Malayalam’s biggest superstar went to Tamil to do one movie; returned after signing 55 projects in a year, thanks to MGR’s encouragement

“I got my first offer from Tamil in 1957. I commenced my journey as an actor with the Malayalam movie Marumakal (1952). I faced the camera for the first time on December 26, 1951. Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum was my first Tamil movie. It was while working on one of my films that I met MGR for the first time. Once we got acquainted, he really liked me and asked, ‘Why are you confining yourself to Malayalam? You can come work here in Tamil as well, right?’ In the limited Tamil I knew, I replied that I was not fluent in the language. Hearing that, he said, ‘This much Tamil is quite enough to act in movies.’ Meanwhile, I was approached by producer AK Velan with the offer to play one of the lead roles in his movie Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum, where SS Rajendran would play the other character,” Nazir recalled.

Although he informed Velan that his Tamil was quite weak and even spoke to him in the language to demonstrate this, Nazir said the filmmaker was nonetheless fine with it and asked him to head to Tamil Nadu immediately. “I went to Chennai 3-4 days later, signed the contract, and did the movie. Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum became a huge hit,” he shared, adding that a flood of offers came his way soon enough.

Prem Nazir with MGR, Sivaji Ganesan and Rajkumar. (X/@gmkhighness)

“I went there to do just one film, but ended up signing around 55 in just one year,” Prem Nazir noted. He subsequently appeared in movies like Nalla Idathu Sammandham, Naan Valartha Thangai, Peria Koil, Arumai Magal Abirami, Uzhavukkum Thozhilukkum Vandhanai Seivom, Orey Vazhi, Kalyanikku Kalyanam, Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai, Sahodhari, Irumanam Kalanthal Thirumanam, Paavai Vilakku and Muradan Muthu, working alongside veteran actors like Sivaji Ganesan, MR Radha, MN Rajam, Saroja Devi and Ragini, among others.