Vairamuthu

Vairamuthu, born in 1953 in Theni district of Tamil Nadu is a noted Tamil poet and lyricist. A Staunch Dravida kazhagam follower with strong political leaning towards the DMK and their DK parents.His fans consider him to be the true inheritor of Kannadasan although its far from true for Kannadasan was far greater in depth and lyricism.Vairamuthu is subject of much hype amongst Political circles due to his strong political leaning. He has been awarded the National Film Award five times in the Best Lyrics category. His literary contributions are well-respected among the DMK and DK followers. He is a recipient of Kalaimamani Award and Tamil Nadu State Government award thrice for his contribution to Tamil literature.

He made his foray into the tinsel world in 1980 with his superhit number `Ponmalai Pozhudhu' in `Nizhalgal', and since then Vairamuthu has never looked back.Today, he stands tall as a five-time winner of national award.

He has constantly teamed with master-composer A. R. Rahman and ace director Mani Ratnam. The trio have delivered several musical hits including "Roja", "Bombay", "Alaipayuthey" and "Kannathil Muthamittal".

Early life and Education

Vairamuthu was born in a rich farming community of Vadugapatti village, Theni District near Periyakulam. His father was Ramaswamy Thevar and mother AngammaL. The ambience of the village is said to have inspired him to write poems. Tamil and Rationalist movements of the sixties is said to have stimulated the poetic zeal in him. The speeches of Periyar & Anna, the writings of Karunanidhi and the works of eminent poets like Bharathi, Bharathidasan and Kannadasan and the life in the countryside shaped the young poet's thinking. While he was fourteen, he acquired the ability to write Yappu type of Venba poetry.

In his school final exam in Tamil, Vairamuthu stood first in the entire Madurai District and won a silver cup.After completing his school education, he joined Pachaiyappa's college in Chennai where he was acclaimed as the best speaker and poet.When he was in his second year of B.A. and barely nineteen years of age, Vairamuthu published his maiden anthology, "Vaigarai Megangal". It was prescribed for study in the Women's Christian College. Thus, he achieved the distinction of a student poet whose work was taken into curriculum while he was still a student.

His second work, "Thiruththi Yezhudhiya Theerppugal", in pudhu kavidhai form was published in 1979. He made his film debut in the succeeding year when he set lyrics for Bharathiraja's Nizhalgal.

Literary Influences

he is strongly influenced by Shelley,Keats,Khalil Gibran, Firdausi and Nizami have had a greater impact on him.

Vairamuthu is among those who take pride in the Tamil heritage and swear by the traditional form's capacity to convey with ease modern and even complicated ideas. He is not, however, averse to change or modernism and he uses with equal felicity free verse (puthu kavithai in Tamil), wherever it suits him. For him, content is more important than the form.

With 5,600 songs to his credit, he has published nine collections of poems for the discerning readers. His writings have also extended to genres such as novel, essay, biography and travelogue. In fact, 20 of the 32 books he has published in the last 30 years are in prose.

Notable Works

On the literature front, his notable works include "Innoru Desiya Geetham", "Indha Pookkal Virppanai-kkalla", "Sigarangalai nOkki", "Villodu Vaa Nilave" and many others numbering to 30.

He has also introduced some foreign poets and their works to Tamil in his "Ella Nadhiyilum En Odum". Some of his works are translated into Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. The trend continues into hundreds of his film lyrics are translated into Hindi. His Chinna Chinna Aasai fascinated a Japanese troupe touring India so much, that they broke language barriers by singing the song during their shows.

"Thanner Thesam"

This aRiviyal kaaviyam is about the 'sea odyssey'. Kalaivannan is the hero; Tamilrojaa is the heroine. A lot of scientific facts about the sea, water, and the universe are sown in this modern poetry(pudhukk kavidhai). The work depicts the adventure of fishermen's life at sea. cite web|url=http://www.tamil.net/projectmadurai/pub/pm0011/pm0011.pdf|title=read

"Kallikattu Idhikasam"

Kallikkattu Edhikasam (the epic of Kallikkadu, in literal translation) is one of his novels. It tells the agonising tale of a marginal farmer of a riverbed region of the Theni belt in southern Tamil Nadu. Kallikattu Ithikasam" - a confluence of various emotions like sadness, sufferings and depression -- crammed his mind for more than four decades. Finally, when it exploded, the natives of `Kallikadugal' found their biographies in the book. But with a silver lining. The novel won him the Sahitya Akademi award for Best Literary Work in 2003.

"Karuvachi Kaaviyam"

This depicts powerfully the facets of rural life in a remote corner of our State, was serialized in a popular regional weekly,Ananda Vikatan and won accolades. Owing to its huge popularity, the series was released as a novel

Awards and Recognition

He received the President's award for the Best Lyricist for his compositions in MudhalMariyathai(1985), directed by Bharathiraja. He received this award a second time in 1993 for Roja, directed by Maniratnam. He was bestowed the honor of receiving this award for the third time, for his lyrics in the film, Karuththamma, another film directed by Bharathiraja,followed by sangamam and Kannathil Muthamittal,directed by Maniratnam.He remains at the only lyricist to receive this award five times at the national level.

Among regional awards from the Tamilnadu Government, he received one in 1981 from the then Chief Minister, M. G. Ramachandran, a Best Architect of Films award in 1989 alongside the prestigious Kalaimaamani award in 1990. The Tamil Development Society of Madras conferred on him the title of "Kaviyarasu" in 1986.His "Kaviraajan Kavidhai" narrating Bharathi's life in Pudhu Kavidhai, was a commendable effort. It earned him the Bharathi Literature Prize.

In 2003, Vairamuthu was awarded the Padma Shri.

He is the Tamilnadu President of Indo-Russian Friendship Society. At the invitation of the Russian Government, Vairamuthu has visited Russia to participate in an Indian cultural event in 1987. In response to invitations of various Tamil groups, he visited the U.S.A, United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malayasia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

His works have the underlying themes of humanism transcending barriers of space and race. He opened Tamil schools in Bangkok, Canada and Hong Kong promoting Tamil children living there to develop an interest in learning the language.

*
* Mozhi(2007)

* Varalaru(2006)
* Anniyan (2006)
* Ullam Ketkumae(2005)
* Chellamae(2004)
* Attagasam(2004)
* Ayutha Ezhuthu(2004)
* Vasool Raja_MBBS(2004)
* Anbe Sivam(2003)
* Iyarkai(2003)
* Kannathil Muthamittal(2002)
* Villain(2002)
* Gemini (2002)
* Povellam un Vasam(2001)
* Majunu(2001)
* Shahjahan(2001)
* Citizen(2001)
* Kushi(2000)
* Rhythm(2000)
* Aalavandhan(2000)
* Mugavari(2000)
* Alaipayuthey(2000)
* Kandukondain Kandukondain(2000)
* Thullatha Manamum Thullum(1999)
* Vaali(1999)
* Amarkalam(1999)
* Mudhalvan(1999)
* Padayappa(1999)
* Sangamam(1999)
* Jodi(1999)
* Nilaave Vaa (1998)
* Kadhal Mannan (1998)
* Jeans(1998)
* Iruvar(1997)
* Indian(1996)
* Muthu(1995)
* Indira(1995)
* Basha(1995)
* Karuthamma(1994)
* Kadhalan(1994)
* Pavithra(1994)
* Duet(1994)
* Pudhiya Mugam (1993)
* Gentleman (1993)
* Kodi Parakuthu(1989)
* Vedham Pudhithu(1987)
* Punnagai Mannan(1986)
* MudhalMariyathai(1985)

Award-winning songs

Another great feat by Vairamuthu is that he has bagged National Award 5 times in his career so far.

1.MudhalMariyathai(1985)
2.Roja(1992)
3.Karuthamma(1994)
4.Sangamam(1999)
5.Kannathil Muthamittal(2002)

References

1.http://www.loc.gov
2.http://www.indolink.com
3.http://www.udumalai.com
4.http://www.tamilnation.org

External links

* [http://www.tamil.net/projectmadurai/pub/pm0011/pm0011.pdf Vairamuthu's Thanner Thesam at MaduraiProject]
* [http://www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp/vairamuthu.html Library of Congress New Delhi Office]