A literary star who always had the last word

Nadu and the nation. The prefix Kalaignar, bestowed by actor MR Radha, was never more suitable for an artist than it was for Karunanidhi.

Karunanidhi’s artistic arc encompassed literature, theatre and the movies. His movies are often critiqued as propaganda for the Justice Party and later the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. In hindsight, beyond the obvious signposts of party affiliations, they were stories on social justice, secular ideals, poverty alleviation, questioning religion and protesting social and caste oppressions.

In 1952, Karunanidhi nudged Tamil cinema into a new direction with Parasakthi, a searing social commentary on migration, Tamil identity, caste and class issues, the problem of religion and the vulnerability of women. Karunanidhi’s scorching dialogues were brought to life by a then-struggling actor, Sivaji Ganesan. In my time, many boys would recite, with jaw-grinding fervour, Parasakthi courtroom dialogues in Tamil language classes.

Karunanidhi had a keen vision of Tamil identity. In the signposts of the mighty Tamil emperors of yore - monuments and temples that tower over the skyline even today, he recognised the lasting impact of architecture. Besides his contribution to the World Tamil Conference, he commissioned historical monuments and memorials like the Valluvar statue in Kanyakumari or the Valluvar Kottam in Chennai in honour of the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar.

Of the many apocryphal tales about the man was one when he was the chief guest at the Bharatanatyam arangetram, or maiden performance, of women from a prominent Chennai Brahmin family. Karunanidhi quipped, “In those days, we danced and you watched; nowadays you dance and we watch”. It was a cheeky reference to the history of classical Tamil dance and its appropriation by upper castes . His passing marks an epoch.

(The writer is a senior journalist)