Sundara Ramasami

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Sundara Ramasamy (1931—2006), fondly known as Su.Ra in literary circles, is one of the giants of Tamil modern literature. He edited and published a notable literary magazine called “Kalachuvadu”. He wrote poetry under the penname Pasuvayya. His poetry collection “Nadunisi Naaykal (Dogs at Night) created waves in Tamil creative world. His best known novels are “Oru Puliya Marathin Kathai” (The Story of a Tamarind Tree), “J.J Silakuripukal” (J.J: Some Jottings, tr, A.R Venkadachalapathy, Katha, 2004) and “,Kuzhanthaikal, Penkal, Aankal” (Children, Women, Men). His collection of critical essays, “Aazhamum Virivum Thedi” (In Search of Depth and Wideness) gives a peek into his razor-sharp views on literature and awesome critical acumen. His last novel “Kuzhanthaigal…” was not a critical success. “J.J Sila…” was a cult book of the time. The biographical novel is about the unquenchable intellectual thirst of a thinker called J.J. It spins a web of satire and spine-ticking humour around the ridiculous world of eccentric writers and records their petty nature and silly behaviours in a sizzling narrative. It punctures our illusion regarding the meaning of lives that become intellectual expeditions. “Oru Puliya…” captures the passage of time with a tamarind tree as long-standing evidence to all pettiness, passion, evil and corruption in society. It’s widely believed that the vigour and magic seen in the first chapter of the novel is missing in the rest of the chapters. Sundara Ramasamy’s short stories are well acclaimed for their taut structure, subtle psychological observations and a subtle sense of humour. He predominantly followed a realistic narrative pattern in his fiction. Some of his most famous short stories are Pallaku Thookikal, Pakkathil Vantha Appa and Rathnabayin Angilam. An omnibus collection of his stories is available as “Kaakangal”(Crows). He conducted weekly literary discussions under the same title “Kaakangal”. As can be seen, Su. Ra had a fascination for crows and hated cows (Ninaivin Nadiyil, B.Jeyamohan, 2007). He translated two Malayalam novels into Tamil: Thotiyin Magan and Chemmeen, written by Tagazhi Sivasangara Pilla. Su. Ra had a tall and handsome stature and a mesmerizing presence. Friends and acquaintances still recall that he had the gift of the gab and a terrific sense of humour. He was the mentor of writers like B. Jeyamohan and Lakshmi Manivannan and a close friend of world-class Malayalam director John Abraham. Su. Ra received Katha Choodamani award on January 2, 2004.