Madurai Meeta Sundara Pandian – A Look Back II

MGR directed movie Madurai Meeta Sundarapandian has showcase of technical brilliance. MGR used 9 cameras to shoot one scene to reduce the time and money.

K.Kannan who acted as Kosala King in that movie narrates MGRs techniques in filming the long scene into one shot.

At 2 pm MGR handed over 7 page dialogue to Kannan and asked him to by heart the dialogs and the shot will be ready by 4 pm. Since it is last day of shooting in Jaipur if the scene does not end by 5 pm (as the Sunlight gets weak) they have to stay another 1 day.

Kannan was eager how MGR will shoot this lengthy scene. Within two hours MGR fixed 9 cameras and no camera is visible to other camera angle. His placement of 9 cameras was checked again.

By 4.15 pm MGR said “Action” then Kannan as the King and Latha as Kayalvizhi spoke the 7 page dialog without any mistake and the shot was ok.

And further Kannan says that to shoot that scene it will normally take one day to complete but MGR’s brilliant mind completed the scene within 15 minutes. MGR’s Cinema technology mind is far ahead of others of his day.

The video part will be uploaded in next post.

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Sister-in-law 3

Actress Latha was called Younger Sister-in-law or “Chinna Anni” by MGR Fans. She first starred with MGR in “Ulagam Sutrum Valiban”, though started in 1970, released in May 1973. She acted with him nearly 10 films and all are Colour Films. She was a Good Dancer too.

MGR used Latha’s talent in film as well as in his Political career. She used to perform Bharatanatyam before the start of MGR Rally or important meetings.

Success ratio of this pair is low when compared with Saroja Devi and Jayalalitha. Unfortunately she did not get a big role like others, as MGR at that time was in active Politics.

Saroja Devi, Jayalalitha and Latha have acted in MGR Pictures Banner. Entrance of Saroja Devi and Latha as Actress are through MGR Pictures and in his Direction. She has the credit of Water ballad duet song shot entirely in Huge Glass Tank for the film Ulagam Sutrum Valiban.

Final film she starred with MGR was “Anna Nee En Deivam” (Brother my God) – literally meaning Anna Durai, released in 1990, with two songs and some conversation scenes.

After MGR death she entered politics that was for a short period, now she is acting in movies and TV Serials.

SISTER IN LAW

MGR acted in 134 films (2 films after his death) and he co stared with many actress but MGR fans most loved pairs are Saroja Devi, Jayalalitha and Lath. MGR Fans admire these 3 actresses, so much and they call them lovingly as Sister-in-laws.

Saroja Devi was called Elder Sister-in-law (Periya Anni) MGR first paired with Saroja Devi in the movie “Thirudathae” (Don’t Steal) as she was a new face to Tamil movie. Her mother tongue is Kannada. She was also called as “Abinaya Saraswathi” and “Kannada Paingkili”. The shooting of “Thirudathae” was postponed and eventfully MGR’s block buster movie “Nadodi Mannan” (Wander and King) released. That gave her immediate Stardom status.

This pair continued for a decade until Saroja Devi got married with Mr.Harsha. MGR and Saroja Devi acted as Hero and Heroine in 26 films and out of these “Nadodi Mannan” and “Enga Veetu Pillai” were Silver Jubilee films. One flop film (only flop film for MGR) “Pasam” (Love)

When MGR was shot in January 12th 1967 by his fellow actor M.R.Radha, some of his films were dropped, some films were rechristened and some of the film heroines were changed one of these was “Ragasiya Police 115”, earlier Saroja Devi was in the role of Heroine but after the accident Jayalalitha donned the role.

One peculiar thing is that all of MGR most loved pairs showed their skin to the camera but not Saroja Devi, her character as well as the costumes is immaculate, that gave her homely appearance.

Whenever she was interviewed she says her God is MGR and she has two sad incidents in her life that were the death of her Husband and death of MGR. She never forgets MGR.