In 1967, C.N. Annadurai became the chief minister of Madras state, when his
party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), swept to power for the first time.
In this definitive biography, R. Kannan traces the growth of Annadurai from a
young protege of the radical thinker Periyar E.V. Ramasamy into a revered
leader known as Anna or elder brother.
Kannan draws on Anna’s considerable body of writing and the memoirs of other
leaders and authors in Tamil, to candidly examine Anna’s complex relationship
with Periyar and his disillusionment with the corruption he witnessed when in
power. Featuring luminaries like Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj, K. Karunanidhi
and MGR, among many others, Anna offers a warm and rounded portrait of a
man who showed the way for the democratic expression of regional aspirations
within a united India.