Tamil Nadu shares a cherished link with May Day and its history. In 1923, it was in Chennai that May Day was first celebrated in India – led by veteran communist leader Singaravelar. But the bond goes beyond such unionist measures.

In the Tamil social psyche, May Day holds an indelible place by way of songs and movies. Writer and scholar Stalin Rajangam points out that in Tamil cinema, the songs around May Day, on labour and its issues, are far more in number than other celebratory songs, including those meant for festivals like Deepavali and Pongal, or say New Year.

“It started with lyricists like Patukottai Kalyanasundaram and Udumalai Narayana Kavi who wrote songs in the 1950s. Bharathidasan’s songs were also used in some films. But it was not until the 1980s that such songs became representative of a movement rather than the voicing of an individual's angst," he says.

So in 1958, if MGR acted to the lyrics penned by Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram on the travails of labourers in Naadodi Mannan, he would wait till 1972 to act to the lyrics of Bharathi Dasan in Naan Yen Piranthen. While "Kaadu Velainchenna" in Naadodi Mannan addressed the labourers as ‘individuals’ even while talking about the issues they faced and its reasons, "Chitira Solaigale" spoke about the collective misery of labourers across the world, about the blood they had to shed, about the hunger they had to suffer.

MGR perhaps perfected like no other, the art of appealing to the labourers through cinema. In Image Trap, eminent social scientist MSS Pandian says MGR used food as a premise to make it possible for viewers to identify themselves with the hero, food ‘being the central concern of the poor.’

In the 1980s, several films on the struggles of the working class against the capitalist establishments were made; several of them carried ‘Red’ in their titles. Interestingly, Vijayakanth has acted in several such movies. Malaysia Vasudevan voiced several such songs perhaps because he could so powerfully convey that fire in the belly emotion. The idea was so hugely popular that even Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan subscribed to it.

Rajinikanth played roles – like MGR – that were representative of daily wage labour. From Uzhaippali to Kaala, his films featured songs on labour and their rights. Kamal Haasan’s Anbe Sivam has an entire song – "Naatukoru Sethi Solla" – on the conflict between the working class and capitalist establishments.

“It continues to be popular, even now on May Day you can hear these songs reverberating in auto stands and public spaces,” Rajangam says.

Here are some of those songs from across the hundred year old Tamil cinema that celebrated the spirit of May Day; songs that evocatively spoke of labour issues and inspired the millions that watched them.

1) Thudikkum Ratham Pesattum: The song penned by Kannadasan from the 1968 movie Thulaabaaram (remade from Malayalam) has slogans interspersed in favour of unionism and revolution. The film itself is on labour issues, on blackleg in unions and on the cruel ways of the management. The song gives a clarion call to come with a Red heart so that there wouldn’t be ‘two classes anymore’.

2) Chithira Solaigale: This song by Bharathi Dasan in which MGR features in the 1972 movie Naan Yen Piranthen is about the collective miseries of the labourers.

3) Poradada Oru Vaalenthada: The fiery song by Ilaiyabharathi from 1985 movie Alai Osai has Vijayakanth dressed in black and raising a fist. It expresses hope that someday the clan of Nandan (a Dalit mythical character) would be on the throne. More recently, the song found a place in the background score of Pariyerum Perumal and not without reason.

4) Manitha Manitha Ini Un Vizhigal: The song from the 1983 movie Kann Sivanthal Mann Sivakkum is based on Kuruthi Punal – Indira Parthasarathy’s novel on the Keezhvenmani massacre. The song penned by Vairamuthu opens with a barrage of torches carried by labourers and marching together.

5) Erimalai Eppadi Porukkum: The iconic song from Sivappu Malli (1981) also written by Vairamuthu has people holding red flags aloft led by Chandrasekhar and Vijayakanth. While Chandrasekhar holds a red flag, Vijayakanth plays a parai in the song. The song shows a May Day rally.

6) Ezhugave Padaigal Ezhugave: The song from the Rajinikanth starrer Maaveeran in 1986 was penned by Vairamuthu. Rajinikanth kicks open the gates of a sprawling palace to question the atrocities of those holding power.

7) Koovungal Sevalgale: The song penned by Vaali in the 1982 film Thanikaatu Raja had Rajinikanth playing a rebellious man. In the course of the song, Rajinikanth also speaks of the travails of farmers and declares that they will sell their produce through the cooperative system.

8) Singam Rendum Sernthathada: The song written by Vairamuthu from Natpu (1986) features Karthik and Radha Ravi together. It questions the conditions under which the labourers exist and the exploitation of their labour.

9) Uzhaippali Illatha: The 1993 movie by the same name Uzhaippali (labourer) has Rajinikanth playing a coolie. The song penned by Vaali speaks of the indispensability of labour to the world.

10) Nilame Engal Urimai: Much has been written about Kaala (2018), the movie in which this song is featured. Written by Arivu, the song features the goosebumps inducing struggle of the labourers for their rights over the land in which they have always lived.

Kavitha Muralidharan is a journalist with two decades of experience, writing on politics, culture, literature and cinema. Views expressed are the author's own.