Had MGR been alive he would have celebrated his 99th birthday on January 17th. More importantly, he would have continued to evoke adoration amongst millions in Tamil Nadu. Both as matinee idol and politician he exerted the sort of influence on the masses that few have been able to match, let alone rival.
No wonder then that Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, an MGR protégé, decided to celebrate the birth anniversary in grand style, given that the state is bracing for assembly elections this year. It proves that MGR is still a powerful phenomenon in Tamil Nadu, 28 years after his death and the AIADMK leadership is hoping to cash in on that.
It would seem that pretty early on in his film career, MGR set about creating a very definite image for himself. Soon, the lines between his on-screen persona and his real self began to blur. It would help him win over the masses and pave his way into politics later on.
MGR Image courtesy: iflickz.com
In his films, MGR was always virtuous, honest, fighting for justice and what was right. He was always on the side of the down-trodden, the poor, the labouring classes. As a hero, he did not pursue women. It was the women who were drawn to him. Then, of course, they went on to sing duets which became the hit songs of the time.
In nearly all his films, MGR worshipped his mother, which saw him score with the women voters when he entered politics.
He also had dialogues – probably specially written for him – which helped build this particular image. When he entered full-time politics that was the image he continued to project and the people readily bought into it. They saw him as generous, helping the needy, uplifting the underserved, wiping away the tears of the poor and always protecting women.
With all her ‘Amma’ schemes Jayalalithaa, who learned her politics under MGR, can scarcely hope to better that. That’s why celebrating MGR’s 99th birth anniversary became so important for the CM and her party.
