He was silent and sitting in the last row ..attired in a simple formals, coolers with a dark tinge, watching (or perhaps introspecting) everything around him..
That was writer Sujatha( a.k.a Rangarajan), seated calm and straight watching the proceedings of my cousin’s marriage, 3 years back. I was passing by, back to the main hall , after finishing a small chore out and that was when my father came to me, with a mild excitement , quipping “ writer sujatha has come…see”. Infact he had been sitting in the chair next to where we were standing…immediately we swarmed and seated in a semicircle around him..a dozen of us… introduced ourselves.. conversation ensued..it sounded a little formal..as if a high diplomat interviewed by a bunch of buzzed reporters… it took a while before he got hold of the situation .He would look into our face , a vague view of his eyes glancing at us through the dark fogged glass ,duly answering our queries ranging from “ screenplay of ‘anniyan’ “ to “ uncertainity principle”.
We all had been an ardent fan of the writer ..and me starting early back during the days when “ Kolaiyudirkaalam “ was made a serial .. with Bhanuprakash playing Ganesh and Vivek playing vasanth ( it was aired on DD) .. soon I hunted down the novel of same from the local library and by that time I had become impressed and convinced that crime novels were his reportaire … I should have known…
Sooner again I unearthed copies of “ kelvi badil” and “thalaimai cheyalagam” .. and fascination begun… it still amazes me the way with every detail and clarity a plethora of scientific concepts were explained in these books…I had already become a fulltimer for his stories short and long alike featuring Ganesh-vasanth.. and then sometime later was struck with “ Kanavu Thozhirchaalai “ ..an unforgettable novel. Then it took me roughly a day (24 hours , literally ) to read “ En iniya iyandira “ , a sci fi on a talking robot dog..I was never tired and as a matter of fact the sheer characterization of that smart machine dog was what drove me to accomplish this little record..and then there was that novel and installments of “ srirangathu devadaigal” . guaranteed that some from this short story collection will touch you soft inside.. and then I very well remember the dual romance I had on Howrah mail few years back .. reading two volumes of “ Pirivom sandippom “.. one on onward journey and another on return ..
I admit I had not read all of his books .. but quite a handful … it doesn’t matter how much you have read .. but I became quite enchanted with his stories and writing .. and till date I consider him No.1 among all tamil writers …in the end its all about what all it brings about inside your intimate world of realism and fantasy and how much …regardless of whatever the character we may be…
I should say 72 is not the right age to die …where intellect and creativity fully ripened is still getting reaped and dispensed. I came to know of his demise yesterday night ( 27.2.08) and remembered that meet we had 3 years back ….. He was silent and sitting in the last row ..attired in a simple formals, coolers with a dark tinge, watching (or perhaps introspecting ) everything around him…
May god bless his soul…
