CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on Saturday that the state government will build a modern film city at Poonamallee. “A brand new film city worth Rs 540 crore will be constructed in Poonamallee. The government will soon establish four floors for film shooting at a cost of Rs 25 crore at MGR Film City, production and post-production units and a 5-star hotel,” said Stalin at a special function to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary year of Karunanidhi.
The event - Kalaignar 100 - was organised by Tamil Nadu Film Producer’s Council, at Guindy Race Course grounds on Saturday.The star-studded event saw the participation of top actors like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Suriya, Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Sivakarthikeyan, Karthi and Vadivelu. Notably, filmmakers Pa Ranjith, Lokesh Kangaraj, Vetrimaaran, and Mohan Raja were also part of it.
Suriya, who spoke first at the event, said that Kalaignar Karunanidhi changed art into politics and politics into art. Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan called Karunanidhi as one of his mentors, “MGR, Sivaji Ganesan and Kalignar were my teachers. Kalaignar’s powerful screenwriting and dialogues transformed MGR and Sivaji into the biggest superstars of Tamil cinema. He never forgot politics as an artist and art as a politician.”
Rajinikanth said Karunanidhi would have created many MGRs and Sivajis if he had focussed solely on cinema. “He was a powerful orator who knew his audience. He spoke as a poet to a poet, a scholar to a scholar, and a layman to layman.”Although, actors Ajith and Vijay were expected to attend the event, they did not turn up.