Vairamuthu

Vairamuthu, born in 1953 in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu is a noted Tamil poet and star lyricist. His poetry reflects his staunch commitment to the progressive ideas of the Dravidian movement on the one hand, and a playful romanticism on the other. While retaining the traditional elements of alliteration, rhythm, and a flavor of classical language with deep nostalgia for the Tamil past, Vairamuthu's poetry is quintessentially modern in its choice of themes and forms. His poems are full of beautiful imagery, both poignant and ecstatic. As a lyricist for films, he is regarded as the true inheritor of the great legacy of Kannadasan.

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Kaviperarasu Vairamuthu

He has been awarded the National Film Award five times in the Best Lyrics category. He has participated in many literary meetings and poetry festivals in India and abroad. His literary contributions are well-respected. He is a recipient of Kalaimamani Award and Tamil Nadu State Government award thrice for his contribution to Tamil literature.

The Library of congress has twenty-three books by him and two about him.His name brings special meaning to practically any film in Tamilnadu today. But Vairamuthu has considerable accomplishments outside of tamil cinema, that has earned him a distinct place in the larger arena of Tamil and 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 and Alaipayuthey.

Early life

Vairamuthu was born in a farming community of Vadugapatti village, Theni District near PeriyakuLam. His father was Ramaswamy Thevar and mother AngammaL. The ambiance of the village inspired him to write poems. He could compose poems even at the young age of twelve. Tamil and Rationalist movements if the sixties 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. He won many prizes at the district level. After completing his school education, he joined Pachaiyappa's college in Chennai where he was acclaimed as the best speaker and poet. In inter-college competitions, he won more than 20 prizes. Even while a student, he had the opportunity to participate in a poetic forum chaired by Karunanidhi. 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.

He studied M.A. Tamil Literature and won a gold medal in the exam. 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. His compositions to date are nearing 4000. He received the President's award for the Best Lyricist for his compositions in Mudhal Mariyaadhai, 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. He remains at the only lyricist to receive this award thrice at the national level.

For Vairamuthu, the lyrics he pens are the very air he suspires. He is one lyricist who gives life to his words. Even his first lyric 'Idhu oru pon maalaip pozuthu' contained many a lilting stroke of the master. 'poomarangal saamarangal veesadho…' For him nothing less than the flowering trees should fan the wind. 'vaanam enakkoru bodhi maram…' The sky is his peepul tree under whose shade Buddha attained gnana. The first of his lyrics was spangled with sparkling phrases. He comes out with phrases and verbal combinations that surprise us. Lines like 'unakku mattum kaetkkum en uyir urugum saththam…' (You alone can here the music of my soul melting)… 'vizi eerppu visai' (the gravity of your eyes) bewitch any heart in love.

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, testifying to his many-sided talent

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.

Kallikattu Idhikasam

Kallikkattu Edhikasam (the epic of Kallikkadu, in literal translation) is the seventh and the latest 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.

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. He has brought out a cassette in which he has rendered his songs under the title, Kavidhai KelungaL. For the first time, he gave graphical form to his poems, was telecast under the title, Kavidhai Paarungal. His Kaviraajan Kavidhai narrating Bharathi's life in Pudhu Kavidhai, was a commendable effort. It earned him the Bharathi Literature Prize of Rs. 10,000.

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 Telegu, 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. He opened Tamil schools in Bangkok and Hong Kong promoting Tamil children living there to develop an interest in learning the language.

Vairamuthu made his debut in film scripting in Natpu and has since scripted for over 30 Tamil films. On the literature front, his notable works include Innoru Desiya Geetham, Indha Pookkal Virppanai-kkalla, Sigarangalai nOkki, Vairamuthu-vin Thiraippada Paadalgal, Villodu Vaa Nilave, Thaneer Desam and many others numbering to 28.

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 dream is to hold aloft the language and culture of Tamils in the world. Similarly, his works have the underlying themes of humanism transcending barriers of space and race.

Ask him about his literary influences and without a wink, he mentions Shelley and Keats. In the same tone he admits that Khalil Gibran, Firdausi and Nizami have had a greater impact on him. "No modern poet can escape this syndrome, as these bards are genius in modern poetry, expressing love and nature in their best dimensions," he says candidly.

One thing is sure. Whatever Vairamuthu does, it has to be in Tamil, for Tamil. In other words, he breathes, speaks, thinks easy in Tamil. But he holds one more secret. His fondness for "moustaches". "It is one of the identities of Tamils", he parts with a smile. Ask him about his literary influences and without a wink, he mentions Shelley and Keats. In the same tone he admits that Khalil Gibran, Firdausi and Nizami have had a greater impact on him. "No modern poet can escape this syndrome, as these bards are genius in modern poetry, expressing love and nature in their best dimensions," he says candidly.

One thing is sure. Whatever Vairamuthu does, it has to be in Tamil, for Tamil. In other words, he breathes, speaks, thinks easy in Tamil. But he holds one more secret. His fondness for "moustaches". It is one of the identities of Tamils.

Flimography

Bheema(2007)
Sivaji: The Boss
Anniyan (2006)
Ullam Ketkumae(2005)
Chellamae(2004)
Ayutha Ezhuthu(2004)
Kannathil Muthamittal(2002)