Summary
Sa. Kandasamy (23 July 1940[1] – 31 July 2020)[2] was a novelist and documentary film-maker from Mayiladuthurai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil for his novel, Vicharanai Commission in 1998.[2]
Life edit
Kandasamy was born on 23 July 1940 in Mayiladuthurai, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.[3] After studying at the Singaram Pillai School, he worked at the Chennai Port Trust and the Food Corporation of India.[4][5]
Kandasamy later moved to Chennai, and joined a writers' group that included writer S. Ramakrishnan and artist R.B. Baskaran. They briefly published a literary magazine, Ka Sa Da Tha Pa Ra.[4]
He died at the age of 80, after experiencing a heart attack.[6]
Literary career edit
Kandasamy's first novel was Saayavanam Puthinam, published in 1968. It was well-received and was later included by the National Book Trust as one of Indian literature's modern masterpieces.[3] Saayavanam is one of the earliest examples of literature focusing on ecological concerns in India, and focuses on forest clearances and industrial development in Tamil Nadu.[4] Kandasamy based on the novel on his own experiences in rural Tamil Nadu, and named the novel after a village that he had lived in with his family, as a child.[4]
His novel, Vicharanai Commission, which dealt with custodial violence and the police, won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil in 1998.[5]
He has published seven novels and several collection of short stories, in Tamil. One of Kandasamy's novels, Tholaindhu ponavargal was adapted for television.[2]
In addition to fiction, Kandasamy wrote several pieces of criticism, focusing on visual arts and writing in Tamil Nadu, as well as introducing a series of Tamil biographies published by the Sahitya Akademi.[4]
Film Making edit
Kandasamy's documentary film, Kaval Deivangal, documented history and techniques relating to traditional terracotta art in South India.[4] It won the first prize at the Angino Film Festival, in Cyprus, in 1989.[7] In addition, Kandasamy also directed several other documentaries, primarily on popular Tamil writers and artists, including the sculptor S. Dhanapal, and writers Jayakanthan and Ashokamitran.[5]
Publications edit
Novels edit
- Saayavanam Puthinam
- Suriya Vamsam
- Visaranai Commission
- Avan Aanathu
- Tholaindhu Ponavargal (Those Who Are Lost)
- Perum Mazhai Natkal
- Neelavan
Awards and honors edit
- (1998) Sahitya Akademi Award - for his novel, Vicharanai Commission[2]
- (1995) Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship - for contributions to literature[2]
References edit
- ^ Dutt, Kartik Chandra (1999). Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 9788126008735.
- ^ a b c d e "Sa Kandasamy, Tamil writer and documentary filmmaker, dies". Times of India. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ a b TNM Staff (31 July 2020). "Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi winner Sa Kandasamy passes away at 80". The News Minute. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Panneerselvan, A. S. (August 2020). "Sa. Kandasamy: Profound yet simple". Frontline. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Kolappan, B. (31 July 2020). "Writer 'Chayavanam' Kandasamy is no more". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ "Sahitya Akademi winner Sa Kandasamy no more". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ M. T. Saju (1 August 2020). "Sa Kandasamy: Tamil writer who spoke for the marginalised". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
External links edit
- "Tamil Literature Writers". SeasonsIndia. Retrieved 9 August 2014.