Screenplay of artists performing a song in MGR starrer “Nalai Namade”. | Image Credit: Image: X/@narendramodi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi On Sunday (February 8, 2026), his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim said he was a “huge fan” of MGR, as were “many of us in India”, as the Tamil actor’s song from the film ‘Nalai Namate’ was presented at a dinner hosted for the Indian leader.
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, is a popular Indian actor, director and producer founded in Tamil Nadu. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kalagam (AIADMK) Party and became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He died in 1987.
‘Nalai Namade’ was one of the actor’s many blockbusters released in 1975.
“My friend, at a dinner hosted by PM Anwar Ibrahim, sang the song Nalai Namate from the movie Mahan MGR,” PM Modi posted on X.
“Like many of us in India, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is a big fan of MGR!” said Mr. Modi. Malaysia has the second largest community of Indian origin in the world, mostly Tamils.
Earlier, PM Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Malaysia, while addressing a community program in Kuala Lumpur, noted that “members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia are serving the society in various fields and the Tamil diaspora has been in Malaysia for many centuries.”
Inspired by this history, India has established the Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and will now establish the Thiruvalluvar Center to further strengthen the shared legacy, he said.
Published – February 08, 2026 01:17 pm IST
