 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kannadasan" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Kannadasan | |
|---|---|
 Kannadasan's Portrait at Kannadhasan Pathippagam | |
| Born | Muthiah Sathappan Chettiar (1927-06-24)24 June 1927 |
| Died | 17 October 1981(1981-10-17) (aged 54) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Pen name | Karaimuthu Pulavar Vanangamudi Kanakappriyan Parvathinathan Arokiyasamy |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, lyricist, politician, film producer, literary editor |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Subject | Poetry and literature |
| Notable works | Arthamulla Indhu Madham Yesu Kaaviyam |
| Notable awards | National Film Award for Best Lyrics 1968Kuzhanthaikkaga Sahitya Academy Award 1980Cheraman Kadali |
| Spouses | Ponnammal (m. 1950–1981; his death); Parvathi (m. 1950–1981; his death); Valliammai (m. 1957–1981; his death) |
| Children | 16 |
Muthiah Sathappan Chettiar better known asKannadasan (pronunciationⓘ; 24 June 1927 – 17 October 1981) was a poet, film song lyricist, producer, actor, script-writer, editor, philanthropist, and is heralded as one of the greatest and most important lyricists in India. Frequently calledKaviarasu, With over 5000 lyrics, 6000 poems and 232 books, Kannadasan is widely known by the sobriquet Kaviarasu (King of poets) and he is also considered to be the greatest modern Tamil poet afterSubramania Bharati.[1] including novels,epics, plays, essays, his most popular being the 10-part religious book onHinduism,Arthamulla Indhu Matham (Meaningful Hindu Religion). He won theSahitya Akademi Award for his novelCheraman Kathali in the year 1980 and was the first to receive theNational Film Award for Best Lyrics, given in 1969 for the filmKuzhanthaikkaga.[2][3] Like many great poets he also suffered from cyclothymia, which comes under bipolar disorder spectrum.[4]
Kannadasan was born to Sathappan Chettiar and Visalakshi Aachi in aNattukottai Nagarathar family inSirukoodalpatti, near Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu and was given the birth name Muthiah. He was the eighth of ten children to his parents. He was adopted by Chigappi Aachi for a sum of INR 7000 at an early age, who brought him up and was responsible for his early stages of school education. He completed his schooling till the 8th standard in Sirukudalpatti and Amaravathipudhur. He worked for a private company inTiruvottiyur before taking up an editorial post in a Tamil Magazine where for the first time he took up the pseudonym Kannadasan. He died on 17 October 1981.
Muthiah was a keen follower of theDravidian atheistic movement. He had a great love ofTamil language and its culture and excelled inTamil literature, both prose and poetry. He read theThiruppaavai ofAandaal and was amazed at its mystic poetry, which had a deep and lasting impact on him. After a lot of introspection, he decided to go back toHinduism. He renamed himself as Kannadaasan, meaning the servant of LordKrishna (In Tamil,Kannan means Krishna and in Sanskrit,daasa meansservant'.He dug deep into understandingHinduism, and wrote his series of books onHinduism titledArthamulla Indhu Matham.[5][6]
Kannadasan's greatest contribution to Tamil culture is his songwriting. Before Kannadasan, many lyricists likePapanasam Sivan, Kambadasan, Vindhan,A. Maruthakasi, andKu. Ma. Balasubramaniam were sought after in the Tamil music industry, but after the advent of Kannadasan, the scene changed. He quickly became the most sought-after lyricist in the industry and remained so until his death. Kannadasan was so popular that some songs written by other contemporary poets were considered to be written by Kannadhasan. Though, film lyrics have come a long way since his death, many people still consider Kannadasan to be the best songwriter.[citation needed] He is considered to be the greatest modern Tamil poet afterSubramanya Bharathi.[citation needed]
He was the producer of the historic Tamil filmSivagangai Seemai portraying Marudhu Pandaiars, one of the pioneers in the Indian freedom struggle.[citation needed] The song "Santhupottu" from that film remains popular.[citation needed]
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Year | Film | Actor | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Parasakthi | Yes | No | No | |
| 1954 | Illara Jothi | No | Yes | No | |
| 1954 | Sugam Enge | No | Yes | No | |
| 1956 | Madurai Veeran | No | Yes | No | |
| 1956 | Tenali Raman | No | Yes | No | |
| 1957 | Mahadhevi | No | Yes | No | |
| 1958 | Maalaiyitta Mangai | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 1958 | Nadodi Mannan | No | Yes | No | |
| 1959 | Sivagangai Seemai | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 1960 | Kavalai Illaadha Manithan | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1960 | Mannathi Mannan | No | Yes | No | |
| 1960 | Sangilithevan | No | Yes | No | |
| 1961 | Thirudathe | No | Yes | No | |
| 1962 | Vanambadi | No | No | Yes | |
| 1962 | Sumaithaangi | No | No | Yes | |
| 1963 | Ratha Thilagam | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1964 | Karuppu Panam | Yes | Yes | No | as blackmailer |
| 1968 | Lakshmi Kalyanam | No | Yes | No | |
| 1972 | Thiruneelakandar | No | Yes | No | |
| 1973 | Suryagandhi | Yes | No | No | as singer in song "Paramasivan Kazhuthilirundhu" |
| 1975 | Apoorva Raagangal | Yes | No | No | as himself |
| 1979 | Velum Mayilum Thunai | Yes | No | No | |
| 1979 | Sigappukkal Mookkuthi | No | Yes | No | |
| 1981 | Thillu Mullu | No | Yes | No | |
| 1981 | Deiva Thirumanangal | Yes | No | No |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Kannadasan was the poet laureate of theTamil Nadu government at the time of his death. He wrote two notable autobiographies, titledVanavasam, a book about his past life whilst he was atheist, with theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam and a sequel, titledManavasam a book about his life after he had left DMK.
Kannadasan was a prolific writer and his writing covered a variety of forms- poems, novels, lyrics for Tamil films and books on spirituality. His series titledArthamulla Indhu Matham (Meaningful Hindu Religion) is known for its simplicity in explaining the principles of Hinduism. Many of Kannadasan's poems have been translated into French.[8] He wrote and published several volumes of poetry. He was an admirer ofKambar, and wrote a number of poems praising Kambar's artistry, contrary to the satire ("Kambarasam") on the same byC.N. Annadurai. He also spoke at several of the Kambar festivals. He sang the beauty ofSita's gait and the shoulders ofRama; he spoke of beauty intoxicating and dropped me in a vessel of amrut (nectar)" This is one of Kannadasan's tribute to the poet Kambar.
Kannadasan died on 17 October 1981 inChicago, United States, where he had gone from India to attend a Tamil conference organized by the Tamil Association of Chicago. He was aged only 54 at the time of his death.[9] The song "Kanne Kalaimane" from the filmMoondram Pirai, released a few months later, was his last song.
TheGovernment of Tamil Nadu built a memorial hall as "Kaviarasar Kannadasan Manimandapam" atKaraikudi.[7] The road adjoiningNatesan Park inT. Nagar,Chennai was previously called as Hensman Road is where Kannadasan resided from 1958 and it was renamed "Kannadasan street" in his honour after his demise. It was in this house where 7Chief Ministers fromM. Bhaktavatsalam toJ. Jayalalithaa had visited Kannadasan. Kannadhasan once owned 14 cars which were parked on either side of the road in front of house and the last remaining one which was given byK. Kamaraj is still at display in this very house.[10]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
