Tamil poet and lyricist Vairamuthu has been awarded the 60th Jnanpith award, India's highest literary award. He was selected for his outstanding contributions to Tamil literature, marked by creative depth and a distinctive poetic voice. Only two Tamil writers have previously received the Jnanpith Award.
Though his achievements cannot be looked down upon, his career has been marred with controversies
He was one of the first and most prominent personalities from the Tamil industry named in the Metoo movement. Singer Chinmayi Sripaada and 17 other women leveled allegations against him. Several activists protested the decision to confer the Award on him, arguing that a person with multiple harassment allegations should not be celebrated by the state. In this video, we explore the achievements and controversies in Vairamuthu's career.