Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran, or MGR – founder of the AIADMK, three-time chief minister, and Bharat Ratna recipient – dominated Tamil Nadu’s stratosphere for four decades. In MGR: A Life – a richly detailed biography of the man often called vathiyar or teacher – R. Kannan traces MGR’s life from his early poverty-ridden years to his rise as a matinee idol, before becoming a politician of repute.
Here’s an excerpt from the book.
“I am overcome with shock and melancholy on hearing that my dear friend Dr MGR has passed away. Our friendship blossomed in 1945 with Jupiter Pictures’ Rajakumari, directed by A.S.A. Samy, in which he starred as the hero and I was the scriptwriter.
The memories of us staying in Coimbatore in the same house, exchanging views on politics and society, working together in the film world—our friendship maturing to the point of us serving in the same movement—cannot be forgotten and will forever remain green. Our comradeship in the film world would grow strong through our association in several films such as Abhimanyu, Marudhanaatu Ilavarasi, Mandhirikumari, Naam, Malaikallan, Kanchi Thalaivan, Engal Thangam, Pudhumaipithan and Arasilangkumari.
With that same sense of friendship, we were inseparable and as one in politics, up to 1972. We remained extremely friendly even in the aftermath of the changed political circumstances and through our differences.
[MGR] reigned as the unparalleled hero of Tamilagam’s (Tamil Nadu) film world. He created a new era in the film arena. Few had made the film world theirs as he did and conquered it the way he did. He has the honour of making his party, the ADMK he founded in 1972, rise to power in a short span of time. There is none who would not praise his resolute will to serve tirelessly—even through his two–three years of illness—during the ten years he served as chief minister. By his ceaseless hard work and not giving up, he shone, winning people’s affection.”
This is how Muthuvel Karunanidhi, popularly called Kalaignar, once MGR’s leader, and later bête noire and political antagonist, reacted to the death of Tamil Nadu’s chief minister Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran, or MGR.
J. Jayalalithaa, MGR’s protégé and political heir, said she wished to commit ‘sati’ now that MGR who ‘was everything to [her]’ was no more.
The matinee idol’s fans had always considered their puratchi thalaivar, and the founder of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, as immortal both on screen and in real life. They could not even stand their hero being killed in movies, to the point where an otherwise promising film like Pasam (Affection, 1962) died at the box office.
However, on the morning of 24 December 1987, his devoted fans woke up to a harsh reality when their leader succumbed to a cardiac arrest—like any other mortal. Overcome by grief, thirty-one people committed suicide. For three years, MGR had been living on a transplanted kidney and with a speech impairment. Yet, his fans’ belief in his immortality is explicable. Twice, their god had cheated death: On 12 January 1969, screen villain Madras Rajagopal Radhakrishnan, aka M.R. Radha, shot MGR and then himself, and the second occasion, when MGR’s vitals failed on 5 October 1984. Even a few minutes delay would have been fatal, and yet he survived.
Fans were rapturous when in September 1967, in the aftermath of his brush with death, their hero was fittingly welcomed by heroine Jayalalithaa in Kavalkaran (Guard, 1967) when she sang, ‘Ninaithaen vandhaai, Nooru vayadhu (I thought of you and you showed up; you will live a hundred years)’—indicating the popular belief in MGR’s longevity. In 1970, MGR himself triumphantly sang, ‘Naan sethu pozhachavanda, Emaney paathu sirichavanda (I died and came back alive; I have mocked the god of death).’ The movie, Engal Thangam (Our Gold, 1970), featuring this song, was produced by Kalaignar’s nephew Murasoli Maran and featured Jayalalithaa opposite MGR.
In 1972, he broke away from his parent party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), accusing its leader and then chief minister, Kalaignar, of corruption. Named after his late mentor and the DMK’s founder, Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (Anna), MGR’s AIADMK created history when it captured power in Tamil Nadu in 1977, only five years after its founding. To his followers, his rise meant that the meek had inherited the earth. Their leader’s success was theirs.
No actor or individual had ever possessed such a sway over Tamils in recent memory. In October 1984, as MGR, by then chief minister for a second time, fought for his life, twenty-two of his fans immolated themselves, unable to bear their hero’s suffering. Twenty more had unsuccessfully attempted suicide, only to escape with burn injuries. On 5 November 1984, an air ambulance flew MGR to Downstate Medical Centre, Brooklyn, New York.
MGR returned to Madras to a hero’s welcome on 4 February 1985. During all this time, not a day passed without radio and television stations airing the memorable song from Oli Vilakku (The Lit Lamp, 1968), his hundredth film.
Get R. Kannan’s riveting biography of MGR here!
Cracking the Code of Transformation
Comparing theories of change
Our research has shown that all corporate transformations can be compared along the six dimensions shown here. The table outlines the differences between the E and O archetypes and illustrates what an integrated approach might look like.
| Dimensions of change | Theory E | Theory O | Theories E and O combined |
| Goals | Maximize shareholder value | Develop organizational capabilities | Explicitly embrace the paradox between economic value and organizational capability |
| Leadership | Manage change from the top down | Encourage participation from the bottom up | Set direction from the top and engage the people below |
| Focus | Emphasize structure and systems | Build up corporate culture: employees’ behavior and attitudes | Focus simultaneously on the hard (structures and systems) and the soft (corporate culture) |
| Process | Plan and establish programs | Experiment and evolve | Plan for spontaneity |
| Reward system | Motivate through financial incentives | Motivate through commitment—use pay as fair exchange | Use incentives to reinforce change but not to drive it |
| Use of consultants | Consultants analyze problems and shape solutions | Consultants support management in shaping their own solutions | Consultants are expert resources who empower employees |
This is an excerpt from HBR’s 10 Must Reads (On Change Management). Get your copy here.
Credit: Abhishek Singh
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vikram Bhatt
Vikram Bhatt is a reputed filmmaker and considered one of the pioneers of the Hindi film industry. Hailing from a family of cinema stalwarts, his father Pravin Bhatt is the acclaimed director of photography of more than a hundred films in a career spanning more than fifty years. In a career span of more than 25 years, Vikram has directed more than 35 films and written screenplays for more than 15 films. Currently, he heads Loneranger Productions Pvt. Ltd—a company that specializes in film, television and now also the Web.
Here are 10 things you did not know about the author of A Handful of Sunshine.
How many of these facts did you know about Vikram Bhatt?
The Fascinating Life of Ernest Hemingway: War-Veteran, Journalist, Wordsmith
Nobel laureate, Ernest Hemingway, was born on July 21, 1899 in Illinois, USA. With his works influencing generations of writers after him, Hemingway’s journalistic, pragmatic and prosaic approach became famous for conveying some of the most difficult subjects.
The evolution of Hemingway’s writing style has everything to do with the course his life had taken. For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms talk about life during the times of war, a reality Hemingway had lived through for a major part of his life. But before Hemingway settled for a life as a writer, his tryst with other professions is what shaped him as the wordsmith that he is.
Here’s looking at Ernest Hemingway’s life through his different professions.
Life as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross: After graduating from high school, Hemingway turned eighteen and tried to enroll in the army as World Was I was raging in Europe. The United States had joined the fight against Germany and Austria in 1917. However, Hemingway did not make it to the army due to poor vision in one eye, something that had been passed down to him by his mother. But soon enough when he heard that the Red Cross was taking volunteers as ambulance drivers, he did not think twice before signing up. Soon after joining as an ambulance driver in Italy he was severely injured due to a mortar shell exploding a few feet away from him. Hemingway was consequently awarded the Italian Silver Medal for Valor for his services in war. A Farewell to Arms was inspired by this phase of Hemingway’s life.
Life as a journalist: Between graduating from high school and joining the Red Cross in Italy, Ernest Hemingway had his first tryst as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star for six months. Later, after returning from war in January 1919, he had a difficult time coping with the tranquillity of life back home – a far cry from the adventurous days in the battlefield. Despite not having turned 20 yet, the war had made Hemingway mature by years in a matter of just a few months. He began to work as a staff writer and foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star Weekly later that year. In 1920, Hemingway moved to Chicago and continued to write for the weekly from there.
After his marriage, Hemingway moved to Paris in September 1921 on being hired as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star. In his first 20 months in Paris, he filed 88 stories for the newspaper. His years as a journalist overlapped with his years as a writer, as is often the case with many others.
Birth of the writer: Ernest Hemingway needs no introduction as a writer. He has won some of the most prestigious awards in the world of literature. Not only has he written works of fiction, like The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls, his works of non-fiction too, like Death in the Afternoon and Green Hills of Africa, have been widely read across the world through generations. Writers after his time have tried relentlessly to emulate his style that is crisp, sharp and prosaic, displaying a major hangover from his journalist days. Hemingway had become a spokesperson of World War I for his generation, thereby establishing his style distinctively from the other writers of his times.
Ernest Hemingway’s legacy lives on not only through his literature, but also through the millions of tributes made to him. From pens to planets, clothes to highway inns, Hemingway and his words have continued to live on, inspire, fascinate.
What’s Ailing Our Legal System: 5 Big Challenges
India has the second-largest legal profession in the world, but the systemic delays and chronic impediments of its judicial system inspire little confidence in the common person. In India’s Legal System, renowned constitutional expert and senior Supreme Court lawyer Fali S. Nariman looks for possible reasons.
This frank and thought-provoking book offers valuable insights into India’s judicial system and maps a possible road ahead to make justice available to all. Here are the five challenges that the book underscores.
Proliferation of Appeals
Judicial Interference in Administrative Actions
Judicial Attitudes
Excessive burden of case law, and lack of effective case law management
Overcommercialization
In your opinion, what is the gravest challenge facing the Indian Legal System? We would love to know!
6 Every Day struggles of an Overweight Girl
Life seems a tad tough when you are not the “ideal” weight. It seems tougher when you are 25 and single. Your family, friends, and society start giving you the ‘you’re next’ nudges as you reach the ‘marriageable’ age.
In Encounters of a Fat Bride, Samah Visaria tells the story of Madhurima Pandey who is the ideal age for marriage, but not the ideal weight. Riddled with jovial and witty encounters, Samah tells the story of Madhurima’s struggle to her D-Day.
Here are six struggles that Madhurima faces which will make you feel for her.
Oh! Why can’t things in real life be as perfect as in the reel life.
Caught between the weighing scale and school.
Promises! Promises!
That’s a real disease.
The heaviest metamorphosis.
Rather be overweight than unhappy.
Are Madhurima’s struggles resonant with every girl’s? Tell us what you think.
6 Fascinating Political Strategy Pointers from a Gujarati Classic
K.M. Munshi was one of Gujarat’s most well-known literary writers. Munshi’s Glory of Patan, the first book in the epic trilogy is a landmark and bestselling classic in Gujarat. A mix of romance and politics, this fast-paced saga is sure to delight readers of historical fiction.
Here are six fascinating points of political strategy from the K. M. Munshi’s masterpiece.
Honour Comes First
One Kingdom, One Rule
Where Expediency Matters
Winning is Everything
Measured Tactics, Calculated Risks
Religion’s Nemesis
Get the bestselling epic about a key moment in Gujarat’s history here!
6 Luminous Lessons from Dharmashastras to Look Out For
Business law in medieval and early modern India developed within the voluminous and multifaceted texts called the Dharmashastras. These texts laid down rules for merchants, traders, guilds, farmers, and individuals in terms of the complex religious, legal, and moral ideal of dharma.
The Dharma of Business – an exciting new book by Donald R. Davis, Jr. – provides a new perspective on commercial law in this period. It makes a compelling case for the relevance of the dharma of business to our own time.
Here are six lessons from Dharmashastras that are relevant in our modern age.
The Dharma of an Employee
The Dharma of an Employer
When not putting one’s best foot forward
The Culture of Rewarding Excellence
Tax for Welfare
Greed, the Destroyer
Want to apply ancient wisdom to your own work and issues at workplace? Get The Dharma of Business here!
Dealing with Dual Transformation
With the ever-changing environment, the adaptability of a business determines its height of success. A leader’s ability to percept the changing environment and act in accordance with it marks the sign of true leader. We have umpteen numbers of cases for both, the success and the failure in leading the organization towards change. Often, the path to change is seen as a one-dimensional one. However, the authors of Dual Transformation beg to differ. They firmly believe in the dual course of action required to take the company out of turbulent waters. The following excerpt clarifies the fundamentals of Dual Transformation by keeping Deseret News at the pivot:
‘Our bedrock case study comes from coauthor Clark Gilbert’s firsthand experience leading a transformation at Deseret Media. The Deseret News is one of America’s oldest continually published newspapers, tracing back to 1850. Ultimately owned by the Mormon Church (which also owns the local KSL television station), the paper historically competed in Utah with The Salt Lake Tribune under what is known in the industry as a joint operating agreement, wherein the two companies share facilities and printing presses but have independent journalists, brand positions, and so forth. As the number 2 provider in its market, Deseret Media was hit particularly hard by the disruptive punch of the internet; between 2008 and 2010 the Deseret News lost nearly 30 percent of its print display advertising revenue and 70 percent of its print classified revenue.
In 2009, Gilbert—who had done his doctoral research at Harvard on the newspaper industry and had consulted to the industry before he became head of online learning at Brigham Young University-Idaho—was asked to launch Deseret Digital Media, a newly formed organization that contained Deseret Media’s collection of websites.
Five years later, however, Deseret Media had a vibrant print publication, including a national weekly that was one of the fastest growing publications in the United States. It also had built an impressive array of quickly growing digital marketplace businesses tied to its KSL classifieds products that collectively produced more than 50 percent of the organization’s combined net income. These digital businesses shared brands, content, and a few other resources with the core business but largely functioned autonomously. Deseret Media had revitalized its historical core business while simultaneously pioneering the creation of a new hill on the media landscape. By the time Gilbert left in 2015 to become president of BYU-Idaho, net income at Deseret, in the midst of an industry in free fall, was up by almost 25 percent from 2010.
Deseret’s success, according to Gilbert, is attributed to organizing the company to adapt to two very different types of change. Rather than view change as one monolithic transformation process, Gilbert organized the company into two parallel change efforts: one to reposition the core newspaper business, and another to unlock new growth in digital markets.
We call this change effort dual transformation.
When you take your first algebra class, you’re introduced to the Greek letter delta. The capital form of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, Δ, also serves as shorthand in math equations for change. The kind of change we’re talking about here is indeed a very large delta. Achieving that change requires following this formula:
A + B + C = Δ
Here’s how it breaks down.
A = transformation A. Reposition today’s business to maximize its resilience.
B = transformation B. Create a separate new growth engine.
C = the capabilities link. Fight unfairly by taking advantage of difficult-to-replicate assets without succumbing to the sucking sound of the core.’
For in-depth knowledge about the theory of Dual Transformation, click here .
This is an excerpt from Scott D. Anthony, Clark Gilbert and Mark Johnson’s Dual Transformation.
Credit: Abhishek Singh
6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pakistan
Meena Menon was The Hindu’s correspondent in Islamabad September 2013 to May 2014. During her time in the neighbouring country, despite the restrictions placed on her movements, Menon managed to write on a range of subjects covering swathes of life in Pakistan. Her book, Reporting Pakistan is a nuanced and wide-ranging account of a difficult yet exciting assignment which uncovers some of the hidden yet marvelous facets of the fabled “enemy”.
Here are six things you probably didn’t know about Pakistan:
Contrary to popular opinion, people in Pakistan are very welcoming of Indians
The salesman, according to Menon, was very solicitous and promised to record any film she wanted which he didn’t have on his list.
After her deployment, one of the first assignments undertaken by Meena Menon was interviewing a journalist named Ali Chishti. Chishti, a journalist with Friday Times, was forced to leave his home in Karachi.
Chishti was kidnapped and tormented for his writings on national and security issues along with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Although majority of the population in Pakistan is Muslim, there are many other communities that live in the country, making it an extremely diverse society. During her time, Menon spoke to the members of the persecuted Ahmadi community. Constitutionally, the Ahmadis or Ahmadiyya or Qadianis had no right to be called Muslims. They could do nothing other Muslims could. They were heretics, according to the law, and could pray only in ‘a place of worship’ which could not be called a mosque.
In the same interview, X added, religious persecution started with the Ahmadis and when that was successful, with the government doing all it could to declare them non-Muslims, other communities were targeted, like the Hindus, Christians and Sikhs.
Rimsha Masih, a mentally challenged teenager, was accused of burning pages of Quran.
Though she was acquitted in November 2012 of all charges after it was found that the cleric who filed the case against her had planted evidence, the residents of her former neighbourhood were terrorized and forced to leave. That isolated tent camp in many ways, according to Menon spoke of hate and discrimination.
Mohammad Ali Asghar, a resident of Edinburgh, was accused of printing visiting cards in the name of Prophet Mohammad.
Menon however, found out that the real story was different. Asghar, who came to Rawalpindi in 2010, was shocked to find one of the two properties he owned there occupied by a notorious land grabber. He filed a complaint against him before leaving for the Haj pilgrimage, but it was Asghar who was arrested on his return. Predictably, all the evidence, including the letters, was handed over to the police by the complainant, who had many anti-corruption cases against him.
A gardener in Islamabad is the VIP of the city
Meena Menon, while staying in Islamabad, also observed that her neighbours obsessively cut and pruned their hedges to resemble flowers or animals—topiary.
Tell us which side of Pakistan astonished you the most?
