Iruvar (
The Duo) (1997) is a
Tamil language Indian 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 tryst between
Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics.
Mohanlal and
Prakash Raj played lead roles in the film.
Tabu,
Gouthami,
Revathi Menon and
Nasser star in supporting roles. The film also saw the movie debut of
Aishwarya Rai, then merely a model and former beauty queen (as well as an aspiring actress). It was subsequently dubbed in
Telugu under the title
Iddaru and
Malayalam as
Iruvar. The
cinematography was by
Santosh Sivan.
Mohanlal and
Prakash Raj had a stunning and extraordinary performance in this film.
The film was showcased in The Masters section at the
1997 Toronto International Film Festival. The film won the Best Film award at the
Belgrade International Film Festival, two
National Film Awards, and two
Filmfare Awards South.