Who was M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar?

A name that Tamil cinema remembers in whispers and awe, a man whose rise, glory, and downfall feel like a script written for the big screen. Dulquer Salmaan’s Kaantha has once again brought this legendary figure back into the spotlight, reminding audiences of the superstar who existed long before the word “superstar” even entered Tamil cinema.

Before Rajinikanth lit up the screen and before Sivaji Ganesan redefined acting, there was one man who ruled them all. Mayavaram Krishnamurthy Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, MKT : a singer, performer, and phenomenon. In an era when cinema was still finding its voice, he stepped in to the industry with a divine voice, flowing hair, and a presence that made audiences feel they were witnessing something heavenly.







Born in 1910 in Trichy to a humble goldsmith family, Thyagaraja’s life could have remained ordinary. But music had other plans. His gift for Carnatic music became evident early, and temple stages soon gave way to theatre lights. By the late 1920s, he had already earned the title “Bhagavathar,” a recognition reserved for singers who could move hearts with pure devotion.

Cinema embraced him effortlessly. His debut in Pavalakkodi (1934), adapted from a popular stage play, turned him into a sensation overnight. This was a time when actors had to sing their own songs, and MKT’s voice alone could fill a theatre. With each film, he cemented his place as Tamil cinema’s first true matinee idol.

The late 1930s and 1940s became the “Bhagavathar Era.” Films like Chintamani, Ambikapathi,Thiruneelakantar, Ashok Kumar, and Sivakavi earned him a fanbase that stretched across South India. And then came Haridas (1944), a phenomenon, a film that ran non-stop for three years at Broadway Theatre in Chennai, crossing three Deepavali seasons without ever losing steam. No other film of that era came close.

With fame came luxuriousness. Bhagavathar became the first Tamil film star to own a Mercedes-Benz, an unimaginable luxury at the time. Stories of him dining on two gold plates, each weighing 110 sovereigns (KG) became legends that movie lovers still talk about today.

The turning point in M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar’s life came in 1944, when he was arrested along with two others in connection with the murder of journalist C.N. Lakshminathan. The case shook the entire Madras Presidency. Bhagavathar, then at the peak of his fame, was found guilty and sentenced to prison after his appeal for a retrial was rejected.

For three long years, he remained behind bars. His world, one built on music, adoration and unmatched stardom collapsed around him.

In 1947, a new trial was granted. This time, the court found no solid evidence linking him to the murder, and both he and fellow actor N.S. Krishnan were acquitted. Though he walked out a free man, the damage was done. His image had been scarred, his momentum broken. Tamil cinema had changed during his absence, and the superstar who once commanded the industry now found himself struggling to regain his footing.

Bhagavathar tried returning to films, but the audience had moved on. His health, too, began to fail - hypertension, diabetes, and worsening complications slowed him further. Some accounts even claim that a remedy he took after his final concert triggered a reaction that ultimately led to his passing.

His life had the arc of a grand tragedy, a man who scaled heights no one before him had reached, only to fall just as swiftly. A legend whose brilliance lasted just 49 years, yet shaped decades of Tamil cinema.

Kaantha may not be an official biopic, but the film is believed to draw heavily from these defining moments, the glory, the downfall, and the enduring mystery surrounding the man who became Tamil cinema’s first true superstar.

Source / Image Credit : TheWeek, X, Mathrubhumi English