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R.M. Veerappan
Minister for Information and Hindu Religious Endowments
In office
30 June 1977 – 17 February 1980
In office
9 June 1980 – 9 February 1985
Minister for Local Administration
In office
10 February 1985 – 24 December 1987
In office
24 December 1987 – 7 January 1988
In office
7 January 1988 – 30 January 1988
Minister of Education and Youth Welfare
In office
24 June 1991 – 12 May 1996
Joint General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
1989–1993
Deputy V. R. Nedunchezhiyan
General Secretary J.Jayalalithaa
Preceded by position established
Succeeded by position abolished
Leader of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly House
In office
7 January 1988 – 30 January 1988
Personal details
Born (1926-09-09)9 September 1926
Vallathira Kottai, Pudukottai and Aranthangi, Tamil Nadu
Died 9 April 2024(2024-04-09) (aged 97)
Political party DMK, AIADMK, MGR Kazhagam
Spouse Rajammal
Children 6
Parents Ramasamy (father), Deivanai (mother)
Occupation Politician, film producer

R. M. Veerappan (also referred to as RMV or Rama Veerappan, 9 September 1926 – 9 April 2024) was an Indian politician, an early Dravidian Leader, and a film producer and screenwriter 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 party. 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 and in the Kangayam constituency of Tamil Nadu state assembly by-election in 1991[2].

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.

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 Film Cast Notes
1964 Dheiva Thaai M. G. Ramachandran, Saroja Devi, M. N. Nambiar
1966 Naan Aanaiyittal M. G. Ramachandran, Saroja Devi, K. R. Vijaya
1967 Kaavalkaaran M. G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, Sivakumar
1968 Kannan En Kadhalan M. G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, Vanisri
1969 Kanni Penn Jaishankar, Vanisri, Lakshmi, Sivakumar
1971 Rickshawkaran M. G. Ramachandran, Padmini, Manjula
1973 Manipayal A.V.M. Rajan, Jayanthi, Master Sekhar
1975 Idhayakkani M. G. Ramachandran, Radha Saluja
1980 Oru 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 Panakkaran Rajinikanth, Gautami, Vijayakumar
1990 Nila Pennae Anand, 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
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