Having dipped his foot in politics with Bombay, Mani Rathnam plunged deeper into the genre with a story broadly based on the symbiotic, love-hate relationship between matinee idol turned politician MG Ramachandran, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who scripted the films that made MGR iconic, before the two parted ways.

The characters of Anandan and Thamilchelvam, played by Mohanlal and Prakashraj respectively, come alive in a story that spans decades, starting with the duo's fledgling movie careers, in which Anandan's acting provides the onscreen persona required to carry off Thamilchelvam's fiery pro-Tamil dialogues.

The friendship breaks when both of them become involved in politics, and in a move that plays against Thamilchelvam's wishes, Anandan finds himself the leader of the political party by virtue of his star-power.

Intertwined into this tale are the various women who form a part of their lives, played by Aishwarya Rai, who makes her debut in a double role, Gautami, Tabu and Revathy.

In Iruvar, Mani Ratnam not only tackles a controversial topic (after all, MGR is revered as a deity in the South, and who can be foolhardy enough to deconstruct an icon?) but also uses his film as a homage to Tamil cinema.