‘Parasakthi’ to ‘Manohara’: Five best scripts written by M Karunanidhi

DMK party president and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi passed away on August 7 due to age-related health issues. He was 94. Long before he became a political leader, Karunanidhi was a playwright who has written several blockbuster films. In the '60s, Karunanidhi realised the potential of cinema and started his career as a dialogue writer, after which he became one of the highest paid scriptwriters in Tamil cinema. His contribution to Tamil cinema and literature is unparalleled. In fact, some of the films written by him paved the way for the Dravidian movement. Known for his close association with superstars MG Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan, Karunanidhi will be remembered for being one of the great writers. As the entire nation mourns for his demise, here’s a look at some of the best films written by M Karunanidhi.

Karunanidhi and MG Ramachandran were a deadly combo in the ‘60s and have worked together on many projects. Another such film is ‘Manthiri Kumari’, which is based on a particular incident from Tamil epic Kundalakesi. Starring MG Ramachandran and G Shakuntala in the lead, ‘Manthiri Kumari’ released in June 1950 and became a huge hit at the box office. The dialogues were particularly popular at that time. According to reports, the film apparently ran for more than 100 days in all major cities. After its release, Karunanidhi was equally praised and criticised for his fiery dialogues.

Inspired by the ‘Mask of Zorro’, ‘Malaikallan’ was written by M Karunanidhi and starred MG Ramachandran as the protagonist. The songs composed by SM Subbaiah Naidu were one of the major pulling factors of the film. When it hit the screens in 1954, ‘Malaikallan’ became an out-and-out blockbuster and ran in the theatres for over 140 days. Apparently, it was ‘Malaikallan’ that established MGR as a huge star back then. The film was later produced in other languages as well. In fact, the Hindi version starring Dilip Kumar became a profitable venture as well. Reportedly, ‘Malaikallan’ was the first Tamil film to receive the President’s Silver Medal.

‘Manohara’ revolves around a dutiful son who is willing to do anything for his mother. However, the drama unfolds when his father and step-mother kidnap him, while Manohara awaits the command from his mother. Based on the play of the same name, ‘Mohaara’ is often cited as one of the best historical films produced in Tamil cinema. The film went on to become a box-office success. In fact, ‘Manohara’ has earned a cult following over the years, thanks to the lively dialogues by Karunanidhi. Some of the scenes from ‘Manohara’ also inspired other actors in the industry.

After gaining popularity from his first film ‘Rajakumari’, it was the Sivaji Ganesan-starrer ‘Parasakthi’ that became a landmark film for Karunanidhi. The film marked the debut of Sivaji Ganesan, who would become a legend later. ‘Parasakthi’ tells the story of misfortunes of a Tamil family during World War II, and how the members face their individual fates and reunite at the end. Despite some controversies, ‘Parasakthi’ released in 1952 and went on to become a monstrous hit at the box office. Everything from dialogues to performances were unanimously appreciated by the audiences. Over the years, ‘Parasakthi’ has achieved a cult following among Tamil audiences. Particularly, the courtroom scene with Sivaji Ganesan became a pop-culture phenomenon. Many actors like Kamal Haasan and Sathyaraj have cited ‘Parasakthi’ as an inspiration.

Known for his socially conscious films, M Karunanidhi wrote the film ‘Poompuhar’ in 1964, which was based on the Tamil epic Silapathigaram. The film is about a wealthy merchant Kovalan and his wife Kannagi. When money becomes an issue, Kovalan leaves for Madurai, which was then ruled by Pandiya King. The rest of the film is about what happens to Kovalan in Madurai. Starring SS Rajendran and CR Vijayakumari in the lead roles, ‘Poompuhar’ became very successful at the box office. Basically, the film retold the story of Kovalan and Kannagi from the Tamil epic. More than the story and performances, ‘Poompuhar’ is widely known for the songs composed by R Sudarsanam. Like some of his other films, Karunanidhi was highly appreciated for his dialogues and screenplay.