It was the first film in which MGR played the lead role. He penned the script for Rajakumari, a film directed by ASA Sami. His tryst with films began in Coimbatore at the Central Studios. In his memoir Nenjukku Neethi, the DMK patriarch fondly calls the house ‘Kuruvikoodu’. Kalaignar Karunanidhi moved to Coimbatore in 1945 and lived in a modest rented house in Singanallur.

‘Kalaignar’s tryst with cinema began in Coimbatore’ The last one that I had gifted him was a painting of him with his mother. It was a portrait of him with Thiruvalluvar, done by me.

After a lot of struggle, when Thiruvalluvar statue was finally unveiled in Bangalore, a painting was presented to him on stage. I have also presented a book with 100 sketches of Kalaingar to him, which he loved the most. Whenever his friends visited him, he would ask them what was there on the painting and if people missed even one word out of the four, he would tell them to look carefully and make them say all the four words. The first painting which I presented to him was in 1997 - a portrait of him made using four words Kalai, Ilakkiyam, Tamizh, Arasiyal (art, literature, Tamil and politics). He loved the book of sketches i presented him: Ap ShreetharĪpart from politics and literature, Kalaignar was also interested in painting and sculpture. I hope that his party workers live up to his expectations and make him proud. His fighting spirit continued even after he was hospitalised.

His was a life where he had to fight against several odds right from his teenage years. He was a man who used to treat people beyond their political affiliation. I can’t forget when he called me after getting discharged from hospital and consoled me on my mother’s passing away. When I was in opposition, he never behaved like a rival to me. Politics shouldn’t have done with his body. I’m someone who became an MLA because of Amma, but I can say that Kalaignar is someone who deserves maximum respect. The four letters, Kalaignar (in Tamil), will be remembered till Tamil and the three letters (in Tamil) exist. His life was a fulfilled one - all his dreams came true. In fact, he was influential in many becoming prime ministers and chief ministers. He had good relations with several presidents and prime ministers. A gigantic political leader for more than five decades, he had never tasted failure in elections. He is that rare personality who is a name to reckon with not just in cinema, but also in politics. It’s a matter of pride for me to say that the moniker 'Kalaignar' was given by my father MR Radha. ‘His life was a fulfilled one - all his dreams came true’

Kalaignar karunanidhi movies