Iruvar

Iruvar (; English: The Duo) is a 1997 Tamil film directed and co-written by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, continuing the influential relationship between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics.

The film starred Mohanlal and Prakash Raj in the lead with Aishwarya Rai a former Miss World beauty pageant who made her screen debut through this film, while Gouthami, Tabu, Revathi and Nasser forms an ensemble cast. It was subsequently dubbed in Telugu under the title Iddaru and in Malayalam as Iruvar. The cinematography was by Santosh Sivan.

The film was showcased in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was a critical success and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival and two National Film Awards.

Plot

Set in 1950s, the film begins with Anandan (Mohanlal), a struggling actor, seeking opportunities which will give him a big break in the film industry. Under his uncle's help, Anandan is given an opportunity to audition for the lead role in a forthcoming film. He arrives in the studio and practices his combat skills with sword props provided on the sets while waiting for the director and the crew. At this juncture, he meets Tamizhselvan (Prakash Raj), a small time writer who enters the studio with some sarcastic poetry and this prompts both into a little debate. The debate...
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