Writer Sujatha is dead
Eminent Tamil writer S. Rangarajan, popularly called by his feminine pen name Sujatha, died in the city late on Wednesday night. He was 73.
He is survived by his wife and two sons, who are software engineers.
Sujatha was admitted to Apollo Hospital a fortnight ago. Doctors said he died of multiple organ failure. The writer was suffering from severe diabetes and had undergone a bypass heart surgery.
A versatile writer of short stories, novels, screenplays and dialogues, Sujatha pioneered science fiction in Tamil. In fact, the genre owes his existence in Tamil to Sujatha.
His ability to explain science in simple terms to lay readers was unparalleled. He brought freshness to Tamil writing on diverse subjects like archaeology, astrophysics, biotechnology and ancient Tamil literature.
Sujatha wrote about 100 novels and 200 short stories. His columns in well-known Tamil journals like Ananda Vikatan and Kumudam were widely read. He was editor of Kumudam for sometime.
Sujatha’s novel Srirangathu Devathaigal (Angels of Srirangam) was a famous series based on the life in the temple town in the 1950s.
His short stories Kakida Sanghilgal (Paper Chains) brought out the emotions of a family drama.
Sujatha wrote the screenplay and dialogues for Rajnikanth-starrer Sivaji and under-production film Dasavatharam featuring Kamal Haasan in 10 roles. He also wrote the story for Kandukonden Kandukonden, the critically acclaimed Tamil film directed by Rajiv Menon.
Himself an electronics engineer from IIT-Madras, Sujatha was General Manager (Research and Development) in BEL and instrumental in designing the Electronic Voting Machines extensively used in Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
A couple of decades ago when there was suspicion about the fool-proof nature of the EVMs, Sujatha took great pains to explain the efficacy of the machines.
(Rewritten with PTI inputs)
I started reading Ananda Vikatan and Kumudam for his writings…That much influence he has in his readers…One can remember each story of Srirangathu Devadaigal after years..One of my inspiration is no more..:(
Sir…May your soul rest in peace…
Hereafter we won’t be able to read Katradhum Petradhum in Vikatan… No one will be sending their poems to your house. Unforgettable lose for us in the year of 2008
………………. no……….. I cant believe it. I cant imagine the tamil literature world without Sujatha………..
Our heart felt condolence to his family.
May his Soul Rest in Peace.
Heartfelt condolences to a writer, entertainer and extraordinary story teller.
His female pseudonym tells us a story – that even female NAMES sell faster.
Even ‘Sujata’ might not even have dreamed of the drama of modern day extremist feminism. So I do not want to be provoked into a debate on this, Ela.
Its unbelievable…..Heard the same over the radio in the morning. He is one of the great writers whom Tamilians are going to miss.May his soul rest in peace.
A sad loss indeed for us! Wish his family the courage to face this huge loss and move forward!
DEAR SIR WE MISS U LOT .YOU ARE A GREAT WRITER IN TAMIL .WE LEARN LOT OF SCIENCE FROM YOUR BOOK.AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE ENJOIED YOUR COMEDY SENCE FROM
YOUR WRITING. I THINK GOD HAVE SOME SPECIAL DOUPTS ABOUT SCIENCE THATS WHY GOD INVITE YOU.
DEAR SIR WE MISS U LOT .YOU ARE A GREAT WRITER IN TAMIL .WE LEARN LOT OF SCIENCE FROM YOUR BOOK.AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE ENJOIED YOUR COMEDY SENCE FROM
YOUR WRITING. I THINK GOD HAVE SOME SPECIAL DOUPTS ABOUT SCIENCE THATS WHY GOD INVITE YOU.
Sujatha did not skip his evening walks at Marina. He could be often sighted in the Saravana Bhavan, next to AVM Rajeswari Kalyana Mandapam in Radhakrishnan Salai at around 05.30 PM enjoying his snacks and coffee in the self service counter. Katradhum Petradhum in Ananda Vikatan took him to a different plane in his writings. He indicated his health conditions in a subtle manner once or twice in this serial in Ananda Vikatan. Some episodes were touching about his father getting him a cycle while he lived at Sri Rangam
We will miss you Sujatha Sir. Till last you did not reveal the Mexico Naattu Salavaikari Joke
Dear Sujatha Sir,
We learned a lot from your writings. I personally feel that i have lost one of my Teacher. We will miss you a lot. You will be with us in your writings. Good bye Sujatha sir and thanks a lot for Guiding us so far.
With Tears.
Raj
I felt like i lost a family member of mine – Send some thing from heaven to readers like us as used to do. Hats offff to you young lad for being with us
"k"
It is very heartrending to learn the sudden demise of writer par excellence Sujatha.Just as Malgudi for R.K.Narayan, Srirangam is for Sujatha. He made the temple town very popular by his inimitable style of writing.Anyone who is brought up in Srirangam will understandably agree with him about all the nuances and the descriptions made about the town. He invariably transported to that holy place all those who grew up there by his amazing writing skill.
Sujatha may have gone but he left his imprint in the pages of history by his short stories, novels etc.
one of his admirers,
Sudharsanam
We miss you sir. Our heartfelt condolences to the family.
i am Shocked and speechleess… still unbeleivable .. a real loss for tamil litrature and film industry ..no one can replace his place .. we have lost our living encyclopedia . my heart condolences for all his fans around the world and his family ……. Now its our responsibility to take his writing to the upcoming generations… we miss u sujatha sir….
Sujatha was a genius with a touch of mastery in both fiction and non fiction.He was an ardent admirer of traditional literature,a keen observer of modern writings and a creator homself.He was able to introduce the best from both the planes and his Kanayaaziyin kadaisi pakkangal.Katradhum Petradhum were all never before contributions.
He had a very subtle sense of humour and Srirangathu Kadhaigal are best examples for it.
It is unfortunate that he was not recognised with notable awards for his contributions.
May his soul rest in peace
Very shocking …..
It’s an uncompensatable miss to the literary society. No doubt that he is the man who inculcated the habit of reading is a must for all tamil people. " A writer will never die and he will live in the hearts of readers for ever ". Genious Rangarajan is a great example for this saying. Let the almighty give courage to his family to live without him.
Mr Sujatha
On behalf of your fans Accept our Royal Salute. Sir, we want you again.Is there any chance?
Mr Sujatha
On behalf of your fans Accept our Royal Salute. Sir, we want you again.Is there any chance?
It is a great loss to all tamil knowing public.One of the greatest tamil writers, a very intelligent person who can write about any subject in easily understandable language.name the subject he has not touched. A man full of energies. A fore runner in tamil novels and writing. A person whose humourous writings have delighted millions. It is really an irreparable loss.
Condolences to his family!
Its very very shocking news. He was still young in heart and he was able to read the pulse of all the age groups. His style of writing is marvellous and make you think. I miss you. May your soul rest in peace. Future generation will miss you a loooooooot.
Aanand and Nishanthan, Sujatha has stopped reading Chennai metroblog after his death. So he won’t be able to read your ‘writtings’.
dear sujatha sir, all our family members are ur fans,we were not able to digest that,u are no more.Few days back while browsing "meaning of my name ..sujatha,i found some one wrote sujatha means suka jathakar who lives with comforts and happiness.It is 200% true. U have not only lived comfortably and happily but also,thro ur beautiful writings you made ur fans all over the world happy,and by working as brain of the voting machine u have made easy the work of election commission,and made even the illiterate voters feel the happinees and pride of operating such a modern device which was not possible some decades back.So i can say ,.u r not only suka jathakar u r the suka-provider,as such i can call u kaliyuga
karna or paari vallal,more over in hindi jatha means one who goes,su-jatha = suk gaya NOW u have departed,
so i feel suk hum se door chala gaya,means our happiness OR sukam engallai vittu vegu dooram sendru vittadhu.Our Pranams to u sir.
prasanna santhi . dubai.
IRREPLACEABLE AUTHOR
NOBODY BEFORE AND NOBODY AFTER
YOU ARE MY CHELLAM DAA
I am sad Sujatha is no more. I grew up reading tamil works by him and later on learning many other topics which were otherwise not available in such simpler manner. Tamil literature owes him a lot as he knew the style and content to keep younger generation interested in tamil. Only last week I was reading his article on Viktan’s valentine day issue. Will miss him a lot.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to his family.
DEAR SUJATHA SIR,
YOU ARE BHARATHI-NO.2.
HOW?
1. SUCH A MULTIFACETED PERSONALITY.
2. WHICH FIELD YO DID NOT TOUCH? STORY, POETRY, MUSIC, SPORTS, SATIRE, SCIENCE, DRAMA,HUMOUR, NATIONALISM …
3. YOU FOUGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE SUCH AS BRIBERY.
4. YOU LIKED AND IDENTIFIED TALENTED FELLOW TAMIL WRITERS.
I DARE TO SAY YOU ACHIEVED MORE THAN BHARATHI. BHARATHI WAS RECOGNIZED AFTER HIS DEATH. BUT, YOU WERE RECOGNIZED DURING YOUR WHOLE WRITING CAREER.
YOU WERE (ARE) A BRILLIANT SOUL.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE RARE PERSONS WHO COULD MAKE A FAN CRY EITHER WHEN YOU WERE ALIVE OR EVEN WHEN YOU ARE DEAD.
I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS MY SORROW. I FEEL THE SAME SADNESS WHEN MY FATHER DIED.
HE USED TO TELL ME THAT YOU WERE HIS JUNIOR IN ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE.
MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE.
MY SALUTES TO YOU.YOUR NAME IS CARVED IN GOLD IN TAMIL LITERATURE.
– A.G. ANANTHASUBRAMANIA SARMA
DEAR SUJATHA SIR,
YOU ARE BHARATHI-NO.2.
HOW?
1. SUCH A MULTIFACETED PERSONALITY.
2. WHICH FIELD YO DID NOT TOUCH? STORY, POETRY, MUSIC, SPORTS, SATIRE, SCIENCE, DRAMA,HUMOUR, NATIONALISM …
3. YOU FOUGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE SUCH AS BRIBERY.
4. YOU LIKED AND IDENTIFIED TALENTED FELLOW TAMIL WRITERS.
I DARE TO SAY YOU ACHIEVED MORE THAN BHARATHI. BHARATHI WAS RECOGNIZED AFTER HIS DEATH. BUT, YOU WERE RECOGNIZED DURING YOUR WHOLE WRITING CAREER.
YOU WERE (ARE) A BRILLIANT SOUL.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE RARE PERSONS WHO COULD MAKE A FAN CRY EITHER WHEN YOU WERE ALIVE OR EVEN WHEN YOU ARE DEAD.
I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS MY SORROW. I FEEL THE SAME SADNESS WHEN MY FATHER DIED.
HE USED TO TELL ME THAT YOU WERE HIS JUNIOR IN ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE.
MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE.
MY SALUTES TO YOU.YOUR NAME IS CARVED IN GOLD IN TAMIL LITERATURE.
– A.G. ANANTHASUBRAMANIA SARMA
DEAR SUJATHA SIR,
YOU ARE BHARATHI-NO.2.
HOW?
1. SUCH A MULTIFACETED PERSONALITY.
2. WHICH FIELD YO DID NOT TOUCH? STORY, POETRY, MUSIC, SPORTS, SATIRE, SCIENCE, DRAMA,HUMOUR, NATIONALISM …
3. YOU FOUGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE SUCH AS BRIBERY.
4. YOU LIKED AND IDENTIFIED TALENTED FELLOW TAMIL WRITERS.
I DARE TO SAY YOU ACHIEVED MORE THAN BHARATHI. BHARATHI WAS RECOGNIZED AFTER HIS DEATH. BUT, YOU WERE RECOGNIZED DURING YOUR WHOLE WRITING CAREER.
YOU WERE (ARE) A BRILLIANT SOUL.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE RARE PERSONS WHO COULD MAKE A FAN CRY EITHER WHEN YOU WERE ALIVE OR EVEN WHEN YOU ARE DEAD.
I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS MY SORROW. I FEEL THE SAME SADNESS WHEN MY FATHER DIED.
HE USED TO TELL ME THAT YOU WERE HIS JUNIOR IN ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE.
MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE.
MY SALUTES TO YOU.YOUR NAME IS CARVED IN GOLD IN TAMIL LITERATURE.
– A.G. ANANTHASUBRAMANIA SARMA
we miss you too much..
who will come as you again to fill that place …
May God rest your sol in peace…
sujatha- nee oru sarithiram
silicon ulagin sillupurachiye
adutha nootraandin maaberum sirpiye
kanuvuth tholirchalai moolam palar kanavugalai uruvakkiya brahmane
nee katradaiyum petradaiyum ulaginukku vaari
kodutha vallale
en eniya iyandhirathin indirane
poonai kuttigalan pulikuutiye
appa nee anaivarukkum anbulla appave
sree rangathu devadhaigalin nayagane-rangarajane
oru vigyana paravaiye
manithan oor neerkumilzi thanena nirubika
melum,
eraivan irukkiraara? ena aaaraya
vaasagargalagiya engalin
karpanaikkum appal nee sendraayo?
eraivan edutha avatharangalo paththu than
anal
nee eduthavaiyo aaraalam aaraalam
thamilargalagiye engalin thalzpanindha vanakkangalai
un paadhrra vindhathil samarpikkirom,
avaiyaavum aatrukkol
saagavaram petra saadhaga patchiye
nee enderendrum sarithira nayagane.
prasanna
dubai
Very sad to hear about the demise of Sujatha. He was quite an inspiring personality. Rest in peace.
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