Remembering M Karunanidhi: These 4 Films Make Him An Integral Part Of Tamil Cinema

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi passed away on Tuesday (August 7, 2018) at the private hospital in Chennai, much to the shock of his countless followers. The 94 year old was admitted to the hospital a few days ago, following a decline in his health. While he initially showed signs of improvement, his health soon went from bad to worse and this led to his demise. Interestingly, Karunanidhi was an integral part of not only Tamil Nadu's politics but also its cinema.

Before entering politics, he worked as a scriptwriter and gave the industry some of its best films. His command over Tamil helped him come up with some hard-hitting dialogues that resonated with the masses. As Tamil Nadu mourns the death of a great leader, here's a look at some of the finest films that were penned by Karunanidhi.

Parasakthi

Featuring the legendary Sivaji Ganesan in the lead, Parasakthi is perhaps best remembered for its iconic court sequence. The film heavily touched upon the core ideals of the Dravidian movement and featured a hard-hitting plot. Upon its release, Parasakthi irked a certain section of the society and was even banned.

Raja Rani

Just like Parasakthi, Raja Rai too featured several gripping dialogues and a commendable performance from Sivaji Ganesan. It was helmed by A Bhimsingh and also had Padmini and SS Rajendran in the lead.

Manohara

Loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, Manohara is best remembered for its iconic eight-minute-long monologue, which was written by Karunanidhi and delivered on the big screen by Shivaji Ganesan. In many ways, the film established Karunanidhi as a 'Superstar writer'.

Malaikkallan

The first film to win the President's medal, Malaikkallan featured some energetic dialogues and MGR in three different roles. A mythological drama, it was later remade in various languages and this added to its cult following.