Gouri G Kishan Instagram – Poilaal – Poi illatha aval (one without any lies) In just one line, Mari Selvaraj sir encompassed the character I was supposed to play in Karnan and what she inherently stood for. Come to think of it, that is essentially what his filmmaking is all about too – No sugarcoating, just plain hard truths. To have been a part of a film that speaks of such a sensitive topic, such as caste; led to a momentous personal realisation – the sheer privilege that many of us are soaked in and how easy it is to be blinded by it. It was a deeply disturbing and vulnerable place to be in – to think that something so incidental such as one’s caste that they are born into, can have such longstanding impact on how their lives take shape. It was appalling! No matter how many more films that I would be a part of, Karnan, for all its colossal greatness, shall remain one that I will hold to the highest accord. To be a part of creative cinema that showcases reality for what it is, that entails the audience to ponder, question and relish truth for what it is, is truly humbling. I’ve had one of my toughest days while shooting for this film but the level of unlearning and learning that it has entailed me to encounter has been groundbreaking. There are some experiences in life that prove to be an unleashing of our own inner strength and endurance, and this film was one such. A huge note of gratitude to each and every single person I met on the sets of Karnan. To @mariselvaraj84 for being the genius in his craft, to @dhanushkraja for living and breathing life into Karnan, to my girls – Subadhra, @lakshmipriyaachandramouli @rajishavijayan for riding this out with me, to @lal_director for being so encouraging throughout, to Yogi Babu sir for bringing the right amount of humour into our strenuous and long shoot days and finally, to the oor makkal for ever-so graciously taking us in as one of their own, right from day one. Just a thank you wouldn’t suffice. Tirunelveli