Move Over Arnold...

So a couple weeks ago a new Madurai event was brought to my attention - it involves a movie star from the 1970s, 1980s Tamil Nadu politics, and present-day hero worship at an unfathomable level. I went to my first MGR film.

MGR was a ridiculously popular Tamil movie star in the 1960s and 1970s. Even 18 years after his death in 1987, his movies still top the charts as the most popular and successful Tamil movies ever made. He ran for political office under his own party of the ADMK in the 1977, and was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu until his death in1987. He was insanely popular - my Tamil tutor recalls how whenever he visited Madurai, no one would do work all day, as they would be waiting on the streets for the slight chance that MGR would drive by and wave to them.

He died 18 years ago, but his legacy is far from dead. The current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, is also a former actress. She acted opposite MGR in many of his later films. Vijay Khan, a contemporary Tamil actor, just launched his own political party two weeks ago - there were parades, flags galore, banners, decorated rickshaws, lots of hooting and hollering. Because I have become so interested in MGR, I have asked a number of people about Vijay Khan's bid for entry into politics. Without fail, this is how the conversation goes:

"So lots of Tamil actors later get into politics, yeah?"
"No, only MGR. And now Vijay Khan is trying, but he won't succeed."
"What about Jayalalitha? [I mean, she is your CHIEF MINISTER]"
"Oh she isn't in office because of her, she's in office cause MGR handpicked her as his successor when he chose her to act opposite to him. She's in office cause people love MGR."

Well then. 18 years after death, he still controls Tamil politics. Need more evidence? MGR is famous for his "MGR cap" - a white ridiculous looking hat that he wore with sunglasses. Yesterday I saw a poster of Vijay Khan, wearing sunglasses and an MGR cap. Fascinating.

There is also this whole socioeconomic aspect of MGR worship - he is called the "poor man's hero," and his fan base is predominately lowerclass and lower caste, so I am told. But my Tamil teacher is a very well educated upperclass Tamil woman, and she adores MGR. (We had to stop on the way to buy flowers to put in our hair to honor MGR.) And one of the guys up there in the front, dancing away - he's a Brahmin priest.

You may think that this happens lots, that politicians leave legacies behind them...but can you think of other politicians who are worshipped - as God? By choice? How about actors? How about actors-turned-politicians?Let me clarify.

Every Sunday night, a different movie theater in Madurai shows an MGR film. This was unbeknownst to me until a couple weeks ago. The location rotates, but you can usually ask people at the other theaters, and they will point you in the right direction. The one I attended 2 Sundays ago was a 1965 black and white film with MGR starring opposite to 60s starlet Saroja Devi. A small group of us attended, including my Tamil tutor, who herself is a HUGE MGR fan. We sat in the back row so that we could watch what happened. And I don't mean watch the movie. I mean watch the fans.

It was a 2 1/2 film. The theater erupted in cheers EVERY TIME MGR came on the screen, or every time another character talked about MGR. EVERY TIME. They stood on the armrests of the chairs and danced. They threw bags and bags of chopped up confetti into the air until we were all covered with it. They chanted - during the film, during intermission outside, after the film was over and people were starting to wander out onto the streets to catch buses home - they chanted (in Tamil of course):

"Who is the best Tamil actor?"
"MGR"
"Who is the only Tamil actor?"
"MGR"
"Who is our God?"
"MGR"
"Who is our God?"
"MGR"

And - my favorite - they lit camphor lamps and circled MGR's face on the screen with the flame. This is how you worship deities in Hinduism. Also, just like you put flower garlands around deities in temples, before the film started and we were waiting outside a huge cheer erupted from the crowd - the giant poster of MGR hanging outside the theater was being garlanded. Likewise, just like at Hindu temples you place your hands over a power source (the flame, the foot of the God, etc.) and then bring your hands to your eyes in a quick motion, and then repeat - just like that, fans stood on the backs of chairs and screamed and possibly even cried and put their hands up towards MGR's face on the movie screen, and then brough their hands quickly to their eyes. Again and again and again...

Worship. At the most basic, most human level. And not of some statue or symbol or idea. Of a man, a man who died around the time that most of these young men were probably born.

Why?

I don't know. All I know is that dear old Arnold out there in California has a long way to go. That and, of course, that I can't wait til this Sunday rolls around.


Fans stand and hold up camphor flames in the movie theater during an MGR film. The white color above the flame on the right is falling white paper confetti. Pictures can not do it justice - but it's a start!