Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday said merging traditional and modern literature, and bringing Sangam literature to film music were the achievements of poet and lyricist Vairamuthu.
Speaking at an international conference on Vairamuthu’s creative works called “Vairamuthiyam” in the city, Stalin listed some of Vairamuthu’s works over the past four decades, including 7,500 film songs and 39 books. He has also won seven national awards and Padma Bhushan.
His books have sold 29 lakh copies. His novel ‘Kallikaattu Ithikasam‘ (The Epic of Kallikaadu), about displacement of farmers, has been translated into 22 Indian languages by Sahitya Akademi.
“There could be people who may not have read his works, but there could be no one who has not listened to his songs. Vairamuthu has worked with three generations of directors, and music directors. He will continue to work because of his mastery of Tamil language,” Stalin said.
“Despite success, including national awards, he still identifies himself as a Dravidian movement writer. I have come to appreciate that,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Vairamuthu said, “Kallikaattu Ithikasam is my best work in Tamil as it was based on a true story. This novel should be treated along with Ernest Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ and has potential to win a Nobel Prize in the future. But there is no organisation outside the state to highlight this novel.”