Bangalore: Malayalam film star Mammootty on Tuesday wrote about a lost opportunity - a chance to play M. Karunanidhi on screen that he had passed up - while expressing his sadness at the death of the DMK patriarch.

"The opportunity I had to play him in Mani's film is something I miss today," he wrote on Facebook, alluding to Mani Ratnam's film Iruvar (The Duo).

Actor and activist Prakash Raj had eventually been picked for the role of Thamizhselvan, which bore a striking resemblance to the former Tamil Nadu chief minister's life and career.

It was then rumoured that Mani Ratnam had approached actor Nana Patekar after Mammootty had turned down the offer, but the director had later settled for Prakash who played the role with aplomb.

The 1997 release was an epic based on the lives of Karunanidhi, M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa but not labelled as biographical sketches of the three leaders who ruled Tamil Nadu for multiple terms.

In fact, both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi had denied that the characters in the movie had any resemblance to their lives.

While Malayalam star Mohanlal played struggling actor Anandan, Aishwarya Rai played a dual role, one of them loosely based on Jayalalithaa's acting career and relationship with MGR.

Mammootty expressed his sadness at Karunanidhi's death, calling it an irreplaceable loss. "But more than all the many facets to his persona his love for Tamizh [Tamil] and his people stand tallest. An irreplaceable loss. And the end of a great era. Writer, Author, Screen Writer, Orator and one of the greatest leaders of our time. A revolutionary," he wrote.

"All of my meetings with him are fond memories discussing cinema, politics and literature. Deeply saddened by this loss," the actor signed off.

Prakash Raj, vacationing in Australia, could not be reached despite several attempts.