{"id":82062,"date":"2023-06-07T03:33:28","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T07:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=82062"},"modified":"2023-06-07T18:24:54","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T22:24:54","slug":"82062","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=82062","title":{"rendered":"\u201cKalaignar\u201d (Artiste) Karunanidhi; From Tamil Film Script Writer to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister."},"content":{"rendered":"


\n By
\nD.B.S.Jeyaraj<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today June 3rd is the 99th birth anniversary of Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the closes Indian state to Sri Lanka both geographically and historically.Karunanidhi who passed away on 7 August 2018 was the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) for nearly 50 years.His son M.K. Stalin is the present Tamil Nadu Chief minister.<\/p>\n

Official Birth centenary celebrations of the versatile Karunanidhi commencing from today June 3 will culminate next year with the construction of a gigantic pen shaped mid-sea monument off the Marina beach in the state capital Chennai.<\/p>\n

The birth centenary monument being designed in the shape of a pen is to denote and honour the multi-faceted writing skills of Karunanidhi. <\/p>\n

The multi -talented Karunanidhi was widely known as \u201cKalaignar\u201d or artiste. He was referred to respectfully as Kalaignar more than as Karunanidhi in later years. In his eventful life \u201cKalaignar\u201d was a journalist, editor, dramatist, stage actor, film script writer, short story writer, novelist, literary commentator, poet, lyricist, film producer and TV channel proprietor.<\/p>\n

This column focuses this week – with the aid of earlier writings – on \u201cKalaignar\u201d Karunanidhi\u2019s immense contribution to Tamil movies in a cinematic career spanning more than six decades of his life. It has been the practice for this column to devote the first Saturday of each month for an article on films, film personalities or film related matters.<\/p>\n

It was Karunanidhi\u2019s entry into filmdom which brought him much recognition and more remuneration in early life despite his lack of tertiary education. His rise in cinema helped him greatly to carve out a name for himself as a politician too. Although Karunanidhi was very correctly recognised and respected as a political leader, there is no denying that it was his association with films that gave him the necessary popularity with the masses of Tamil Nadu. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Chief Minister Record<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kalaignar made a name for himself in films as a screenplay and dialogues writer. It was basically as a film script writer that he rose in politics eventually ending up as chief minister. The film script writer was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a total of 19 years. He was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu five times from 1969-71, 1971-76, 1989-91, 1996-2001 and 2006-11. No other Tamil Nadu chief minister has been in office as CM for so long. <\/p>\n

DMK Party Leader<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another record was that of being party leader for nearly 50 years. He was the undisputed leader of the Dravida Munnera Kazhagham (DMK) since 1969, leading the party through thick and thin for 49 years. The Dravidian patriarch was first elected to the State legislative assembly in 1957 and has not lost an election he contested personally since then. No Indian politician can boast of such an unbroken record. \u201cKalaignar\u201d Muttuvel Karunanidhi was no ordinary politico but a veritable political institution.<\/p>\n


\nCinema on -Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was due to the peculiar course of politics in Tamil Nadu where the influence of cinema on politics has been of a phenomenal nature. Popular film personalities have enjoyed great support among the masses. Tamil Nadu film personalities served as an integral component of their parties. <\/p>\n

Significantly, from 1967, most chief ministers in Tamil Nadu have had connections to the silver screen \u2013 Annadurai, Karunanidhi, M.G. Ramachandran, Janaki Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa Jayaram and now Stalin. The exceptions have been former AIADMK Chief Ministers Edappaadi Palaniswamy and O. Panneerselvam . <\/p>\n

With a population of more than 70 million, Tamil Nadu has the third highest literacy rate among the states of India. The role of cinema in the political history of Tamil Nadu provides interesting insights into present-day developments. <\/p>\n

Dravidian Consciousness<\/strong><\/p>\n

The politics of Tamil Nadu for the past 90 years has been pervaded by notions of the Aryan-Dravidian divide. This concept itself is not very scientific and has been greatly mythologised. Nevertheless, this Dravidian consciousness and ideology has helped politicise significant sections of the Tamil masses and has sustained whole political parties and movements. The DMK led first by Annadurai and later by Karunanidhi has played a crucial role in promoting Dravidianism.<\/p>\n

The DMK was born in post-independence India. The parent Dravidian movement of the DMK was the Dravida Kazhagham (DK) founded by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker known as \u201cperiyaar\u201d (great person) was opposed to participation in electoral politics. It was also very much under his autocratic control. <\/p>\n

A group of dissidents, including Karunanidhi, revolted under the leadership of Conjeevaram Natarajan (CN0 Annadurai and formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) in 1949. Starting out as a social reform movement, the DMK later decided that change was impossible without capturing political power through democratic means. The DMK Captured state power for the first time in 1967. \u201cKalaignar\u201d Karunanidhi\u2019s ascendancy in politics basically corresponded with that of the DMK\u2019s rise in Tamil Nadu.
\n
\nBorn in Thirukkuvalai<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karunanidhi was born on 3 June 1924 in the village of Thirukkuvalai what was formerly the Thanjaavoor (Tanjore) District of the Old Madras Presidency. Today it falls within the Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu. <\/p>\n

Karunanidhi\u2019s parents Aiyathurai Muttuvel and Anjugam were of Isai Vaelalar stock. The Isai Vaelalar community has been historically a talented artistic community. Some of Tamil Nadu\u2019s greats in the spheres of music, dance, drama and cinema hail from this caste group.A few of these illustrious artistes include Thiruvaavaduthurai Rajarathinam, Kaarukkurichchi Arunaasalam, Valangaimaan Shanmugasundaram, T. Balasaraswati, M.S. Subbulakshmi, M.L. Vasanthakumari, T.K. Ramamoorthy, T.R. Rajakumari, T.R.Ramanna and E.V. Saroja. <\/p>\n

Karunanidhi\u2019s given name at birth was Dakshinamoorthy. He later changed the \u2018Sanskrit-sounding\u2019 Dakshinamoorthy to the more \u2018Tamil-toned\u2019 Karunanidhi. <\/p>\n

His foray into active politics was in 1938 when he participated in an anti-Hindi agitation at the age of 14. Karunanidhi formed a student political organisation while a high school student and started the journal \u2018Maanava Naesan\u2019 (Student Friend).Later he started the \u2018Murasoli\u2019 (Drum Beat) which still remains as the DMK flagship newspaper. Karunanidhi quit secondary school studies and became a political activist while working freelance in newspapers and contributing articles. <\/p>\n

\u201cKalaignar\u201d (artiste)<\/strong><\/p>\n

He also became a stage actor and playwright. It was the well-known actor M.R. Radha who bestowed upon him the title \u201cKalaignar\u201d (artiste) when the drama \u2018Thookumaedai\u2019 (Gallows) was staged for the 100th time. Karunanidhi wrote and acted in the play. Later Karunanidhi ventured into films as a script writer. Soon he excelled as a film script writer through his rich prose, brimming with vitality, This brought him much recognition and more remuneration which helped him greatly to carve out a name for himself as a politician. Kalignar Karunanidhi\u2019s remarkable rise in Tamil cinema is best described in his own words.<\/p>\n

Special Statement by Kalaignar<\/strong><\/p>\n

India celebrated her cinema centenary in 2013. On that occasion Karunanidhi issued a special statement in Tamil that was translated into English by journalist T.S. Subramanian and published in the newsmagazine \u2018Frontline\u2019. In that statement Karunanidhi briefly outlines his entry into films as a scriptwriter and of his experiences and what he sought to achieve through his screenplays and dialogues. This fascinating account is rather illuminating and provides a vivid insight into the man and his message. Here are a few relevant excerpts:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am 90 years old today, but you can say my political career is 76 years old and my film career spans 66 years. At the instance of Thanthai Periyar [E.V. Ramasamy], I was working for the \u2018Kudiyarasu\u2019 magazine in Erode, when I got a request from the Director A.S.A. Sami in Coimbatore to write the dialogues for a forthcoming film. I was asked to write the dialogues for the film \u2018Rajakumari,\u2019 produced by Jupiter Pictures, Coimbatore. I informed Periyar and he said, \u2018Au revoir\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Sami that I would pen the dialogues for the film, provided it did not interfere with my political activity. Sami agreed to it. It was the first film in which M.G. Ramachandran acted in the lead role. That was also the time of an emerging friendship between me and MGR, who was a \u2018devotee\u2019 of Mahatma Gandhi. I would give him books of Anna [C.N. Annadurai, Karunanidhi\u2019s mentor] and MGR would give me works of Gandhiji. There would often be discussions between him and me. As a result, he later joined the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI engaged myself in addressing political meetings and in writing. I devised my work in films in such a way that it amounted to only a leisure-time activity in the midst of my full-time political work. Even then, I used films to spread rationalist ideas among people. My objective in writing for films was to avoid obscenity and highlight the principles of the Self-Respect Movement and thereby appeal to the intellect of the viewers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe film \u2018Naam\u2019 dealt entirely with the aspirations of the working class. A conversation from that film shows how deeply the lofty ideals of the communist movement were entrenched in me even when I was young. In the film, MGR picks an argument, on behalf of the proletariat, with a zamindar. This angers the landlord, who asks MGR, \u2018What, how dare you put an exclamation mark?\u2019 MGR replies, \u2018Yes, zamindar, if the exclamation mark bends a little, it will become a question mark. You should remember that there is not much difference between a sickle and a question mark\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the character of Pathanjali Sastri in \u2018Thai Illaa Pillai,\u2019 I portrayed how casteist feelings, age-old customs and rituals and superstitious beliefs had been deeply entrenched in the human psyche for generations. Through the dialogues in many films, I drove home the ideals of Anna. Indeed, I titled one of the films \u2018Kanchi Thalaivan\u2019 (Kancheepuram was Annadurai\u2019s home town). \u2018Penn Manam,\u2019 written by the popular novelist Lakshmi, metamorphosed into screenplay in my hands, and the film was given the title \u2018Iruvar Ullam\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIn my 90 years, I have written stories and dialogues for 75 films. I have used my career in films to dispel ignorance among the people in the lower rungs of society, to light up their lives, to remove inequities in society, to spread socially reformative and progressive views and to make Tamilians aware of the antiquity, the sweep, the grandeur and the richness of their language.\u201d<\/p>\n

These sentiments expressed by Karunanidhi encapsulate what he thought of himself and his mission in movies was as a script writer. There is no denying that the script writer engraved a lasting imprint on Tamil cinema through his dialogues. <\/p>\n

Writing Style<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cKalaignar\u201d Karunanidhi developed a writing style for cinema that was flowery and alliterative (adukku Mozhi), and soon became very popular. Court room scenes, inquiries in royal courts in historical movies and short dramas introduced into films that had a modern setting, provided ample scope for Karunanidhi\u2019s captivating prose.<\/p>\n

His reputation had producers advertising their movies by proclaiming, \u2018Story and Dialogue by Kalaignar Mu. Karunanidhi\u2019. When film titles were projected in the cinema halls, his name would be shown ahead of the stars and greeted with applause. There were others to follow Karunanidhi in both content and style from the DMK camp \u2014 Aasaithamby, Krishnaswamy, Maaran and Kannadasan, etc. \u2013 but Karunanidhi was the master in that genre surpassing even his mentor and leader Annadurai.<\/p>\n

Writer for 75 Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karunanidhi has written the screenplay and dialogues for 64 films. He has written the story or screenplay without dialogues for 11 other films. Thus he has written 75 Screenplays or Film scripts The first two films he wrote scripts for were \u2018Rajakumari\u2019 and \u2018Abhimanyu\u2019. However Karunanidhi was not credited for those films. It was his third film \u2018Marutha Naattu Ilavarasi\u2019 released in 1950 for which Karunanidhi was first credited as script writer in the titles. <\/p>\n

Among the films scripted by Karunanidhi are \u2018Manthiri Kumari,\u2019 \u2018Parasakthy,\u2019 \u2018Manamahal,\u2019 \u2018Panam,\u2019 \u2018Manohara,\u2019 \u2018Thirumbi paar,\u2019 \u2018Malaikkallan,\u2019 \u2018Pudumaippithan,\u2019 \u2018Kuravanji,\u2019 \u2018Raja Rani,\u2019 \u2018Arasilankumari,\u2019 \u2018Iruvar Ullam,\u2019 \u2018Rangoon Radha,\u2019 \u2018Pudaiyal,\u2019 \u2018Kaanchi Thalaivan,\u2019 \u2018Poom buhaar,\u2019 \u2018Poomaalai,\u2019 \u2018Avan Pithanaa,\u2019 \u2018Marakka Mudiyumaa,\u2019 \u2018Pillaiyo Pillai\u2019, \u2018Paalaivana Rojakkal,\u2019 \u2018Uliyin Oasai\u2019 and \u2018Ponnar Shankar\u2019. It is said that he received 300 rupees for work on his first film.In later years he got up to 75 lakhs of rupees to script a film.<\/p>\n


\nMekala Pictures<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kalaignar also formed a film company called Mekala Pictures in partnership with others and produced several films. Later his nephew and former Indian Cabinet minister \u201cMurasoli\u201d M.K. Maaran took over the company. <\/p>\n

Karunanidhi was also involved with three other film production companies. Altogether Karunanidhi has produced or co-produced 29 films. In addition to being a script writer and playwright, Karunanidhi has also written film songs. He has written around 35 to 40 songs for different films.<\/p>\n

Family\u2019s Film Links<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interestingly Karunanidhi\u2019s family has had and continues to maintain close links with the Tamil film industry. Apart from Karunanidhi, his nephew (elder sister\u2019s son) and former Cabinet Minister M.K. Maran \u2013 who is no more \u2013 was also a former film script writer. Maran\u2019s brother Amirtham was a cinematographer. Another brother Sornam was a film writer and director.
\nMaran\u2019s sons Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi are co-owners of the \u2018Sun\u2019 group TV network. They also produce films under the banner \u2018Sun Pictures\u2019. <\/p>\n

Karunanidhi\u2019s son and political heir M.K. Stalin too has dabbled in acting as the hero of two TV serials \u2018Kurinji Malar\u2019and \u201cSurya. Stalin had some cinematic experience by acting in the films \u201cOre Raththam\u201d and \u201cMakkal Aanayittaal\u201d in 1988.<\/p>\n

In 1978 Stalin produced the film \u201cNambikkai Natchathiram\u201d in which his elder brother MK Muthu was the hero. Karunanidhi\u2019s eldest son M.K. Muthu had a short-lived film career as an actor-singer. He acted in films such as \u201cPillaiyo Pillai\u201d(Oh What a son)for which his father wrote the screenplay and dialogues<\/p>\n

Stalin\u2019s son Udhayanidhi is also a successful film producer as well as actor who has played the hero in many Tamil films. Udayanidhi also set up a film distribution network named \u201cRed Giant\u201d that has a virtual monopoly on films screened in Tamil Nadu. Udayanidhy who contested and won elections in 2021 was recently appointed a minister in his father\u2019s government. Thereafter Udayanidhi stepped down and his wife Kiruthiga took over red giant. She is a filmmaker in her own right and has directed three films so far.<\/p>\n

Karunanidhi\u2019s youngest son Thamizharasu\u2019s son, Arulnidhi, has made his mark as lead actor in some films. Kalaignar\u2019s elder son Azhaghiri\u2019s son Dayanidhi was until recently a film producer and distributor. <\/p>\n

Moreover, Karunanidhi\u2019s \u201csecond wife\u201d Rajathi was also a stage actress who got involved with Karunanidhi as his \u201cThunaivi\u201d when acting in dramas penned by Kalaignar. Their daughter Kanimozhi who is a\u201dLok Sabha\u201d MP was until recently the co- owner of \u2018Kalaignar TV\u2019.<\/p>\n

Cinema and Politics Inter-twined<\/strong><\/p>\n

If cinema and politics are intertwined in Tamil Nadu, then Kalignar Karunanidhi\u2019s family continues to be immersed in both with great rewards. This was due to the patriarch\u2019s path-breaking venture from films into politics in the past.<\/p>\n

D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This is an Updated version of the \u201cDBS Jeyaraj Column\u201darticle appearing in the \u201cDaily Mirror\u201dof June 3rd 2023.It can be accessed here –<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/dbs-jeyaraj-column\/Karunanidhi-From-Film-Script-Writer-to-Tamil-Nadu-Chief-Minister\/192-260385<\/p>\n

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By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Today June 3rd is the 99th birth anniversary of Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the closes Indian state to Sri Lanka both geographically and historically.Karunanidhi who passed away on 7 August 2018 was the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) for nearly 50 years.His son M.K. Stalin is …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘\u201cKalaignar\u201d (Artiste) Karunanidhi; From Tamil Film Script Writer to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82062"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82062"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82065,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82062\/revisions\/82065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}