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AFM exhibition on Ilavenil
 Puduvai
lIavenil (1973) is a well-known photographer and documentary
filmmaker. His special area of interest is photo documentation
of Tamil writers. He had an exhibition of photographs of writer
Ki Rajanarayanan at Pondicherry. He has produced two short
films, Vilimbil (24 mins) and Kankalukku Appal (30mins). He
associated with Mary Pezrmila Boseman, a scholar, in documenting
'Kolams of Tamilnadu villages'. Puduvai lIavenil is also a poet.
His lyrics have been published in many monthly and weekly
journals. His lyrics are included in syllabus for the degree
course at Madurai Kamaraj University.
Pallakku-th-thookkigal
: (Based on a story by Sundara Ramasamy & Play text by
A. Ramasamy) This play is inspired by a short story by Sundara
Ramasamy, one of the most important Tamil short story writers.
The play has got the focus and tone of the story from another
viewpoint. Even though the play was written in 1988 for the then
newly formed theatre group "Sudesigaf', many other groups
have also performed it later on. Performed in totally
contrasting milieus like-the slum tenements of sanitation
workers as well as. supper theatre -forums in five-star hotels,
the play text achieved completely different meanings at each
venue.
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Sundara Ramasamy |
A. Ramasamy
: Though Ramasamy has been with the Nija Nataka Iyakkam (Madurai)
from 1980 and with the Pondicherry School of Drama from 1989, he
has ceased his theatre activities since 1998. Due to his
dissatisfaction and critique about the manner in which Tamil
theatre is functioning, Ramasamy has been keeping away from
active theatre work and is making a comeback with this show. In
the meanwhile he has been writing on theatre and popular media
and is currently working in the Manomaneeyam Sundaranar
University.
The Group
performing the play: Started in 2002 by the Pondicherry
School of Drama students, this group has seen many productions
by different directors. Their productions have been instrumental
in creating awareness about good theatre among the Pondicherry
audience. They have performed-atthe South Zone Centre and in
the. National School of Drama Festival.
Sundara
Ramaswamy: (Born on 30th May 1931, in Thazhuviya
MahadevarKovil, a village in Nagercoil) At 20, he began his
literary career, translating Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's
Malayalam novel, Thottiyude Makan into Tamil and writing his
first short story, 'Muthalum Mudivum', which he published in
Pudimaipithan Ninaivu Malar. He He was influenced by the works
of great reformers and savants like Gandhiji, E.V.Ramaswamy
Naicker, Sri
Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Dr.Ram
Manohar Lohia, Dr.J.C.Kumarappa and J.Krishnamurty. He met the
great literary luminary of Malayalam, M.Govindan, in 1957 and
remained his good friend till the end. In 1952, he met the
charismatic Communist leader T.M.C.Raghunathan. He was
Influenced by Marxian philosophy. His relationship with the
literary magazine Shanti, edited by Raghunathan, and his joining
the editorial-board of Saraswathi, edited by Vijayabhaskaran,
also an ardent Communist, were decisive in his growth as a
writer.
His talent
manifests itself uniquely through his novels. Oru Puliamarattin
Kathai (The Story of a Tamarind Tree, 1966), his first novel,
was well received as a work that proved to be a new experience
both in form and content, extending the frontiers of Tamil novel
and creating new perspectives. He gave up active writing for
nearly six years; and when he began again in 1973, he had gone
far beyond executing an interesting and agile narration.
He still
remained a stylist, but his concerns took new directions and his
language acquired a solid texture, retaining a powerful and
pointed humour.
Oru
Puliaarathin Kathai has been translated into English (Tale of a
Tamarind tree, Penguin India, New Delhi), Hindi (Imli Puran,
Nilakant Prakashan, New Delhi), Malayalam (Oru Puliyamarathinte
Katha, D.C.Books, Kottayam) and into Hebrew language (by Ronit
Ricci, Hakibbutz Hameuchaud Publishing House, Tel Aviv).
In 1959, he
wrote his first poem, "un kai nagam" under the poetic
pseudonym 'Pasuvia' and published it in Ezhuthu. Poetry brought
him the experience of a dimension beyond the concreteness of
words and their meaning. The early poems were rigorous in
language and heavy in tone. His poems gradually became more
translucent and immediate. All his poems are collected in the
volume, 107 Kavithaikal.
RR
Published on 22nd June 2004
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