MGR’s Malaikallan - the Zorro of Tamil cinema

Chennai: The cinematic character of Malaikallan (Bandit of the Hills) was a dashing masked vigilante with a double identity who defends the commoners. The story was written as a novel by Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai who had latched on to the Zorro fever sweeping the world. Zorro was then undisputedly the king of American pulp fiction created in 1919 by writer Johnston McCulley. The hero was called El Zorro due to his fox-like cunning and charm, zorro means fox in Spanish. Originally meant as a standalone story, the success of the 1920 film adaptation starring Douglas Fairbank convinced the author to churn out more Zorro stories for about four decades. A Zorro book The Curse of Capistrano sold 50 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling books of all time. Above all these achievements, Zorro was instrumental in the creation of the superhero mythology, and several similar characters (such as Superman and Batman) owe Zorro a debt of gratitude. Zorro, along with the likes of Scarlet Pimpernel was a precursor of sorts to the masked superheroes all over the world.

In the year 1954, producers and directors in Tamil cinema were experimenting off the beaten track. Films without songs, films with dual heroes like MGR and Sivaji and movies with an ideology were flooding the market. It was then that Sreeramulu Naidu, a leading producer and director from Coimbatore acquired the rights of a novel written by Ramalingam Pillai, the poet laureate of Madras state called Malaikallan. Naidu had humble beginnings. Starting as a baker, he had been bitten by the movie bug. He would start two of the foremost studios of Coimbatore and had he continued, he would have given Madras city a run for its money in movie production.

Sreeramulu had also gone to jail as a suspect in the case involving the murder of Lakshmikanthan, a blackmailer. But he had been released halfway as the evidence against him was weak. While the case shook the careers and health of his co-accused Thyagaraja Bagavathar and comedian NS Krishnan, Naidu seemed pretty unaffected by the proceedings.

In his career, Sreeramulu had directed 20 films (a quarter of which were remakes of Malaikallan). But he is perhaps the only one to have directed all four of the first superstars of Tamil. Naidu’s Pakshiraja Films named after Garuda, the eagle upon which Lord Vishnu travelled) never made films unless he was sure of its success. An expert who could identify the mix needed for a pot boiler, he was an expert on trick shots which were stunning in the 1940s. He would have PU Chinnappa play five roles in a concert sequence, which would feature him singing and playing four instruments. Naidu also made a cinematic adaptation of victor Hugo’s Les Misérables in Tamil.

For the story by Namakkal Kavignar whose rights he had bought, he knew an up and coming scriptwriter named Karunanidhi who was building considerable buzz. M Karunanidhi was on a career hig h, having written the scripts of Manthiri Kumari and Parasakthi. MK was interested in the project until he realised that he had an ideological difference with the novelist. He was deep into Dravidian politics and anything with a Congress flavour would not gel with his sensibility. Namakkal Kavignar was by then known as a thorough Congressman. His song Kathiyindri Rathamindri (without sword, without bloodshed) had been sung repeatedly by the salt satyagraha volunteers in Vedaranyam as they braved starvation and police brutality. The Congress government of Madras state had even revived an ancient royal designation of a ‘court poet’ just for him.

MK said it would be an ideological clash and might lead to a souring of the script if an active Dravidian nationalist were to write the dialogues in a play by a Congress worker and refused to join the bandwagon. Naidu knew that MGR and Karunanidhi were friends (MGR had recently undergone a change of political ideology, but he still wore khadar, like he did in his earlier days with the Congress). Naidu offered the role of the hero to MGR on the condition that he would rope in Karunanidhi as the scriptwriter.

MGR was also going through a lean season and was desperate. After a decade of playing the part of an extra in films, he had become a hero and delivered major hits. But experimenting with different genres had proven disadvantageous. He needed Malaikallan to resuscitate his career. It was a persuasive MGR who managed to convince Karunanidhi and bring the project into fruition.

Namakkal Kavignar penned the lyrics for songs in the film, one of which said “Innum Ethanai Naal Thaan Emaathuvaar Intha Naatil (How long will they betray the homeland?) Ironically DMK would use this song repeatedly in elections to target the ideological sanctuary that the poet found in the Congress.

Malaikallan was a simple story. The tale featured a masked, horse riding and swashbuckling bandit living in the hills who saves a girl from being kidnapped. Ironically the policeman played by MGR’s brother Chakrapani, thinks that Malaikallan is the kidnapper himself. MGR appeared in three disguises and acted as a do gooder who however is accused of murders and waylaying travellers. In the climax, all the men who were presumed dead at the hands of Malaikallan make an appearance and the hero is also acquitted of all robbery charges. All’s well when he also turns out to be the long lost cousin of the heroine after which their marriage is solemnised.

The outlaw Malaikallan uses a ropeway to cross into the hillside hideout and the stunt was viewed as a mechanical marvel by the audience. While Malaikallan was being filmed, a leopard that was part of a few scenes in the film escaped from captivity. A couple of smart alecs on set locked themselves in its empty cage saying, “This is the last place the leopard will return to.”

The movie was a big hit and even got the President’s silver medal for best regional film in 1954. It ran for 100 days across the state. It was remade in five more languages including Sinhalese. Dilip Kumar acted in the Hindi remake.

MGR’s biggest hit and failure in films were released almost simultaneously. The July release of Malaikallan was a crowd pleaser. The August release of Koondu Kili with another emerging superstar Sivaji was a colossal flop. So much so that the two legendary actors never paired together in their long careers.

MGR also decided that it was the do-gooder brand he had to establish. He was careful to choose roles thereafter and it can be clearly said Malaikallan, was the stepping stone that led him to Fort St George.

— The writer is a historian and an author