The man who lived for literature - U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer

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The man who lived for literature

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

On the life of U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer whose untiring efforts have made 2000-year old Tamil literary works immortal.

‘…Thaaththaa’ drew attention at places such as the American Tamizh Sangam at Pittsburgh and elsewhere. It was accolades galore for writer-director- producer A. Jagannathan the world over.

At a time when people cry themselves hoarse about the glory of the Tamil language, has the man who devoted his life to restore its rich literature and pass it on to posterity been given enough thought? Filmmaker A. Jagannathan did, and the result was the 13-episode serial, ‘Tamil Thaaththaa’ that traced the relentless search of U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer who travelled to remote places and retrieved palm leaf manuscripts of invaluable works such as ‘Seevaga Chinthamani,’ ‘Purananooru,’ ‘Paththu Paattu’ and Silappadikaaram.’ Despite financial crunch he had them all printed and preserved for us to read, learn and glean knowledge about the social life and cultural milieu of yore.

Accolades galore

Telecast on Doordarshan more than a decade ago, ‘Tamil Thaaththaa’ was honoured by the Mylapore Academy as the Best Serial of the Year (1996). Jagannathan who had written, directed and produced it, won the Best All rounder Award. ‘…Thaaththaa’ drew attention at places such as the American Tamizh Sangam at Pittsburgh and elsewhere. It was accolades galore for Jagannathan the world over.

‘Tamil Thaaththaa’ has been released as a twin-DVD pack (Rs.200) recently. The litterateurs who have helped U.Ve.Sa resurrect the manuscripts from near destruction have been juxtaposed with those who failed to see the literary wealth around them and burnt them for rituals.

“Veerakesari, published in Sri Lanka, carried a wonderful review of it,” says A.V. Ramanan, who played Swaminatha Iyer in the serial. “I’ve heard that in Sri Lanka and closer home in Kallidaikurichi, schools ensured that children watch the serial regularly and after every episode teachers had students writing about it in class the next day,” he says. And every week he was showered with compliments. Soundara Kailasam was a regular caller. “‘You sound lively but I’m yet to come out of the emotions that your portrayal of U.Ve.Sa has kindled,’ she would say,” Ramanan recalls.

After his U.S. trip Jagannathan told him that many who had seen him live on stage here as a cheerful singer, couldn’t quite believe that it was the same Ramanan who had donned the role of the calm and sedate U.Ve.Sa.

Interspersed with soothing music by K.V. Mahadevan’s assistant Pugazhendhi, the serial also has Ramanan singing many of the pieces, besides other well-known singers such as Dr. Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram.

Love for Tamil

Jagannathan, who has directed MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth among others, in his heyday, took up this project for the sheer love of the Tamil language. The hurdles were many but none deterred him from completing it successfully. “With proper resources he would have done it on a larger scale. But I did my bit for the love of my mother tongue by not accepting any payment for my work,” smiles Ramanan. The scenes at the printing press were shot at Ramanan’s own printing unit.

The cast of ‘Tamil Thaaththaa’ is a trip in nostalgia. Many popular actors such as Jai Ganesh and ‘Major’ Sundarrajan, who featured in it, are no more. Each has performed with involvement.

Subdued style

Leading the acting team is Ramanan. In subdued style, Ramanan aptly brings out anguish whenever he finds priceless literature lost and joy at moments when he retrieves the treasure. ‘Delhi’ Ganesh’s portrayal of U.Ve. Sa’s understanding father deserves mention. Charuhaasan, Peeli Sivam, Sethu Vinayakam, Amara Sigamani and Periyar Dasan are others who have done a commendable job.

Ramanan informs that the actual guru maha sannidhanams of Thirupanandal, Tiruvavaduthurai and Dharmapuram Adheenams gladly agreed to appear as themselves in the serial.

Jagannathan’s dialogue that makes the tale very clear for even the uninitiated is appreciable. Appearing to have been made on a shoestring budget, the docu-feel of the discs is inevitable.

But it is an eye-opener for many interested in Tamil literature and a splendid learning tool for school goers. As it is a lengthy story, watching it parts is the way to go about it. A must-possess for true Tamil language lovers!

Tamil Thaaththaa

DVD – two discs

Produced & directed by A. Jagannathan

Price: Rs.200