Prakash Raj on playing Karunanidhi in Iruvar: He told me I came close but not enough

Prakash Raj essayed Karunanidhi's role in Iruvar | YouTube

We met regularly, and he adored me. I fought with him too, but he always took my criticism in his stride and was open to debate on any subject. 

I had not met ‘Kalaignar’ M. Karunanidhi when I shot for Iruvar, the movie in which I portrayed him and his role in Tamil Nadu politics. The film which showed the political and personal chemistry between Tamizhselvan (Karunanidhi), Anandan (M.G. Ramachandran, played by Mohanlal) and Pushpavalli (J. Jayalalithaa, played by the debuting Aishwarya Rai).

I was just 30 years old when I accepted the role of Tamizhselvan; he was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. At the time, I only saw Karunanidhi through the eyes of Mani Ratnam, who was the scriptwriter and director. Mani came to me with a handful of VHS tapes of Karunanidhi’s speeches to help me with the role. I remember telling Mani at that time: I am not good at imitating. Don’t expect me to imitate the man; neither am I his height, his colour, nor do I speak his language, nor do I align with his political thoughts. I will do my best to portray the moment in the script, and the director Mani should not judge me as his replica.

A fascinating life

I did a lot of research on Karunanidhi, and the more I read about his childhood and his rise in politics and the film industry, the more fascinating his life became to me. The wit and wisdom in his speeches, and the effort to create a separate identity as a leader who championed regional identity (under the guidance of his mentor C.N. Annadurai) fascinated me, and made me love him even more. As we shot for Iruvar, I got a closer look at his personal life and the way he handled the trickiest situations with his wit. I was also taken in by his camaraderie with MGR.

There is a very touching scene in the movie when Tamizhselvan’s party loses an election. Tamizhselvan is sitting with his daughter when he sees the crowds moving towards Anandan (MGR); his face is filled with multiple emotions — of anger, sadness, and a sense of threat. Mani has captured this moment so beautifully that today people can relate to the real Karunanidhi’s emotions when his party lost the election. MGR, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa were larger-than-life individuals, and Iruvar showed the human traits of love, anger, respect, jealousy and politicking.

Years later, when I finally met Karunanidhi in flesh and blood, he was someone else altogether. He was not the man I played in the movie. I asked him a question: “Did you like Iruvar? Was I close enough?”

In his inimitable witty style, he replied: “To some extent, yes. You are almost there!” We never spoke about the movie again.

My relationship with him

I still remember the day when I was being conferred the state award for my performance in K. Balachander’s movie Kalki. Kalaignar was to present the award to me. The tension in the hall was palpable. People in the state and the country wanted to know how he would react to me, the man who portrayed him in a movie.

But he took it in his stride; the speech he gave that day electrified the entire venue. What he said remains etched my mind and heart.

Now, Iruvar was initially supposed to be called ‘Anandan’. So, Kalaignar played with these words and said: “The happiness (anandam) I have in presenting this award to Prakash, despite the flutter of anticipation amongst people, he knows, and I know. Both of us (iruvar) know.”

Later, we met regularly, and he adored me. In turn, I respected him tremendously. We would sit for hours on end to discuss politics and books over cups of coffee and morning walks.

It’s not that I didn’t have differences of opinion with him. I fought with him too, especially when I felt that certain partymen had resorted to corruption and were hurting the basic principle of secularism and democracy. He always took my criticism in his stride and was open to a difference of opinion and debate on any subject, but he defended what he thought was right.

I somehow think in retrospect that as a politician, we have only understood him to a certain extent. There is so much about him that we didn’t understand.

Now, when he has gone from our midst, I salute the man: For being the larger-than-life figure he was, for being one who gave decades of his life for the people of Tamil Nadu and their regional identity. I will always respect him for not playing politics in the name of religion. He has sowed the seeds of democratic politics in Tamil Nadu, and nobody can try and use religion to change what he has started.

Kalaignar has evolved politics through generations, and I doubt if we will see another Karunanidhi again, at least not in the near future.

I will, however, say that if ever a biopic is made on Karunanidhi, I would love to play the role of this great leader again.

(As told to Rohini Swamy)