Stop anyone in Tamil Nadu and ask them 'Neenga nallavara? Kettavara?' (Are you a good person or a bad one?) or exclaim 'Naan oru dhadava sonna...nooru dhadava sonna maari' (If I've said it once, I've said it a 100 times), they will get the popular culture references immediately. Such is the immense recall value of the lines penned by the prominent writer, novelist and scriptwriter V Balakumaran. On May 15, the literary stalwart breathed his last in Chennai.
According to reports, the writer was admitted in Kauvery Hospital for severe breathing trouble earlier on Tuesday. He was 71 years old.
The writer had penned scripts for over 20 Tamil films including blockbusters like Nayakan, Gentleman, Guna, and Baasha. His dialogue writing skills have been a great asset to the industry, catapulting actors who mouthed them to greater fame. This includes Kollywood giants Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.
While his brilliance has been appreciated by many, in an interview to The Hindu, the writer said that he only did it for the money. His work in Kollywood also includes Dhanush’s Pudupettai.
Balakumaran had also written over 150 novels and 100 short stories, contributing to important Tamil periodicals such as Kalki, Ananda Vikatan and Kumudam.
Some of his famous, award-winning works include Irumbhu Kudhiraigal, Mercury Pookal, Kadarpalam, Sugajeevanam among others. Irumbu Kudirai won the Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar Award and Mercury Pookkal won the Ilakkiya Chinthanai award. His historical fiction Udayar is very famous for telling the tale of Raja Raja Chola from a different perspective.
He had also won the Cinema Express Award for his contribution to Kamal Haasan’s Guna and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Dialogue Writer for Shankar’s Kaadhalan. He had also received the Kalaimaamani Award from Government of Tamil Nadu.
In January this year, on Thiruvalluvar Day, he was honoured with Thamizhthendran Thiru.Vi.Ka Award by the Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
Balakumaran directed the 1988 comedy film Idhu Namba Aalu starring Bhagyaraj. The writer has had two coronary bypass operations and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2012.
Condolences poured in for the writer on Twitter:
Legendary writer #Balakumaran passed away. Film works : #Nayakan #Baasha #Gentleman #Kaadhalan #Jeans #Citizen #Mugavaree, he also worked with @vishnu_dir for a script but the project is yet to materialize. Huge loss to Tamil literature and film industry. pic.twitter.com/ObhUW0YZUV
— Rajasekar (@sekartweets) May 15, 2018
Senior Tamil Writer #Balakumaran passes away due to ill-health..
— Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) May 15, 2018
Apart from his vast contribution to Tamil literature, he also penned dialogues for big Tamil movies such as #Gentleman, #Baasshha etc
May his soul RIP! pic.twitter.com/Y5H8pgbMjO
இரவு தொடங்கி அதிகாலை வரை தூங்காமல் கதைகள் படித்த பதின் பருவ காலங்களில் பாலகுமாரன் எழுத்துகளோடு பயணித்தது அதிகம்... பாலகுமாரன் பாதிப்பு இல்லாமல் பதின் பருவம் கடந்த என் தலைமுறை வாசகர்கள் குறைவு... மறைந்தும் இருப்பார் தன் எழுத்துகளால்... pic.twitter.com/GEmePAwHCZ
— Karthigaichelvan S (@karthickselvaa) May 15, 2018
It was Balakumaran who penned the famous dialogue Oru Thadava Sonna Nooru Thadava Sonna Mathiri in #Baasha for @rajinikanth #RIP pic.twitter.com/dArS5G6EUb
— bharathnt (@bharath1) May 15, 2018
Senior Tamil Writer #Balakumaran passes away due to ill-health..
— Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) May 15, 2018
Apart from his vast contribution to Tamil literature, he also penned dialogues for big Tamil movies such as #Gentleman, #Baasshha etc
May his soul RIP! pic.twitter.com/Y5H8pgbMjO
RIP writer #Balakumaran ayya
— PRO Kumaresan (@urkumaresanpro) May 15, 2018
The man behind the dialogues of many famous movies such as #Gentleman, #Baassha, penning the unforgettable dialogue for the #Superstar - Naa oru dhadava sonna, nooru dhadava sonna madhri. #RIP #RIPBalakumaran pic.twitter.com/7IFrHxXupK