Karunanidhi used films, command over Tamil to promote Dravidian ideology
M Karunanidhi used the medium of films and his command over Tamil language to reach out to people and promote the Dravidian ideology, according to two books related to the late DMK patriarch. The book "Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics" by journalist Sandhya Ravishankar said Tamil was Karunanidhi's life breath and dominated his political career, adding he always tried to protect the Dravidian movement.
At the age of 15, Karunanidhi founded magazine for students
Karunanidhi discovered early that his gift was language. Wit, clarity of thought and a firm grasp over Tamil history dominated his writing. When he was 15 years old, Karunanidhi first put his writing skills on display. He founded the fortnightly magazine for students called "Manava Nesan". The manuscripts were handwritten and 50 copies were made by hand and distributed by him and his friends.
Karunanidhi used films to reach out to Tamil people
The other book "The Dravidian Years: Politics and Welfare in Tamil Nadu" talks about how Karunanidhi used media and films to outreach Tamil people. Up to the 1980s, "touring theatres" used to be the hallmark of all small towns. The DMK transformed the medium of films into a platform for reaching out to the Tamil people about their Tamil and Dravidian identities.
Karunanidhi wrote screenplay of over 70 films
Karunanidhi wrote the screenplay of over 70 films including hits like 'Parasakthi', 'Manthiri Kumari' and 'Malaikallan'. "The frequency of people going to the cinema in Tamil Nadu has been very high, and Annadurai and Karunanidhi used films as the major propaganda vehicle for promoting Dravidian ideology," stated the second book, written by S Narayan, who was the economic adviser to ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Karunanidhi began his autobiography in 1975
M Karunanidhi's love for the written word perhaps stemmed from the nature of the Dravidian movement itself. Karunanidhi began his autobiography in 1975. Called "Nenjukku Needhi" (Justice for the Heart), its five volumes cover in great detail his life and experiences until 2002. Even during his stints in between this period as Chief Minister, Karunanidhi continued to write.
