CHENNAI: About a decade ago, I had just finished writing my class 10 board exams, and I was looking for ways to kill time at home. Smartphones hadn’t become a mainstream mode of entertainment, and as14-year-old, reading books, playing under the sun and spending exactly an hour on the computer (I had a computer curfew!) was all that I could do. My mother suggested I read a novel written by popular author Sujatha Rangarajan.
My pick was Kolayudhir Kaalam, a novel published in 1981, featuring his famous fictional advocate duo Ganesh and Vasanth. I should confess that I was surprised that a Tamil novel, a thriller from the 80s had detailed descriptions on the hologram technology and I instantly became Sujatha’s fan.
Cut to present, I am sitting in a room filled with fellow fans/readers of the late writer, listening to Jayaraman Raghunathan, a close friend-cum-fan of the ‘Endhiran of Chennai’. The talk curated by Madras local history group at Arkay convention centre took us on a trip down the memory lane, and was a reminder of Sujatha’s writing.
“I was 11 when I wrote Sujatha my first fan letter. It was after reading Arabia Iravu. I waited for about a week for his reply and then lost hope. But, two weeks later, I received a reply. I was elated! Eleven years later in a column called Pokisham, while listing his most prized letters, he had also mentioned my first fan letter. That paved way for my 47-year association with him,” recalled Raghunathan.
Sujatha’s works stood out from the rest and was presented in simple Tamil. “Social, family dramas, and historical novels were aplenty back in those days. Sujatha’s writing was a breath of fresh air, and he created a revolution by writing in a language that was relatable to the masses,” he shared. He was a progressive writer. One of the finest examples is his popularisation of technology.
“Before he began writing any of these ‘sci-fic’ novels, he built his vocabulary on different jargons and terms. His book, Aayiram Kanipori Varthaigal was born out of this research,” he added. His writings were often laced and weaved with a distinct sense of humour.
“From answering readers’ questions, writing vividly about his life and time in Srirangam and Bangalore, his stint in the Civil Aviation Department of Government of India to writing for various Tamil weeklies, Sujatha did it all. He had a unique sense of humour, which was both appealing and endearing,” he explained. Sujatha had also contributed as a script writer for several Tamil movies like Vikram, Thiruda Thiruda, and Sivaji. “He shared a great rapport with directors Mani Ratnam and Shankar, and most of his early novels were made into movies,” he said. The pioneer of sci-fic novels had also written on various themes/topic like Dementia and bionics.
The author of 65 novels, 39 novellas, 25 plays, 38 non-fiction books, two ‘how to’ manuals, and over 20 short story collections has been a part and parcel of the lives of several bibliophiles. Arkay Ramakrishnan, said, “It was always a dream to meet Sujatha, and I had the opportunity to interact with him in the 80s. I have all his original books published between 1967-85!”
Sujatha’s demise in 2008 was a huge loss and Raghunathan recalled, “Whenever I visited him, he used to sit on the sofa, opposite to the television. Clad in a baggy pant and t-shirt, he used to ask, Ipo ena Akkapor. I miss that. He didn’t believe in hell or heaven, but in a small piece, he had written that he would want to go to hell, as that was the place where he could meet some interesting ‘Aasamigal’. But, I truly hope that this wish of his didn’t come true. I really hope he is in heaven!” he added.
Supervised production of EVM
Sujatha, during his tenure at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), supervised the design and production of the electronic voting machine (EVM), a machine which is currently used in elections across India