PM spots fellow MGR fan in Malaysian counterpart as lunch features Tamil song
Sharing a video from the lunch hosted in his honour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim is a "big fan" of MGR, just like "several of us in India".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday found a slice of Tamil cinema nostalgia during his visit to Malaysia, spotting a fellow admirer of legendary actor MG Ramachandran in his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.
At a lunch hosted in his honour, a song from the 1975 blockbuster Naalai Namadhe was performed, prompting the prime minister to share the moment on social media.
“At the lunch hosted by my friend, PM Anwar Ibrahim, one of the songs sung was Naalai Namathe, from a movie starring the great MGR!” PM Modi wrote. “PM Anwar Ibrahim, like several of us in India, is a big fan of MGR!”
MGR, short for Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, remains an enduring cultural and political icon in Tamil Nadu. A matinee idol who successfully transitioned into public life, he later founded the AIADMK and served as chief minister of the state. He passed away in 1987, but his popularity continues across generations and beyond India.
The musical tribute came against the backdrop of deep people-to-people links between the two countries and PM Modi’s visit to Malayisa.
Malaysia is home to the world’s second-largest community of people of Indian origin, most of them Tamils, and the language has a visible presence in schools, media and cultural spaces.
During the visit, PM Modi underlined that India and Malaysia are bound by a shared affection for Tamil. He said he was confident that a new audio-visual cooperation pact would bring the two nations closer through films and music, especially Tamil cinema.
During an interaction with the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur earlier, the prime minister praised the contribution of the Tamil diaspora, noting that it has been present in Malaysia for centuries and continues to serve society in diverse fields.
Recalling civilisational ties, he said India had already established a Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and would now set up a Thiruvalluvar centre to further strengthen the shared heritage.
The surprise MGR connection at the luncheon spoke volumes about the mutual love for Tamil culture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday found a slice of Tamil cinema nostalgia during his visit to Malaysia, spotting a fellow admirer of legendary actor MG Ramachandran in his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.
At a lunch hosted in his honour, a song from the 1975 blockbuster Naalai Namadhe was performed, prompting the prime minister to share the moment on social media.
“At the lunch hosted by my friend, PM Anwar Ibrahim, one of the songs sung was Naalai Namathe, from a movie starring the great MGR!” PM Modi wrote. “PM Anwar Ibrahim, like several of us in India, is a big fan of MGR!”
MGR, short for Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, remains an enduring cultural and political icon in Tamil Nadu. A matinee idol who successfully transitioned into public life, he later founded the AIADMK and served as chief minister of the state. He passed away in 1987, but his popularity continues across generations and beyond India.
The musical tribute came against the backdrop of deep people-to-people links between the two countries and PM Modi’s visit to Malayisa.
Malaysia is home to the world’s second-largest community of people of Indian origin, most of them Tamils, and the language has a visible presence in schools, media and cultural spaces.
During the visit, PM Modi underlined that India and Malaysia are bound by a shared affection for Tamil. He said he was confident that a new audio-visual cooperation pact would bring the two nations closer through films and music, especially Tamil cinema.
During an interaction with the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur earlier, the prime minister praised the contribution of the Tamil diaspora, noting that it has been present in Malaysia for centuries and continues to serve society in diverse fields.
Recalling civilisational ties, he said India had already established a Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and would now set up a Thiruvalluvar centre to further strengthen the shared heritage.
The surprise MGR connection at the luncheon spoke volumes about the mutual love for Tamil culture.