Muthuvel Karunanidhi Muthu (14 January 1948 – 19 July 2025) was an Indian actor, playback singer and politician.
Life and career
Muthu was born on 14 January 1948, as the eldest son of former
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
chief minister
M. Karunanidhi and his first wife, Padmavathi, sister of actor-singer
Chidambaram S. Jayaraman. According to the internal evidence provided by Karunanidhi, in the first volume of his autobiography, Muthu's mother died at the age of 20, soon after giving birth to him, as a result of accelerated
tuberculosis fever.
Muthu started acting in 1970 and appeared in films such as ''
Pillaiyo Pillai'', ''Samayalkaran'', ''Anayavilaku'', ''Ingeyum Manidhargal'' and ''
Pookkari
''Pookkari'' ( ) is a 1973 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Krishnan–Panju and produced by Anjugam Pictures. The film stars M. K. Muthu, Manjula and Nirmala, with Jayachitra, Jayakumari, V. K. Ramasamy, S. V. Subbaiah and Ambareesh ( ...
''. He also sang a few songs in these films. In 2008, he sang a song for the film ''
Mattuthavani
Mattuthavani is a neighborhood on the outskirts of Madurai city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a fan fort of Ultimate Star Thala Ajith Kumar.
Central vegetable and flower market
Before being shifted to Mattuthavani, the Madurai ...
'' under music director
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster
* Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
.
Karunanidhi initially wanted Muthu to be his political heir in the early 1970s, but later launched him into films as a counter to M. G. Ramachandran, founder of the AIADMK. However, Muthu's career in film never really took off.
Muthu later had a difference of opinion with Karunanidhi, and he went on to join his father's rival party AIADMK. However both father and son patched up their differences in 2009, after Muthu fell ill.
[ Muthu died on 18 July 2025, at the age of 77.
]
Death
M. K. Muthu had been unwell for the past two decades and was rarely seen in public. He died on 19 July 2025 at his residence on East Coast Road in Chennai, at the age of 77. He is survived by his daughter, Thenmozhi.
Filmography
Sources
* Hardgrave, Robert L. "Politics and the Film in Tamilnadu: The Stars and the DMK." ''Asian Survey'', Vol. 13, No. 3 (Mar., 1973), pp. 288–305
''Divided dynasties ''
The Telegraph, Sunday, 20 May 2007
''M.K Muthu returns to tinselville''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muthu, M. K.
1948 births
2025 deaths
Indian male film actors
Karunanidhi family
Indian actor-politicians
Male actors in Tamil cinema