Kuala Lumpur, February 8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India and Malaysia are connected by a shared affection for the Tamil language, highlighting the language's strong presence in education, media, and cultural life in the country.
Malaysia is home to nearly three million people of Indian descent, the second largest in the world, with a majority originating from Tamil-speaking communities.
"India and Malaysia are also connected by a shared affection for the Tamil language. The strong and vibrant presence of Tamil is visible in education, media, and cultural life in Malaysia," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing the media.
"I am confident that today's agreement on audio-visual content will bring our hearts even closer through films and music, especially Tamil cinema," Modi added.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi pointed out that his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, is a "big fan" of MGR, just like "several of us in India," as a song from the Tamil actor's movie 'Naalai Namathe' was presented during a lunch hosted for the Indian leader.
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, was a popular Indian actor, director, and producer who founded the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagami (AIADMK) party and went on to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He died in 1987.
'Naalai Namathe' is one of the actor's several blockbusters, released in 1975.
"At the lunch hosted by my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, one of the songs sung was Naalai Namathe, from a movie starring the great MGR!" Prime Minister Modi posted on X.
Modi added that "Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, like several of us in India, is a big fan of MGR!"
Addressing a community programme on Saturday, Modi also said that the Indian diaspora continues to serve as a strong bridge between India and Malaysia.
He said that, inspired by this history, India has established the Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and will now set up a Thiruvalluvar center to further strengthen shared heritage.
