Kannadasan

Personal life

Kannadasan was born to Sathappan Chettiar and Visalakshi Aachi in a Nattukottai Nagarathar family in Sirukoodalpatti, 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 in Tiruvottiyur 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.

Religious views

Muthiah was a keen follower of the Dravidian atheistic movement. He had a great love of Tamil language and its culture and excelled in Tamil literature, both prose and poetry. He read the Thiruppaavai of Aandaal 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 to Hinduism. He renamed himself as Kannadaasan, meaning the servant of Lord Krishna (In Tamil, Kannan means Krishna and in Sanskrit, daasa means *servant'. *He dug deep into understanding Hinduism, and wrote his series of books on Hinduism titled Arthamulla Indhu Matham.

Songwriting

Kannadasan's greatest contribution to Tamil culture is his songwriting. Before Kannadasan, many lyricists like Papanasam Sivan, Kambadasan, Vindhan, A. Maruthakasi, and Ku. 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. He is considered to be the greatest modern Tamil poet after Subramanya Bharathi.

He was the producer of the historic Tamil film Sivagangai Seemai portraying Marudhu Pandaiars, one of the pioneers in the Indian freedom struggle. The song "Santhupottu" from that film remains popular.

Spiritual books

• Arthamulla Indhu Matham
• Yesu Kaviyam
• Bagavath geethai
• Ponmazhai
• Bajagovindam
• Sri Krishna Kavasam
• Sri Venkatesa Suprabatham - Andal Thirupaavai
• Ambigai Alagu Dharisanam
• Krishna Anthathi
• Sankara Pokisham

Notable novels

• Cheraman kathali
• Aval oru hindhu pen
• Sivappukal mukkuththi
• Ratha pushpangal
• Avalukakga oru padal
• Swarna saraswathi
• Nadantha kathai
• Misa
• Suruthi seratha rakangal
• Mupadhu naalum pournami
• Arangamum antharangamum
• Kadal konda thennadu
• Ayiram thivu angkayarkanni
• Kamini kanchana
• Kutti kathaigal
• Oru kavinani kathai
• Velangkudi thiruvila
• Ayiramkal mandapam
• Birundhavanam
• Aachi
• Vilaku matuma sivapu
• Aathanathu aathimanthi
• Anarkalai
• Athaivida ragasiyam
• Paarimalai kodi
• Oru Nathiyin kathai
• Sembagathaman kathai
• Manampola vaalvu
• Sivakangai seemai
• Santhithen sinthithen
• Oomaiyin Kottai
• Sarasuvin soundarya lagari
• Artham ulla indhu matham

Poetry

• Mutruperatha Kaviyangal
• Sri krishna anthathi
• Ambigai alagu dharisanam
• Maangani
• Paadi kudutha mangalam
• Thaipaavai
• Kannadhasan Kavithaigal Parts 1-7
• Yesu Kaaviyam
• Pon Mazhai

Autobiography

• Enathu Suyasaritham.
• Enathu Vasantha Kaalangal.
• Vanavasam.
• Manavasam.
• Naan Partha Arasiyal.

Selected filmography

Main article: List of songs written by Kannadasan

Lyrics

1. Singari
2. Aayirathil Oruvan
3. Mannadhi Mannan
4. Thaai Sollai Thattadhe
5. Thaayai Kaatha Thanayan
6. Paasam
7. Karuppu Panam
8. Panathottam
9. Paava Mannippu
10. Periya Idathu Penn
11. Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum
12. Anandha Jodhi
13. Needhikkuppin Paasam
14. Kudumba Thalaivan
15. Kaanchi Thalaivan
16. Parisu
17. Vettaikaaran
18. Panakkara Kudumbam
19. Palum Pazhamum
20. Thiruvilayadal
21. Saraswathi Sabatham
22. Pattikada Pattanama
23. Urimaikural
24. En Kadamai
25. Nadodi
26. Thanga Pathakkam
27. Lakshmi Kalyanam
28. Paasa Malar
29. Moondram Pirai
30. Iruvar Ullam
31. Dheerga Sumangali
32. Aalayam
33. Annai
34. Kunkhumam
35. Naanum Oru Penn
36. Pazhani
37. Varumayin Niram Sivappu
38. Billa
39. Thee
40. Deiva Magan
41. Kalathur Kannamma
42. Paarthaal Pasi Theerum
43. Paadha Kaanikkai
44. Annai Velankanni
45. Thillu Mullu

As actor, writer and producer

Poet laureate

Kannadasan was the poet laureate of the Tamil Nadu government at the time of his death. He wrote two notable autobiographies, titled Vanavasam, a book about his past life whilst he was atheist, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and a sequel, titled Manavasam a book about his life after he had left DMK.

Contribution to Tamil literature

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 titled Arthamulla 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. He wrote and published several volumes of poetry. He was an admirer of Kambar, and wrote a number of poems praising Kambar's artistry, contrary to the satire ("Kambarasam") on the same by C.N. Annadurai. He also spoke at several of the Kambar festivals. He sang the beauty of Sita's gait and the shoulders of Rama; 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.

Death

Kannadasan died on 17 October 1981 in Chicago, 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. The song "Kanne Kalaimane" from the film Moondram Pirai, released a few months later, was his last song.

Legacy

The Government of Tamil Nadu built a memorial hall as "Kaviarasar Kannadasan Manimandapam" at Karaikudi. The road adjoining Natesan Park in T. 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 7 Chief Ministers from M. Bhaktavatsalam to J. 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 by K. Kamaraj is still at display in this very house.

References

References

1. (October 17, 2016). "Remembering Kannadasan on his 35th death anniversary: A look at 10 evergreen songs the legend gave us".
2. Dhananjayan, G.. (2014-11-03). "PRIDE OF TAMIL CINEMA: 1931 TO 2013: Tamil Films that have earned National and International Recognition". Blue Ocean Publishers.
3. "National Awards Winners 1968: Complete list of winners of National Awards 1968". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
4. "PRIME PubMed {{!}} The seeds of creativity and th".
5. (October 17, 2016). "Remembering Kannadasan on his 35th death anniversary: A look at 10 evergreen songs the legend gave us".
6. "Naattuikottai Chettiar chettiar".
7. Nagarathaar Heritage. (2017-04-03). "Kannadaasan Biography {{!}} Kaviarasu {{!}} Sirukoodalpatti". [[YouTube]].
8. Krishnamachari, Suganthy. "Kannadasan's lyrics held a mirror to life". The Hindu.
9. "Archived copy".
10. "Kaviarasar Kannadasan Manimandapam".
11. (12 July 2017). "தி.நகரில் கண்ணதாசன் வீடு வாங்கியது எப்படி? அங்காடித் தெருவின் கதை 14".