Tamil Cinema and its Legacy
Cinema and its Origin:
Cinema is the only medium that reaches every Human being irrespective of Caste, Creed crossing all the barriers setting aside the differences in Religion, Race and culture. It is such a powerful channel that can cater the people with all the information and awareness at any point of time.
Speaking about the origin of Cinema or Motion Picture as it is technically called, Alhazen a 6th century scientist writes in his book called “ Book of Optics” about Camera Obscura which was the first ever Projection Device. But the Cinema which we come across now had its origin during the 19th century when W.K.L Dickson working under Sir Thomas Alva Edison invented the “Kinetograph” a Motion Picture Exhibition Device. The Kinetoscope had its first commercial exhibition on April 14, 1894 at the New York city. Later due to its lake of portability it lost its momentum and succeeded by the now used technique Cinematograph by the Lumiere Brothers in 1890. And till today there are enormous new technologies being invented and used every day.
Cinema in India:
Though cinema had its birth in western countries India is the only nation that used the real zeal of cinema. India explored all the 360 degrees of cinema. Cinema came to India for the first time in the year 1896. Lumiere brothers projected a motion picture in Bombay. The first full-length motion picture in India was produced by Dadasaheb Phalke, a scholar on India's languages and culture, who brought together elements from Sanskrit epics to produce his Raja Harishchandra (1913), a silent film in Marathi. The first Indian chain of cinema theatres was owned by the Calcutta entrepreneur Jamshedji Framji Madan, who oversaw production of 10 films annually and distributed them throughout the Indian subcontinent. And today there are 1000s of theatres in India and it stands as the third largest producer of Motion picture next to Hollywood (America) and Hong Kong (Japan). Cinema in India include films produced in Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Indian cinema has found its markets in over 90 countries where films from India are screened. The country also participated in international film festivals especially satyajith ray(bengali),Adoor Gopal krishnan,Shaji n karun(malayalam) . Indian filmmakers such as Shekhar Kapur, Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta etc. found success overseas.The Indian government extended film delegations to foreign countries such as the United States of America and Japan while the country's Film Producers Guild sent similar missions through Europe.
Indian Cinema and Politics:
Cinema is the medium that can transport any kind of information to the public faster than any other medium in this universe. Therefore cinema can be used to deliver awareness, create popularity and even catch the power and rule. This is where India has its remarkable nature towards cinema. India is the only nation which used Cinema’s zeal to capture power and rule the people.
Even America the birth place of Cinema did not use its actual power, some may say Ronald Regan the former American president was an actor, but the truth is he never used cinema as to medium to capture the power and the most important thing is he was not a successful actor. When it comes to India cinema of Tamil Nadu or Tamil Cinema proved its mettle in this.
Tamil Cinema and Politics:
Tamil Cinema as its widely called has a great band of history that starts in the year 1909. Tamil cinema is always closely associated with its regional politics. Tamil Nadu is the first state in India in which a regional political party attained power setting aside the National ruling party the Congress which is said to be the Political organ behind attaining Independence to India. The Dravidian party Dravida Munetra Kazhagam lead by C.N. Annadurai sat on the throne in the year 1967.
Dravidian Movement:
The Dravidian movement was founded in 1925 by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy. The movement aimed to achieve a society where backward castes have equal human rights, and encouraging them to have self-respect 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 (DMK) and its political rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (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. 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, 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 (Andhra Pradesh), Rajkumar (Karnataka) and Prem Nazir (Kerala), 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, from Srilanka, the movie halls themselves acted as a symbol of social equality. He states
“The Cinema Hall was the first performance centre in which all Tamils sat under the same roof. The basis of the seating is not on the hierarchic position of the patron but essentially on his purchasing power. If he cannot afford paying the higher rate, he has either to keep away from the performance or be with 'all and sundry ”
Politicizing Tamil cinema
"They (Congress party) decried the cinema. We (DMK) used it." — Kannadasan, a Tamil film song writer
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 in the 1930s many stage actors joined the Tamil cinema, and brought the ideologies of Gandhian 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 considered movie media to be a source of moral corruption. K. Kamaraj, then president of the All India Congress, mocked DMK's desire to get into power in this statement:
“How can there be government by actors? ”
DMK and cinema
"The DMK films served an audience the party could never have reached by other means " — Professor Robert Hardgrave
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 politicizing 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 and anti-Brahminism to celluloid media. The movies not only made direct references to the independent Dravida Nadu that its leaders preached for but also at many times displayed party symbols within the movie. Murasoli Maran, 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.
C. N. Annadurai
"With a view to educating the people of Tamilnad. All my stories and screenplays have, therefore, been on themes of social purpose" — Annadurai, on his screen scripts
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. Ramaswamy, 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 , which starred N. S. Krishnan. It promoted cooperative farming and the abolition of the zamindari system of taxation. His movies such as Velaikaari and Or Iravu carried the hallmarks of propaganda for Dravidian politics
Karunanidhi
"intention was to introduce the ideas and policies of social reform and justice and bring up the status of the Tamil language as they were called for in DMK politics" — Karunanidhi, on Parasakthi
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.
“To create havoc. Of course it did. We were challenging the social law itself, the basic Constitution itself.”—S. Punju, the director of Parasakthi, on the movie.,
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, 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 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 currently serves his 5th term as the chief.
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 the 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.
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 christened Shivaji by Periyar E. V. Ramasami after his role portraying the Marata king in a play named Chandra Mohan. In Chandra Mohan the Marata 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, whereas at the time he entered the film industry most other major actors were Telugus. 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. With the growing popularity of MGR in the party, Sivaji left DMK and aligned with the Tamil Nationalist Party 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
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran 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, Enga Vitu Pillai, Nam Nadu, Adimai Penn and Engal Thangam 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 and participating in disaster relief. MGR's movies portrayed him as a friend of the poor and downtrodden. MGR himself commented
“My roles have been to show how a man should live and believe”
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, 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.
Annadurai, on M. G. Ramachandran
“When we show his (MGR's) face, we (DMK) get 40,000 votes; when he speaks a few words, we get 4 lakh”
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 1975, 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
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.
J. Jayalalitha
Jayalalitha was the last main leading lady 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 Janaki Ramachandran, his wife of forty years, until his death in 1987.
Soon after MGR's death, AIADMK was split between his widow 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 two terms as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1991 – 1996 & 2001 – 2006).
After coming across five chief ministers Tamil Cinema still spreads its Legacy over Tamil Nadu and stands as the example to the world in use of Cinema as an effective medium to reach the common man.
R.M.Rizwan, M.Sc (Viscom), M.Phil.,
Asst. Professor.
Dept. Of Visual Communication.
The New College.
