MK Muthu obit: Karunanidhi’s son’s acting stint created a split in DMK

MK Muthu, eldest son of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi, died in Chennai today (July 19) at the age of 77, with Chief Minister and younger brother, MK Stalin, leading the list of mourners.

An actor and politician, Muthu fell out with his father, though the latter tried to prop him up as an actor, essentially to counter matinee idol MG Ramchandran in 1971-72, one of the factors that led to the Karunanidhi-MGR spat.

Muthu copied MGR's dressing patterns and his body language, especially gestures in the song portions, and was groomed as another MGR to take his place, while the Karunanidhi-led DMK government was charged by MGR with trying to destroy his film career and letting loose repression against the MGR fans' associations.

MGR was suspended from the DMK on October 11, 1972, and then went on to form his own party, the AIADMK, and captured power in the next Assembly election in 1977.

Muthu’s film debut in 1972

Muthu was born to Karunanidhi and his first wife, Padmavathi, while MK Alagiri and Stalin were born to Karunanidhi's second wife, Dayalu Ammal. Stalin and Alagiri also had a fallout as the latter charged that the former was given more prominence in the party and opposed his elevation in the government and the party.

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Karunanidhi tried to settle the quarrels within the family but failed, as Muthu, Alagiri, and Stalin went their separate ways.

Muthu, who had earlier acted in plays to promote the DMK and Dravidian ideology, made his debut in the film world with a double role in Pillaiyo Pillai in 1972. The film was launched with great fanfare. The stills, the song sequences, and the story and screenplay, too, were fashioned in the MGR style.

MGR, who initially blessed Muthu's venture, later came to know of the plans to upstage him and sideline him in the party. It was well-known that it was MGR's open support for Karunanidhi that enabled the latter to become chief minister after CN Annadurai's death.

The film did reasonably well at the box office, and the songs in the MGR genre were hits too, composed by MGR's favourite composer MS Viswanathan, with powerful lines from lyricist Vali. A song, Moonru Tamizh Thondriyadhum Unnidamo, enraged MGR, who later asked Vali why he could not write such lines for him. Vali said he merely wanted to wish the youngster well.

Differences between Muthu and Karunanidhi

The film was produced by Murasoli Maran and was written by Karunanidhi himself. The movie was a commercial success, much to the chagrin of MGR.

Muthu went on to act in a few more films, notably Pookari in 1973 and Samayalkaaran in 1974 (a remake of the Rajesh Khanna hit film Bawarchi), having average success. Muthu could not make a sustained impact in the other films, and the attempt to position himself as MGR failed thereafter. The film industry did not show faith in him, and there was a limit to what Karunanidhi could do to promote Muthu's career.

Also read: Maran brothers’ feud resolved through mediation by CM MK Stalin, journalist N Ram

Muthu was also a good singer, rendering a few songs in his films. The song Sondhakaaranga became quite popular. In 2008, he sang a song for the film Maattuthaavani for music director Deva.

Differences arose between Muthu and his father as well, and they parted ways. Muthu acted in a few more films like Anaiya Vilakku, Nambikai Natchathiram and Ingeyum Manithargal in 1975, and Ellam Avale in 1977, and then faded away.

He was said to have become an alcoholic and went through a course of de-addiction. However, he was no longer the same. Out of spite, he joined the AIADMK. J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK chief, rubbed salt into Karunanidhi's wounds by providing Muthu with financial support.

It was only in 2009 that he re-united with the family after Karunanidhi visited an ailing Muthu in hospital.

The rise of Muthu coincided with the deep divide in the DMK, resulting in the ouster of MGR from the party and loss of power for Karunanidhi and his supporters, thus marking a crucial phase in the Dravidian movement. Alagiri has patched up with Stalin, and the family appears to be united again.