Kalyanasundaranar

• Name — Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram • Birth Name — Kalyanasundaram • Born — 13 April 1930 • Birthplace — Thamarankottai, composite Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, British India (now Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu, India) • Died — 8 October 1959 • Place of death — Madras, Madras State (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu), India • Occupation — poet, lyricist, activist • Period — 1930–1959 • Movement — Dravidian movement, Communism • Spouse — Gowrawammal • Children — Kumaravelu • Language — Tamil Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram (13 April 1930 – 8 October 1959) also known as Pattukottaiyar was an Indian Tamil poet and lyricist, penning over 250 songs within a six year period. He is best known for writing various song lyrics for M. G. Ramachandran’s movies from the year 1956 until his death in 1959. These lyrics were recognized for their social commentary and their connection to Ramachandran, who later became a Chief Minister.

Pattukottaiyar was born on April 13, 1930 in Sengam Padaithan Kadu, a small village located southeast of the town of Pattukkottai, Thanjavur District. His parents Arunachalam Pillai and Visalakshi Ammal were farmers and could not give Pattukottaiyar a formal education. However, throughout his childhood, he learned how to read and write thanks to his father who was formally a Tamil scholar and folk poet. Pattukottaiyar also had an elder brother, Ganapathisundaram and a sister, Vedhanayaki.

Prior to his movie career, Kalyanasundaram worked for Kuyil, a Tamil magazine run by his mentor, Bharathidasan. He first wrote lyrics for a Tamil movie Paditha Penn, penning five songs that were released ahead on November 13th, 1955 under the music director, G. Ramanathan. The following year he wrote for six movies including Paditha Penn and Pasavalai, both receiving moderate success. As his career progressed, he was able to write for larger directors and took more liberty to write more political and social critiques through his songs, most notably with M. G. Ramachandran, an actor/director who moved on to become the 3rd Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in the 1980s. Kalyanasundaram was active in the Tamil film industry during the years 1954–1959 and wrote around 250 songs, including several songs for two leading Tamil movie stars of that period – MGR and Sivaji Ganesan.

He married a woman named Gowravammal from a village neighboring his home town, Athikkottai. His mentor Bharathidasan presided over his marriage on September 11, 1957 in Madras, India. In 1959, the couple gave birth to a baby, named Kumaravelu. After suffering severe migraine attacks, Kalyanasundaram underwent surgery on his nose in September 1959. A few days following the operation, he died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 8 October 1959, at the age of 29.