Tamil cinema's first Superstar

A centenary celebration in honour of Tamil cinema’s first legend, MK Thyagaraja Bhagawathar, and writer-actor-director Kothamangalam Subbu, was organised by the Brahma Gana Sabha in the city on Monday.

Delivering the presidential address, Brahma Gana Sabha president Nalli Kuppuswamy recalled that he had been an admirer of MKT right from his childhood days. “He had even performed at my wedding,” he noted, and christened MKT as Tamil cinema’s first ‘superstar.’
Former director of Doordarshan, A Natarajan, reminisced that there was perhaps no village in the state where Kothamangalam Subbu had not performed villupaatu. Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram secretary Ilayabharathi recalled the popularity of MKT, both during and after his lifetime.