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MK Muthu, the eldest son of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his first wife Padmavathi, passed away on Saturday morning, July 19, at the age of 77. He had been ailing for a long time due to age-related illnesses and breathed his last around 8 am at his residence in Injambakkam on Chennai's East Coast Road. His body has been kept at home for the public to pay their last respects.
Born to Padmavathi, who was the daughter of renowned musician Chidambaram Padagasundaram Pillai, Muthu was Karunanidhi’s first son and half-brother to current Chief Minister MK Stalin. Muthu is survived by his wife, son, and daughter. His daughter Thenmozhi is married to CK Ranganathan, the Managing Director of FMCG company CavinKare.
In the 1970s, Muthu was initially projected as Karunanidhi’s political heir, but his career took a different trajectory when he was introduced to Tamil cinema. The decision to launch Muthu into films was seen as a strategic move by Karunanidhi to counter the growing popularity of MG Ramachandran (MGR), who had split from the DMK and formed the AIADMK in 1972.
That same year, Muthu made his acting debut with Pillaiyo Pillai, a film scripted by Karunanidhi himself. He went on to act in several other films, including Anaiya Vilakku and Pookkari, but his stint in the film industry was short-lived. Despite initial success, Muthu could not replicate MGR's cinematic or political popularity and eventually withdrew from acting after appearing in about half a dozen films.
Muthu’s personal life was marked by challenges. His battle with alcoholism strained his relationship with his father, leading to a public fallout. He later joined the AIADMK, embarrassing Karunanidhi, but his political career did not gain momentum. In 2009, after Muthu's health declined, he reconciled with Karunanidhi.
Muthu had been mostly out of public view in recent years due to his prolonged illness. Chief Minister MK Stalin paid tribute to his late brother in person on Saturday. Following Muthu’s demise, the DMK cancelled all its official events for the day as a mark of respect.