Rangarajan, the writer Sujatha
I was shocked to read that writer Sujatha passed away yesterday in chennai. I thought it was just a while ago that I had happened to pass him by in marina. He did look thin and frail. But then he had been writing scripts for latest movies and writing regularly in tamil magazines, so I brushed aside that image; my favourite column was about alwar pasurangal that he wrote for the vikatan.The migration from romantic writing to crime thrillers to science fiction to religion was smooth and pleasurable for readers.
He was gifted and with a unique gift in an unique time. It was the beginning of computer era and he demystified computers to the tamil language readers of popular magazines. His writing was racy and stylish and quite a novelty in tamil.We were all of us hooked on to his writing and to his style more than the story.The topic of conversation the next day in college would invariably be the unusual twist of phrases that would leap at you as it were and bring a 'wah' feeling.
His nostalgia pieces about srirangam were hilarious and gave a peep into the typical lifestyle of boys in those small temple towns. Kumar used to relate to it fondly and I am sure he thought of sujatha as a 'senior' from his 'ooru'.
It was just last week that shyamala was telling me that she is reading sujatha's novels in Sydney, having borrowed from a well stocked library in the neighbourhood.But then we will be only re reading his novels;no more new releases.
One of the poignant short stories that i have carried with me was about his visit to his father's bedside when he was sick. A masterpiece. Did his children feel something similar?
.
Labels: personalities, writers
posted by vasukumar @ 4:25 PM
3 Comments:
Mr Rangarajan used to work in Bharath Electronic as Dy. General Manager. I used to meet him and his wife Sujatha occassionally when he used to come to BEL hospital. We have exchanged a few words. That was much before he became famous with his film Roja.
He told me that he writes in Tamil, whether I would like to read? but I do not know Tamil and told him the same.
He was a gentleman to the core.
Few years back I read an English translation of his short story on nuclear explosion, radiation hazard to people and evauation of people around that area in helicopters and how a little boy attached to his pup was left behind in confusion.
Yes I am also a great fan of the writer Sujatha. I felt real sad that he died and it was like some body whom you know very closely died. I felt I knew him personally as I read almost everything he writes in the popular tamil magzines.
He happens to be the husband of one of my close friend's cousin (the real sujatha) who lives here in KL. I had seen him in the wedding of my friend's daughter and though he was sitting near by I never ventured to go and talk to him. I spoke to my friend here after his death. She told me how close they were as a family and how down to earth a person he was and she told me he was not keeping good health for quite some time. some how reading his articles I used to picture him as hale and healthy. She said she spoke to her cousin in Chennai and how the house is full of famous personalities all around her and she mentioned how it never affects the lady also who is also very down to earth.
I never knew that Ramamani happened to know him. I always used to tell my mom that she should learn kannada to read and enjoy Triveni's novels. Really one should learn tamil to read and enjoy Sujatha's novels in tamil. It is really a great loss.
It is a very sad momemnt indeed. In fact, I never came to know about this, until you had told me over the phone during first week of march. Sujatha used to be "THE Writer" for all of us during school & college time; We had nick named our Maths professer at Pre-Uni as 'Sujatha' based on her cryptic remarks & use of certain phrases (as good as Sujatha's writings)
Though , I have been a softwre professional for over two decades, I could never express the computer terminologies or the concepts in such good Tamil to anyone ,as much as Sujatha. In fact he had taken 'kanani' to the Tamil world.
His short stories (like Sriranagam ones) are the best.
We have truly lost a great writer
Post a Comment
<< Home