Chennai: Despite several prayers and the best of medical support, the State lost its ‘Muthamizh Arignar’ recently.
His demise at the age of 94 has sent shockwaves, not only among his party cadres, but to lakhs of people in Tamilnadu as well.
Madipakkam resident in the city,, actor C R Parthiban, shares his experience working with the legend.
“I was heart-broken when I heard that he was no more. The reel industry has not only lost a samrat, but a man with many faces. He was a script writer or a playwright. I did a role in a movie that was penned by him. The movie was ‘Puthumai Pithan’ and was released when Karunanidhi was elected as MLA for the first time,” said Parthiban.
Elaborating more about his days working with the Kalaignar, he said it was ‘unforgettable’.
“He was an MLA and popular playwright when the shoot of ‘Puthumai Pithan’ was on. I met him face-to-face for the first time at the shooting spot. Director T R Ramanna introduced me as an actor playing the role of Nallannan in the movie. He gave me my dialogues and watched how I performed. At the end of the shoot, he appreciated me for acting well.”
Parthiban said, after this, his meetings with Karunanidhi continued on a regular basis at shooting spots, Nadigar Sangam events and public events.
“Whenever he saw me, he would address me as ‘Nallannan’ only. Also, he would never fail to say ‘vanakkam’ to the people he meets. I have also met him at his residence many times,” ended the actor.