Acting career

He made his film debut in 1935, in the film Sati Leelavati, directed by Ellis Dungan, an American born film director. Generally starring in romance or action films, MGR got his big breakthrough in the 1947 film Rajakumaari, written by M. Karunanidhi. Soon he rose to superstardom in the 1954 blockbuster Malaikallan. He acted as hero in the Tamil film industry's first ever colour movie, the 1955 blockbuster Ali Baba and the forty thieves. He rose to become the heart throb of millions of Indians with movies such as Anbe Vaa, Aayirathil Oruvan, Mahadevi, Panam Padaithavan, Ulagam Sutrum Vaalibhan, 'Adimaippenn, etc. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Rickshakaran. His film Nadodi Mannan, which was a tamil version of the interpretation of the Prisoner of Zenda, was produced and directed by himself and released in 1956, ran to full houses. He began to act in many movies that appealed to the direct sentiments of the common man and the rich as well. His 1973 blockbuster Ulagam Sutrum Vaalibhan broke previous box office records. It was one of the few movies filmed abroad in those days. It was shot in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. The DMK unsuccessfully tried to curtail that movie. His acting career ended in 1978 with his last movie, Madurai Meettu Sundara Pandian, which he acted when he was the Chief Minister of the state.He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1988 (posthumous).