R. M. Veerappan

R. M. Veerappan (9 September 1926 – 9 April 2024), also referred to as RMV or Rama Veerappan, was an Indian film producer, screenwriter and politician from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was the founder and leader of the MGR Kazhagam party. He served as a Cabinet Minister in five governments from 1977 to 1996, was a three-time Member of Legislative Council and a two-time Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was the Leader of the House for Legislative Assembly and Leader of ADMK party of the Legislative Council. He was the architect behind the ADMK organization, unified the MGR fan clubs for the party formation. He was called as the 'Chanakya' of AIADMK politics in the 70's and 80's.

Political and entertainment career

Veerappan was introduced to Periyar in Karaikudi by Rama Subbaiah. He soon began to follow his Dravidian ideologies. He moved to Erode with Periyar and was there with him for some time. He met many other Dravidian leaders. He subsequently joined K R Ramaswamy's Krishnan Drama Company as supervisor. During this period, he became an admirer of Arignar Anna and also friends with Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan. The company was closed in 1950 and R. M. V. went to Madras.

In 1953 he met MGR through the advice of his mentor C N Annadurai and joined his drama company as Manager, later becoming an executive director of the Company Em.Gee.Yar Pictures. Nadodi Mannan was the first film under this banner which was released on 22 August 1958. The company later filmed Adimai Penn and Ulagam sutrum Valiban.

Veerappan later started his own production house and the banner's debut movie titled "Deiva Thai," with MGR in the lead role, was released in 1964. Director K Balachander made his debut into the Tamil film industry by writing the dialogues for this movie. Following that, MGR and RMV appeared together in many movies under this banner, such as Naan Anayittal, Kaavalkaran, Kannan En Kadhalan and Idhaya Kani. Rickshawkaran, produced by Sathya Movies, helped MGR achieve the National award for his performance. In addition to this, the production house made films including Kadhal Parisu, Kakki Chattai, Ranuva Veeran, Moondru Mugam, Thanga Magan, Oor Kavalan, Panakaran, Baasha, Mandhira Punnagai, and Puthiya Vaanam. Among his movies, Basha, was remarkable and set box office records in all major South Indian languages.

Veerappan was using the super star status of MGR to propagate the DMK ideologies in his films and Rickshawkaran was a prime example where the movie was used to propagate Arignar Anna's DMK ideology during 1971 elections. When MGR moved out of the DMK following differences with M. Karunanidhi in 1972, RMV organised the fan clubs and helped him in starting the AIADMK. In 1984, while MGR was ill, K. RMV, oversaw the party proceedings and election campaigning. Following the death of MGR in 1987, the party broke up into two factions where the larger faction was headed by him. He garnered support of 98 MLA's to instill V.N. Janaki as the Chief Minister and then later reconciled with J. Jayalalithaa's faction and was the Joint General Secretary of the party.

Veerappan was elected to the legislative assembly two times and to the legislative council three times. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in the Tirunelveli constituency as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in the Tamil Nadu state assembly by-election in 1986 after S. Narayan vacated and in the Kangayam constituency of Tamil Nadu state assembly by-election in 1991 after Jayalalithaa vacated her seat.

M.G.R. Kazhagam M.G.R. Kazhagam (M.G.R. Federation), a political party in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The president of M.G.R. Kazhagam was R. M. Veerappan, a former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founder and leader of the House.

M.G.R. Kazhagam supported the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.and veeraragavan parliament election commission IND Lawyer sudha was mission tha tamilnadu

Elections contested and positions held Tamil Nadu Legislative Council elections

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections Contested ElectionsConstituencyPartyResultVote percentageOpposition CandidateOpposition PartyOpposition vote percentage 1986 Tamil Nadu By ElectionTirunelveliAIADMK56A. L. SubramanianDMK41.941989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionPudukkottaiAIADMK(JR)20.89A. PeriannanDMK36.241991 Tamil Nadu By ElectionKangayamAIADMK96.57C. S. AmnachalamIndependent1.052001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionAlandurMGR Kazhagam41.25B. ValarmathiAIADMK47.59

Literary and social service activities

He was the founder and President of Kamban Kazhagam and Azhvargal Aaiyvu Maiyam. He also ran an education trust which funds the education of the oppressed.

Personal life and death

Veerappan married Thirumathi Rajammal on 12 March 1956, in Thiruparangundram. The wedding was conducted in the Tamil tradition under Arignar Anna. They have 3 daughters and 3 sons. The eldest daughter, Thirumathi Selvi, married T. G. Thyagarajan of Sathya Jyothi Films, son of Thiru. Venus Govindarajan of Venus Pictures.

R. M. Veerappan died on 9 April 2024, at the age of 97.

Filmography Year FilmCast Notes 1964 Dheiva Thaai M. G. Ramachandran, Saroja Devi, M. N. Nambiar 1966 Naan AanaiyittalM. G. Ramachandran, Saroja Devi, K. R. Vijaya 1967 Kaavalkaaran M. G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, Sivakumar 1968 Kannan En KadhalanM. G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, Vanisri 1969 Kanni PennJaishankar, Vanisri, Lakshmi, Sivakumar 1971 RickshawkaranM. G. Ramachandran, Padmini, Manjula 1973 Manipayal A.V.M. Rajan, Jayanthi, Master Sekhar 1975 Idhayakkani M. G. Ramachandran, Radha Saluja 1980Oru Velladu Vengaiyagiradhu Sivakumar, Saritha 1981 Ranuva Veeran Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Sridevi 1982 Moondru Mugam Rajinikanth, Radhika, Senthamarai 1983 Thanga Magan Rajinikanth, Poornima Jayaram, Jaishankar 1985 Kakki Sattai Kamal Haasan, Madhavi, Ambika 1986 Mandhira Punnagai Sathyaraj, Nadhiya, Sujitha 1987 Oorkavalan Rajinikanth, Radhika, Raghuvaran 1987 Kadhal Parisu Kamal Haasan, Radha, Ambika 1988 Puthiya Vaanam Sivaji Ganesan, Sathyaraj, Rupini, Gautami 1989 En Thangai Arjun, Gautami 1990 PanakkaranRajinikanth, Gautami, Vijayakumar 1990 Nila PennaeAnand, Divya Bharati 1991 Pudhu Manithan Sathyaraj, Bhanupriya, Sarath Kumar 1993 Enga Thambi Prashanth, Subhashri, Lakshmi 1995 Baashha Rajinikanth, Nagma, Raghuvaran 2006 Em Magan Bharath, Gopika, Nassar

Relationship with Rajinikanth Film collaborations

R.M. Veerappan's production house Sathya Movies produced several films starring Rajinikanth, beginning with "Ranuva Veeran" (1981). Their collaboration continued with "Moondru Mugam" (1982), "Thanga Magan" (1983), "Oorkavalan" (1987), "Panakkaran" (1990), and "Baasha" (1995).

Political consequences of Baasha celebration

During the 100th-day celebration of "Baasha" in 1995, Rajinikanth delivered a speech criticizing hereditary politics and what he termed "bomb culture" in Tamil Nadu. The remarks were interpreted as criticism of Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Following the event, R.M. Veerappan was dismissed from his ministerial position in Jayalalithaa's cabinet, reportedly due to his presence on stage during Rajinikanth's speech and his failure to distance himself from the actor's comments.

According to the documentary "RMV: The King Maker," Rajinikanth later expressed regret over the incident's impact on Veerappan's political career.