Sujatha

Infobox Writer
name = Sujatha (Tamil: சுஜாதா)


imagesize = 150px
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pseudonym = Sujatha
birthname = S.Rangarajan
birthdate = Birth date|mf=yes|1935|05|03
birthplace = Triplicane, Chennai, India
deathdate = Death date and age|mf=yes|2008|02|27|1935|05|03
deathplace = Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India
occupation = Engineer, Writer, Novelist
nationality = Indian
period =
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notableworks =
spouse = Sujatha Rangarajan
partner =
children = Kesava prasad, Ranga prasad
relatives =
influences =
influenced =
awards =


website = http://www.writersujatha.com
portaldisp =

Sujatha (May 3, 1935 - February 27, 2008) was the pseudonym of the Tamil writer S. Rangarajan, author of 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 writers 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 movies.

Career

A path breaker in all senses, he had a great influence in the Tamil literary (both modern and traditional) scene for over four decades. A Engineer by profession, he had the rare combination of being proficient in Tamil (literary, contemporary, modern) as well as in Technology. Widely read and knowledgeable, he presented all his knowledge in simple Tamil and inspired a whole generation.

He came as whiff of fresh air in the times when the Tamil writing was dominated by Social/family dramas or historical novels. His unique style of writing with the uncanny adoption and identification with the masses - their way of talking, behavior, mindset and the slang included in his writings made him immensely popular cutting across the segments.

His contribution to the popularization of technology is immense - starting with his Silicon Chip writing in Dinamani Kadhir and Yen, Yedharku, Eppadi in Junior Vikatan - he seemed to have time for anything and everything. At one point of time his writing alone sold most of the Tamil weeklies and Journals - he was writing in Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Kungumam, Kalki and Dhinamani Kadhir almost simultaneously. Later he contributed as script/screenplay writer in several Tamil movies. His notable movies include Vikram, Thiruda Thiruda, Boys and Sivaji. Most of his early novels/stories are made as movies - notable include Priya, Gaytri, Karaiyellam Senbagapoo...

Versatile and gifted he will be mostly remembered for variety of novels, stories, essays he contributed. He introduced Haiku poetry to the Tamil audience. Brought up in Srirangam, Trichy and who spent most of the later part of life in Bangalore he described both the places vividly in his various writings. Among his popular novels are Pirivom Sandhipom (not related to the recent movie on the same name), Rathham ore niram, Kolaiyudhir Kaalam among others.

Last but not least, he immortalized Ganesh-Vasanth - the imaginary advocate pair being the main characters in most of his detective, semi-detective stories. Ganesh being a level-headed, senior advocate with Vasanth being his flirtatious Junior advocate made a fascinating reading in most of the contemporary situations his novels dealt with. The Ganesh-Vasanth pair is a copy of James Hadley Chase's Vic Malloy and his side-kick.

In his later days he restricted his writing to essays such as Katradhum-Petradhum which again was a hit with audience. He was more into reading in his later days especially on the old rare Tamil writings as well as the latest developments on IT and computing. Not to forget the fact that in his younger days he was involved in the design of the Electronic Voting Machine used in the Indian Elections. Surely a man of versatility and knowledge.

As an engineer, he supervised the design and production of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during his tenure in Bharat Electronics Limited which is currently used in elections throughout India. As a writer he inspired many authors such as Balakumaran.

Biography

Sujatha (Rangarajan) was born in Triplicane, Chennai but spent his childhood in Srirangam near Tiruchirapalli under the care of his paternal grandmother owing to the frequent transfers of his father in his job.

Education

He was a brahmin.His schooling was in Srirangam. He attended St. Joseph's College, Trichy, where he was a classmate of Abdul Kalam (who later became the President of India). Sujatha graduated in the 1954 class with a B.Sc in Physics (1952-54) and masters degree in Electronics from the Madras Institute of Technology. His writing interests were largely inspired by the short stories and serials published in popular Tamil magazines.

Early Writings

"Sriranganthu Devathaigal" (Angels of Srirangam) is a series of short stories based on incidents unfolded in that part of the world in 1940's and 50's. "Sivaji", a minor magazine from Trichy published a story during his student days. His first short story was published in "Kumudam" magazine in 1962. His Kolaiyuthir Kalam was a exciting ghost related novel.

Engineering career

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 [ [http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/feb/28sujatha.htm Tamil writer Sujatha is dead ] ] and also enabled many engineers to think ahead of times. He initiated the development of advanced word processing before the days of personal computers.Fact|date=February 2007

Gallery

Works of Sujatha

(1) "Eppothum Penn" (Always a woman)- A Tamil novel similar to the work of Simone De Beauvoir's The Second Sex.
(2) "En Iniya Iyandhira" (I & II) (My Dear Machine) - A Sci-fi novel in Tamil involving robots.
(3) "Jeano" series-Jeano and meendum Jeano
(4) "Sorga Theevu" - This is considered as one of the first Science Fictions in Tamil
(5) "En? Etharku? Eppadi"? (Answers to questions by readers, mostly on science)
(6) "Katrathum petrathum"
(7) "Kolaiyuthir Kalam" - One of the famous detective novels in Tamil featuring Ganesh and Vasanth
(8) "Raththam Ore Niram" - A historical novel.(9) "Pirivom Sandhipom - Part I and Part II" - A Love story set in Tamiraparani and then travels to Newyork. Captures glimpse of NRI Tamils life in early 80's. A precursor to Jeans movie. Incidentally the heroines name is Madhumitha in both the works.

Awards

Sujatha received an award from Govt 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 [ [http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=27725 @ NewKerala.Com News, India ] ] .

Style and influence

Sujatha was a versatile Tamil writer, with several short stories, novels, poems, plays, screenplays for movies, articles in popular science other non-fiction articles, to his credit. Sujatha has written a number of science fiction stories in Tamil and has sought to explain science in very simple terms to a layman. He routinely used to answer science questions in magazines like Junior Vikatan. His science FAQ has been released as separate books called "En", "Etharku", "Eppadi" and "Athisaya Ulagam" by Vikatan publications.

He worked on "Katradhum, Petradhum" in Anantha vikatan and "Sujatha Bathilgal" in Kungumam

Interests

His interests include archeology, astrophysics, Biotechnology, neuroscience, Carnatic music, Tamil literature, sociology.

Contribution to Films

Besides being an author, he also 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 is played by Rajinikanth but without Vasanth, the famous colleague of Ganesh. Kamal Hassan'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 Iruvar, Kannathil Muthamittal, Aayitha Ezhuthu etc) and Shankar (Boys, Anniyan, Indian, Mudhalvan, Sivaji). He was also a co-producer for the banner MediaDreams which went on to produce critically acclaimed bio-pic, Bharathi, of the great Tamil poet Bhaarathiyaar.

He was working on Shankar's Endhiran (based on his novels 'En Iniya Iyanthra'(My dear Robot) and 'Jeano') before passing away on Feb 27, 2008.

See also

* List of science fiction authors#S

References

External links

* [http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/sujatha.htm Sujatha - One Hundred Tamils of 20th Century]