Mayavaram Krishnasamy Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar (1 March 1910 – 1 November 1959), also known by his initials as M. K. T. & Super star of Tamil cinema was an Indian actor and carnatic singer.

Bhagavathar 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 Judicial Committee of the Privy Council verdict came in his favour.

Bhagavathar was born Thiyagaraja in Mayiladuthurai (then known as Mayavaram), Tanjore District on 1 March 1910,[1] the eldest son of Krishnasamy Aachary, a goldsmith.

According to a popular anecdote, Thyagaraja once ran away from home after being reprimanded by his father for his decision to become a singer, as singing was not considered to be an honourable profession in the conservative Indian society of the early 20th century.

Krishnasamy Aachary, eventually, found his son in the Telugu-speaking town of Kadapa as he was singing to a large group of admiring listeners.

Impressed with his talent, F. G. Natesa Iyer offered him the role of Lohitadasa in his play Harischandra, with the permission of Thyagaraja's father.

[1] However, Thyagaraja concentrated more on singing than acting and took a six-year training in Carnatic music from Madurai Ponnu Iyengar, an acclaimed violinist.

Thoroughly impressed with the performance, Chettiar planned to produce a movie based on the same story with Bhagavathar the lead role.

[2] However, the songs that were featured in the gramophone records produced by Saraswathi Stores were not sung by Bhagavathar as he did not have any business understanding with the company.

With the profits obtained from the movie, the owners of Rayal Talkies constructed a theatre in Madurai and named it Chintamani.

Dungan was, however, heavily criticised by the conservative Hindu society for introducing controversially intimate scenes between Bhagavathar and the heroine Santhanalakshmi.

composed many songs, including "Unai Alaal", "Neelakanta", "Amba Manam Kanindhu", "Soppana Vazhvil Makizhndu", "Maraivaai pudhaitha Odu", "Gnana Kann", "Sathva Guna Bodhan", "Rajan Maharajan", "Krishna Mukunda Murari", "Naatiya Kalaiye", "Radhe Unaku Kobam Aagadadi", "Vasantha Ruthu", and many others.

[4] Between 1934 and 1944, Bhagavathar performed in 9 films, all hits, in Pavalakodi, Sarangadara (1935), Sathyaseelan (1936), Chintamani and Ambikapathi (both 1937), Thiruneelakantar (1939), Ashok Kumar (1941), Sivakavi (1942), and Haridoss.

[6] In 1944, M.K.T., actor N. S. Krishnan, and Coimbatore – based movie studio owner Sriramlu Naidu were charged in the murder of Lakshmikanthan; M.K.T.

The initial defense team included the future governor general Rajagopalachari, were not able to get him out of jail inspite of very weak evidence.

After 1955, he visited many temples in South India including Dharmapura Adheenam and other places such as Pandharpur etc., with one of his best friends, Mr. A. Nagarathnam, a school teacher from Erode and who also learnt carnatic music from Alathur Brothers along with MKT.

His funeral procession started in the cantonment from his house at about 4.30 p.m. and took about 4 hours to reach the burial ground due to the gathering of an overwhelming crowd.

When World War II started, the British colonial government in India asked him to stage dramas and donate the collections for the Red Cross.