Home / Arts and Entertainment / MGR Nostalgia Connects India's Modi and Malaysia's PM
MGR Nostalgia Connects India's Modi and Malaysia's PM
8 Feb
Summary
- PM Modi visited Malaysia, met PM Anwar Ibrahim during lunch.
- A song from the Tamil film 'Naalai Namadhe' was performed.
- Both leaders share admiration for legendary Tamil actor MGR.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Malaysia, where he experienced a nostalgic connection to Tamil cinema during a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. A song from the 1975 Tamil blockbuster "Naalai Namadhe" was performed, which PM Modi noted was a favorite of PM Ibrahim, who is a significant admirer of the legendary actor M.G. Ramachandran (MGR).
MGR, an iconic figure in Tamil Nadu cinema and politics, remains influential across generations and borders. His enduring popularity was underscored by this shared appreciation during Modi's visit.
The musical tribute highlighted the strong people-to-people connections between India and Malaysia. Malaysia hosts the world's second-largest population of Indian origin, predominantly Tamils, with Tamil language visibly present in schools, media, and culture.
Prime Minister Modi also stressed the mutual affection for the Tamil language and expressed optimism that a new audio-visual cooperation pact would foster closer ties through films and music, especially Tamil cinema.
Earlier, during an interaction with the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi lauded the Tamil diaspora's centuries-old contributions to Malaysia. He also mentioned India's establishment of a Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and plans for a new Thiruvalluvar centre to reinforce shared heritage.
