Mayavaram Krishnasamy Thyagaraja Bhagavathar

Born: 1 March 1910

Died: 1 November 1959

He also called M.K.T., was an Indian actor, producer, and Carnatic music singer.
He is considered to be one of the most successful actors in Tamil cinema ever and the first superstar of Tamil cinema.
He started his career as a classical singer and stage artist in the late 1920s.
In 1934, he made his début in films with the movie Pavalakkodi which turned out to be a hit.
From 1934 to 1959, he acted in 14 films of which 7 were box-office hits.
His 1944 film Haridas ran for three consecutive years at Broadway Theatre, Madras and created the record for the longest continuous run at a single theatre.
He was arrested in 1944 as one of the main suspects in the Lakshmikanthan Murder Case and spent three years in prison before being released in 1947 after a privy council verdict came in his favour.
His career declined after his arrest and though he did continue to act in Tamil films after his release from prison, none of them did well.
He died of diabetes at the age of 49 on 1 November 1959.
He was acclaimed for his powerful, melodious voice and the ease with which he could sing high pitch notes.
Critics and film historians acknowledge Bhagavathar as the “first superstar of Tamil cinema”.