Chennai: Former Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy is readying a unique ‘gift’ to his mentor MGR to commemorate his centenary. His masons, carpenters and painters are working round-the-clock to restore the family house of the late matinee idol at Vadavanoor near Palghat in Kerala.
“I want it to be my humble gift to the memory of my mentor, the noble man who not only made me what I am today, but also inspired millions of Tamils across the world through his manithaneyam(humaneness) that warmed countless hearts in poor homes”, said Duraisamy, whose ‘Manithaneyam Trust’ that runs the free IAS coaching academy is undertaking this Vadavanoor project.
Duraisamy said he learnt that MGR had bought a house in native Vadavanoor out of the small earnings from theatre and cinema in the initial stages of his acting career and named it after his mother as ‘Sathya Vilas’. As his family could not live there, he gifted it to a poor barber. The house changed a few hands and finally ended up now as an anganwadi — government childcare centre.
“This 70-year-old tiled house is in a very bad shape. Our Manithaneyam Trust decided last month to restore it to proper shape so that the concerned people can use the place. Sathya Vilas will be ready pretty soon, as our MGR Centenary gift”, beamed Duraisamy, whose political initiation as AIADMK member happened when he was beaten black and blue by the ruling DMK men on a Saidapet public rally dais when he took the mike and lambasted (then) Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for expelling MGR from the party.
