Muthuvel Karunanidhi, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, breathed his last in Chennai on Tuesday, after a prolonged illness. Fondly called as Kalaignar by his well-wishers, M Karunanidhi was one of the most celebrated political figures in the Indian history. The authorities at Kauvery Hospital informed that the former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief passed away due to multiple organs failure.

There were quite a lot of chapters in the life of M Karunanidhi that not many people are aware of. Ups and downs are a part of any politician’s life, and Karunanidhi’s journey can be a perfect example for the same. As Kalaignar breathed his last on August 7, we take a look at some of the lesser-known episodes of M Karunanidhi’s life.

1. M Karunanidhi was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for quite an extended period. His reign was spread across five-terms – a rare feat in Indian politics.

2. It is little known that that M Karunanidhi was unbeaten while contesting state elections in Tamil Nadu. In 13 Assembly Elections that he fought, Karunanidhi remained unbeaten in all of them.

3. Not many know that M Karunanidhi was professionally a screenwriter, early in his career. It was because of the oratory skills that saw him rise to the stature of a seasoned politician.

4. Talking more about it, the former DMK’s chief contribution to the Tamil film industry has been immense. In his short script-writing career, M Karunanidhi’s has written in over 40 films!

5. Like any other politician, M Karunanidhi had been a part of many controversies. One of the major controversies that rocked his political career was fostering ties with Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) – the organisation which allegedly murdered former Indian PM, Rajiv Gandhi.

Muthuvel Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924, in Thirukkuvali village in Tamil Nadu. The former DMK chief entered politics at an early age of 14. His ill health saw him being admitted to hospital for a long time now. His demise would undoubtedly leave a big void in Tamil Nadu’s state politics.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2018 07:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).