Poet Pulamaipithan in white shirt
Poet Pulamaipithan in white shirt
Tamil Nadu

Lyricist Pulamaipithan passes away at 85

Pulavar Pulamaipithan was known especially for the many songs he penned for MGR.

Well-known film song lyricist, poet and former deputy chairman of the legislative council and former presidium of the AIADMK, Pulavar Pulamaipithan, passed away on Wednesday, September 8, at Fortis Malar Hospital in Chennai. He was 85 and had been receiving treatment reportedly for age-related ailments. On September 1, the hospital had released a press statement stating that Pulamaipithan had been admitted to their facility on August 31 and that he was on life support at the time of the announcement.

Pulavar Pulamaipithan, born Ramasamy, was known especially for the many songs he penned for Tamil cinema’s first superstar, MGR. R Kannan, in his biography of the erstwhile Chief Minister and star actor, describes Pulamaipithan as one of the poet-songwriters responsible for the image-making of MGR. During his rule as Chief Minister, MGR even named Pulamaipithan “Arasavi Kavignar” or poet laureate. Some of the MGR films that feature songs written by Pulamaipithan include Needhikku Thalaivanangu, Idhayakkani and Ulagam Sutrum Valiban among many others.

Born in Irugur, Coimbatore, Pulamaipithan is said to have worked in a textile mill. He studied Tamil literature and came to Chennai in the 1960s, hoping to write lyrics for Tamil films. He also worked as a Tamil teacher at Santhome High School.

Pulamaipithan has written thousands of songs for Tamil movies, including blockbusters like Adimaipenn, Nayagan, Valli, Panakkaran, Mr Bharath, Nandha and more. From MGR to superstars Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and even Vijay for Theri (directed by Atlee), Pulamaipithan’s songs have played a crucial role in accentuating the stardom of many Tamil actors.

Early this year in June, Pulamaipithan extended his support to VK Sasikala, claiming that she had stood with late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa “through thick and thin”. He had also reportedly criticised the party leadership for expelling those who got in touch with her.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed his condolences to the family and AIADMK party members through a press release in which he described Pulamaipithan as someone with great regard for Dravidian ideologies. The CM also said that Pulamaipithan had been fervently involved in politics and a support to MGR, further adding that it was noteworthy that he was a recipient of the Thanthai Periyar Award given by the state.

Condolences poured in for the lyricist on social media:

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