Gnana Rajasekharan's new film Periyar based on the life of EV Ramaswamy Naicker is releasing on May 1 -- a fitting day for a man who fought for social justice. It was the DMK government of Tamil Nadu, led by M Karunanidhi, which decided on the date of release.
Gnana Rajasekharan, an IAS officer working currently as director of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, won the Indira Gandhi National award for Best First Film for Moha Mullu.
His second film Oru Kan Oru Parvai is based on a real life incident about a Dalit girl being beaten up and blinded because she drank water meant for the higher castes, was shown at the Indian Panorama in 1998.
In 2000, he made Bharati, a film on the fiery nationalist poet Subramaniya Bharati, which starred Hindi actor Sayaji Shinde as the poet.
Satyaraj is the protagonist in Periyar, Jyothirmayi plays his first wife while Khushboo plays the revolutionary's second wife, Maniyamma.
In this exclusive interview, the director speaks about the film.
Text: Shobha Warrier
Also Read: 'Periyar was against Brahminism, not Brahmins'
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