Those Were The Days: The rationalist actor who shunned mythology from real and reel lives

With independence, India inherited 560 princely states holding 48 per cent of its spread and 28 per cent of its citizens. Their rulers had to be arm-twisted and tempted with financial support simultaneously. A privy purse was a fixed, a tax-free sum assured to the former rulers and their successors.

But soon, the sum became a burden on the government, which made Indira Gandhi to introduce a Bill in Parliament to abolish privy purses in September 1970. The motion was approved in the Lok Sabha, but was defeated by a single vote in the Rajya Sabha, with 149 voting for and 75 against, and Indira had to go for a snap poll to get it ratified.

Though seven Congress MPs (some of them Maharajahs who stood to lose if this was passed) were suspended for voting against the Bill, but the blame fell on a member of allied party DMK, who went to the toilet at the wrong time.

The Parliamentarian who supposedly could not control his bowels at that crucial moment was also the first film actor to enter a legislative assembly as an MLA – SS Rajendran. Many could not believe this story about a person who was bestowed the honorific ‘Latchiya Nadigar’ or principled actor.

The handsome hero was born in Sedapatti hamlet in Madurai. With a dimple in his cheeks, he looked more like the boy next door rather than a swashbuckling hero often seen on the screen. Rajendran got offers to act in stage dramas even when he was in middle school and started acting in the plays of Boys Drama Company. It was during this time that he was introduced to DMK founder CN Anna Durai, which became a lifelong relationship.

That was the time when stage actors were seriously contemplating a career in talkies. Modern Theatres considered him for a villain role, but the proprietor saw him as too young and cute (thanks to the dimple) to play a baddie.

Even on stage, SSR was a master of enunciation of dialogues, delivering them in a vibrant and bold tone that would reach even the last row of audience with its intended effect. With that, he could have acted in a host of mythological films. But being a devoted follower of Periyar EV Ramasamy and rationalist ideology, he avoided taking on movies with religious themes. 

This in turn stunted his career. Some say he turned down the title role of Abhimanyu in the 1948 film despite being unemployed. That earned him the title Latchiya Nadigar from then.

(As luck would have it, he played the character of Pananjothi, a Pallava military commander who became a great Shaivite saint Siru Thondar, in the film Kanchi Thalaivan.)

He was introduced in Parasakthi (1952), scripted by M Karunanidhi, which also introduced Sivaji Ganesan. He played the role of the most popular wayward husband in Tamil literature – Kovalan. SSR and Vijayakumari acted together in about 28 films, some of which were big hits; and they were married.

SSR was a firebrand in politics. On Independence Day in 1964, Rajendran created a furore when he hoisted a black flag at his residence and declared that he had every right to mourn the independence of the country.

SSR contributed to the growth of the DMK in many ways, including as a star election campaigner and also donated handsomely to the nascent party. In 1967 when it won power, SSR steered DMK’s fundraising campaign, not a mean task as Anna had fixed the target at a mammoth Rs 10 lakh.

To prove his allegiance to the party, SSR made a highly political film, Thangarathinam, to coincide with the 1967 election campaign. He had the political flag of the DMK as logo of his production unit, and also showed a long sequence of DMK’s national convention as part of the film.

So deep was his fondness for Anna that when the latter died in the late 60s, SSR was shaken and reportedly became addicted to alcohol. He would drink at home and leave to sleep at Anna’s memorial daily. 

He finally returned to normal life after undergoing treatment. But after Anna’s death, he was sidelined in the DMK. At an executive committee meeting of the party, he argued with Karunanidhi and was expelled from the party. He then moved to the AIADMK. But even there, his political career did not have any growth.

SSR is still remembered for the roles he played, including Kovalan and Paranjothi, for his fiery dialogues, and also for introducing many leading artistes like MN Rajam, Sheela, Manorama and Muthuraman.