MG Ramachandran aka MGR was regarded as one of the most influential and highest paid actors in the Indian film industry. It is no secret that he was paid a very hefty amount for every appearance he made, making the film a superhit. As per reports, for his 60s superhit Anbe Vaa, he was paid an unusually high amount. Released in 1966, Anbe Vaa is included in the list of timeless classics given by MGR. As per reports, this film does not feature the usual action or emotional scenes he was famous for. It was written keeping only him in mind, an offer he instantly agreed to.
The reports state further that he gave a 72-day call sheet to the producers for the film. MGR kept a demand of Rs 3 lakh as his remuneration for the project, which was accepted by the production house, AVM Productions. This film was the production’s first colour film, made with Eastman Colour.
Initially, MGR wanted Jayalalithaa to play the female lead and K A Thangavelu as her father, but the production house did not go forth with his wishes. Saroja Devi was casted as the female protagonist, while T R Ramachandran did the role of her father.
When the project was about to finish its filming, MGR demanded an extra Rs 25,000 and the production agreed to that as well. So, the film’s lead was paid a total of Rs 3.25 lakh for the film, which was a big amount that time. It was confirmed by the producer M Sarvanan in his book, where he stated the fact.
Anbe Vaa was made under the direction of A C Tirulokchandar, who also penned the story, inspired from the 1961 Hollywood release, Come September. The film starred M G Ramachandran and Saroja Devi as the leads, who were supported by S A Ashokan, Nagesh, T R Ramachandran and Manorama. It was produced by M Murugan, M Kumaran and M Saravanan under the banner of AVM Productions. The music was composed by M S Viswanathan.
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