New Delhi, January 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to late Tamil film icon and Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran or 'MGR' on his 104th birth anniversary. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Bharat Ratna MGR lives in the hearts of several people. Be it the world of films or politics, he was widely respected. During his CM tenures, he initiated numerous efforts towards poverty alleviation and also emphasised on women empowerment. Tributes to MGR on his Jayanti."

M.G. Ramachandran or MGR is famously known by two titles, 'Makkal Thilakam' (foremost among the people), and 'Puratchi Thalaivar' (revolutionary leader). While the former name was given due to his onscreen roles in the Tamil film industry, the latter he earned for his political achievements. Remembering MGR: Makers Of Kangana Ranaut And Arvind Swami Starrer Thalaivi Share A Special Video On The Icon’s Birth Anniversary.

PM Narendra Modi's Tweet

The actor-turned-politician first joined politics as a member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) under the leadership of C.N. Annadurai before he floated his own political party - AIADMK.

MGR was born on January 17 in 1917 in Kandy, Sri Lanka to a Malayali family. His father Maruthur Gopala Menon returned to his ancestral village Vadavannur in Palakkad district after his retirement as the magistrate of Kandy. MGR joined a drama troupe to help his family financially and made his film debut in 1936 film Sathi Leelavathi.

After appearing in supporting roles in a series of movies, he debuted as a hero in 1942 film Tamizhariyum Perumal, which had 22 songs, and he never looked back. He dominated the Tamil film industry for about three decades.

Generally starring in romantic or action movies, MGR directly appealed to the sentiments of Tamilians with films that were easily identifiable by both the rich and poor. MGR was the biggest name in the Tamil film industry right until his death in 1987.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2021 01:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).