Indian screenwriter and novelist
Sujatha
|
---|
Born
| S. Rangarajan
(
1935-05-03
)
3 May 1935
Sri Rangam
,
Tamil Nadu
|
---|
Died
| 27 February 2008
(2008-02-27)
(aged 72)
Chennai, India
|
---|
Pen name
| Sujatha
|
---|
Occupation
| Engineer, author, novelist, screenwriter
|
---|
Nationality
| Indian
|
---|
Alma mater
| Madras Institute of Technology
|
---|
Period
| 1935?2008
|
---|
Spouse
| Sujatha
|
---|
Children
| Rangaprasad
Keshavprasad
[1]
|
---|
S. Rangarajan
(3 May 1935 ? 27 February 2008), better known by his allonym
Sujatha
, was an Indian author, novelist and screenwriter who wrote in
Tamil
. He authored over 100 novels, 250 short stories, ten books on science, ten stage plays, and a slim volume of poems. He was one of the most popular authors in
Tamil literature
, and a regular contributor to topical columns in Tamil periodicals such as
Ananda Vikatan
,
Kumudam
and
Kalki
. He had a wide readership, and served for a brief period as the editor of
Kumudam
, and has also written screenplays and dialogues for several Tamil films.
Sujatha was also an engineer; he supervised the design and production of the
electronic voting machine
(
EVM
) during his tenure at
Bharat Electronics Limited
(
BEL
), a machine which is currently used in elections throughout India. As an author he inspired many authors, including
Balakumaran
,
Madhan
.
Career
[
edit
]
Penning with his wife's name, Sujatha's Tamil literary career spanned more than four decades. An Electronics-Engineer by profession, he was proficient in the language of technology. Widely read and knowledgeable, he presented his knowledge in simple Tamil.
His works stood out during a time when Tamil writing was dominated by social/family dramas and historical novels. His identification with the masses, and his uncanny adoption of their way of talking, behavior, mindset and slang, helped make him popular across multiple demographic segments.
His popularization of technology was one of his greatest contributions ? starting with his Silicon Chip writing in
Dinamani Kadhir
and Yen, Yedharku, Eppadi in
Junior Vikatan
. At one point, his writings were appearing in numerous Tamil weeklies and journals simultaneously, including
Ananda Vikatan
,
Kumudam
, Kungumam, Kalki
and
Dhinamani Kadhir
. Later he contributed as script/screenplay author for several Tamil movies. His notable movies included
Vikram
,
Thiruda Thiruda, Boys
and
Sivaji
. Most of his early novels/stories were made as movies, including
Priya, Gaytri, Karaiyellam Senbagapoo
and
Anandha Thandavam
, among others.
Brought up in Srirangam, Trichy, and having spent most of the later part of life in Bangalore, he described both places vividly in his various writings. Among his popular novels are
Pirivom Sandhipom
(not related to the movie of the same name),
Rathham Ore Niram
, and
Kolaiyudhir Kaalam
.
He also immortalized Ganesh-Vasanth ? an imaginary advocate pair serving as the main characters in most of his detective stories. Ganesh is a level-headed, senior advocate and Vasanth is his flirtatious junior advocate. The Ganesh-Vasanth pair was based on
James Hadley Chase
's characters, Vic Malloy and his sidekick.
In his later days he restricted his writing to essays such as Katradhum-Petradhum. He began to spend more time reading, especially old rare Tamil literature and writings on the latest developments in information technology and computing.
Biography
[
edit
]
Sujatha Rangarajan was born in
Triplicane
,
Chennai
but spent his childhood in
Srirangam
near
Tiruchirapalli
under the care of his paternal grandmother owing to his father's frequent transfers in his job.
Education
[
edit
]
Sujatha did his schooling in the
Higher Secondary School for Boys, Srirangam
and attended the
St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli
. He graduated in the 1954 batch with a BSc in physics (1952?54). Later he studied engineering in Electronics from
Madras Institute of Technology
, where he was a friend of
Abdul Kalam
(who later became the
President of India
). His writing interests were largely inspired by the short stories and serials published in popular
Tamil
magazines.
Early writings
[
edit
]
Srirangathu Devathaigal
(
Angels of Srirangam
) is a series of short stories based on incidents in Srirangam during 1940s and 50s which appeared in
Ananda Vikatan
.
Sivaji
, a minor magazine from
Tiruchirappalli
, published a story during his student days. His first short story was published in the
Kumudam
magazine in 1962. His
Kolaiyuthir Kalam
was an exciting ghost-themed novel.
Engineering career
[
edit
]
He worked first in Civil Aviation Department of Government of India and later for
Bharat Electronics Limited
in
Bangalore
, India before his retirement to Chennai, India, where he lived till his last days. As an engineer, he was a forward thinker and he was the key person behind the development of the Electronic Voting Machine in India.
[2]
He initiated the development of advanced word processing before the days of personal computers. He is known for coining new Tamil words for computer terms like password, file, directory, etc. These words have been adopted by many software companies of today for translating their software/software products to Tamil.
[3]
[4]
Works
[
edit
]
- Nil, Kavani, Thaakku (1970)
- En Iniya Iyanthira
- Ore Oru Throgam (1983)
- Meendum Jeano
(1987) - Sequel to En Iniya Iyanthira
- Virumbi Sonna Poigal (1987)
- Ilamaiyil Kol (1987)
- Ainthavathu Athiyayam (2000)
- Kolaiyuthir Kalam
- Adhalinaal Kaadhal Seiveer
- Sorga Theevu
- Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo - later adapted into film with
Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo
(1981)
- Niramatra Vanavil
- Kolai Arangam
- Meendum Oru Kutram
- Thoondil Kathaigal
- Computer Gramam
- Oru Naduppagal Maranam
- Maelum Oru Kuttram
- Thanga Mudichu
- Rayil Punnagai
- Sivandtha kailkal
- Manaivi Kidaithal
- Pirivom Sandhippom
- Srirangaththu Devadhaigal
- Mathyamar
- Singaramayangar
- Ullam Thuranthavan
- Thedathey
- Vairangal
- Vizhundha Natchaththiram
- Amuthavum Avanum - later adapted into the movie format with
Kannathil Muthamittal
(2002)
- 6961
- Andru Un Arukil
Awards
[
edit
]
- Sujatha received an award from Government of India's National Council for Science and Technology in 1993 for making science accessible to the public through his books, magazine contributions and other media.
- VASVIK Award for Electronic Voting Machine.
- Kalaimamani Award
from the Tamil Nadu Government.
- Mylapore Academy award for Doordharshan best serial "Mahan Ramanujar".
[5]
- Best Writer Award from Tamil Nadu Cinema Kalaimandram in the year of 1999.
Style and influence
[
edit
]
Sujatha was a versatile Tamil author, with several short stories, novels, poems, plays, screenplays for movies, articles on popular science and other non-fiction articles, to his credit. Sujatha wrote a number of sci-fi stories in Tamil and sought to explain science in simple terms to the layman. He would routinely answer science questions in magazines like
Junior Vikatan
. His science FAQ has been released as separate books called
Yen Etharku Eppadi
and
Athisaya Ulagam
by Vikatan Publications.
He worked on "Katradhum, Petradhum" in Anantha Vikatan and "Sujatha Bathilgal" in Kumudam and Kungumam.
Death
[
edit
]
Sujatha, who had been suffering from diabetes and had undergone a bypass heart surgery, died of multiple organ failure at Apollo hospital.
[
citation needed
]
Filmography
[
edit
]
He extended his writing skills and expertise from science to movies. The first of these efforts were
Gaayathri
and
Priya
. In
Priya
, his fictional character Ganesh was played by
Rajinikanth
.
Kamal Haasan
's
Vikram
was written by him. He penned dialogues for the movie
Roja
, directed by Maniratnam. In recent times he has been associated with
Mani Ratnam
(for
Kannathil Muthamittal
,
Aayitha Ezhuthu
, etc.),
Shankar
(for
Indian
,
Mudhalvan
,
Boys
,
Sivaji: The Boss
and
Enthiran
: The Robot
) and
Azhagam Perumal
in
Udhaya
. He was also a co-producer for the banner
Media Dreams
, which went on to produce the critically acclaimed
Bharathi
, a biopic of the great Tamil poet
Bhaarathiyaar
.
He was working on Shankar's
Enthiran
before he died on 27 February 2008.
Films
[
edit
]
- As Writer
Story
- As Producer
Dialogue
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
People
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|
|
---|
Novels
| |
---|
Writer
| |
---|
Producer
| |
---|
Miscellaneous
| |
---|