Karuna defends family presence in Tamil cinema industry

"I have written dialogues for more than 75 films including those for M G Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan who were my very good friends. It is well-known that I share a bond with most actors and technicians," he said in a statement here.

Responding to a report critical of him in a vernacular magazine, the 87 year-old DMK patriarch said those who were targeting his relatives were doing so as "they could not stand their growth".

Karunanidhi's two grandsons, Udhayanidhi Stalin and Dhayanidi Alagiri besides his grandnephews, the Maran brothers, own production houses which have produced movies starring top Tamil stars.

"They have pointed out that my grandsons are involved in movie production and how this was possible. Probably they are unaware that the sons and grandsons of AV Meyyappa Chettiar (a doyen of Tamil cinema) followed his footsteps in producing movies while Sivaji Ganesan's sons, Prabu and Ramkumar also took to acting," he said.

The same was with the case of Rajnikant whose daughter Soundarya is a producer while Kamal Hassan's daughter Shruthy, an actor, he said.

He also listed out various sops offered by the respective DMK Governments for the benefit of the multi-crore rupee Tamil cinema industry and asked "what are the heartburns behind my sons or grandsons involved in film-making?

"Why is it being called as family politics if someone from my family joins politics or imply an intention behind them taking to cinema?" he asked.