to mainstream Dravidian parties. In 2011, his party became the official opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members of whom are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post system. The presiding officer of the Assembl ...
.
Vijayakanth himself is from a pro-Congress family.[
]
See also
* Dravidian parties
Dravidian parties include an array of regional political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, which trace their origins and ideologies either directly or indirectly to the Justice Party and the Dravidian movement of C. Natesanar and Per ...
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Tamil Cinema - தமிழ்த் திரைப் படம்
Dravidian political parties
Politics of Tamil Nadu
Tamil cinema