This year (2008),the Government of Tamilnadu, announced Bharathiyar award for Kavikkuyil Soundara Kailasam.
On that occasion she was interviewed by 'The Hindu' the leading English daily.
Without any change,the interview is published below.
.An admirable philologist
By Suganthi Krishnamachari
(Feb 01,2008)
(Soundara Kailasam, this year’s Bharatiar Award recipient, talks about her sojourn on literary terrain)
The stark simplicity of the living room is striking. It has a sofa, a couple of chairs and a shelf that holds family pictures. In tune with the room there stands on the mantelpiece a papier mache figure of Gandhi, lifelike in its features. "I am devoted to Gandhian principles," says Soundara Kailasam. "My grandfather, Ratnasabapathi Gounder, was a staunch Congressman. Rajaji was his legal advisor. It was my grandfather who donated land for the Tiruchengode Gandhi Ashram established by Rajaji."
Soundara is this year’s recipient of the Bharatiar award, given by the Government of Tamil Nadu. Her interest in Tamil literature began with a wedding gift. When Soundara got married at the age of 15, Periasamy Thooran presented her with a collection of Bharatiar poems. She read the poems so many times that she soon had them by heart. She then took to reading other literary works such as ‘Kamba Ramayanam,’ ‘Tevaram’ and ‘Tiruvachagam.’
As a child she was moved to tears when her father recited ‘Tevaram’ verses. "The verses have a cadence, a musicality that makes them appealing even to a child," she observes. In later years, when Soundara had become an accomplished speaker and writer, letters from father to daughter were often about something interesting he had read.
Judge at 17
When Soundara was 17 years old, she was asked to judge a poetry contest in Pachaiyappa’s college. The other two judges were Muktha and Dandapani Desigar. Over-awed by the standing of these established musicians Soundara refused the invitation. "But my husband coaxed me into accepting it. I consider my husband, my guru. He encouraged me to become a public speaker and writer. When I spoke at Pachaiyappa’s, the students applauded heartily."
Encouraged by the response, she began to accept invitations to speak at other colleges. "Kamaraj would tease me saying, ‘Students usually clap when they want a speaker to wind up his speech. But in your case, they clap at the end to indicate they want more.’" Her first short story was published in Dinamani. Her stories had a rural flavour. "I grew up in Chettipalayam, a village near Karur, and I was familiar with village life."
Experiences with AIR
In 1947, All India Radio asked her to speak on ‘Sollin Vanmai’ (‘The power of words’). "Later on I became a regular speaker on their morning programme - ‘Arulvaakku.’ Although it was a religious programme, I always ended with ‘Vaazhiya Sentamizh.’"
She recalls the popularity of the programme. She had gone to Kumbakonam on a pilgrimage, with her husband Justice Kailasam. As they came out of the hotel, where they’d had breakfast, they saw a temple priest, and Soundara asked him if the temples had opened for worship. The priest said, "You are Soundara Kailasam, aren’t you? I know that voice. I begin the day by listening to your programme!" She has also given lectures on the ‘Tiruppavai’ over the radio.
Despite the TV having displaced the radio in most homes, it has the pride of place in Soundara’s house. Rather than watch television news, she prefers to listen to news on the radio. She used to lecture at the Kovai Nanneri Kazhagam, where Justice Sengottuvelan and D.Ramawamy Iyengar were regulars. Soundara is not just a scholar or one given only to philosophical speculation. Cinema, music, dance and theatre interest her. I was president of the Film Fans’ Association and I was on the Board of Film Censors for 12 years.
A recent film she liked? I loved ‘Periyar.’ Periyar was a family friend, and when I saw Satyaraj in the film, it was as though Periyar had come back to life! So good was Satyaraj’s acting.
She is a great admirer of lyricist and poet Kannadasan. Kannadasan said he would never sing in praise of a human being. I felt there were many who deserved to be praised. So I wrote a rejoinder in Kumudam, in which I praised Kannadasan himself - ‘Thadumaarum bodaiyilum kavi paadum medhai avan’ - ‘One who writes excellent poetry even when he is intoxicated.’
Ten books of her poems have been published. Do any of her children write? "Nalini recently tried her hand at ‘Pudhu Kavidhai.’ None of the others has written anything."
When the Congress party asked her to contest elections, she refused. "Annadurai even offered not to field a candidate opposite me. But I was afraid that in the long run, participation in politics would alienate my friends in other political parties. Tamil brought us all together. I didn’t want politics to come between us."
Daughters Vimala Ramalingam is a well known doctor, Nalini Chidambaram is a lawyer and Padmini Sivasubramanian is a businesswoman, and Sadaiyavel, her only son, is an orthopaedic surgeon. But Soundara doesn’t live with any of her children. She likes being independent, and spends most of the day in contemplation and meditation. "There is pleasure in solitude too," says the worldly-wise orator and writer.
On that occasion she was interviewed by 'The Hindu' the leading English daily.
Without any change,the interview is published below.
.An admirable philologist
By Suganthi Krishnamachari
(Feb 01,2008)
(Soundara Kailasam, this year’s Bharatiar Award recipient, talks about her sojourn on literary terrain)
The stark simplicity of the living room is striking. It has a sofa, a couple of chairs and a shelf that holds family pictures. In tune with the room there stands on the mantelpiece a papier mache figure of Gandhi, lifelike in its features. "I am devoted to Gandhian principles," says Soundara Kailasam. "My grandfather, Ratnasabapathi Gounder, was a staunch Congressman. Rajaji was his legal advisor. It was my grandfather who donated land for the Tiruchengode Gandhi Ashram established by Rajaji."
Soundara is this year’s recipient of the Bharatiar award, given by the Government of Tamil Nadu. Her interest in Tamil literature began with a wedding gift. When Soundara got married at the age of 15, Periasamy Thooran presented her with a collection of Bharatiar poems. She read the poems so many times that she soon had them by heart. She then took to reading other literary works such as ‘Kamba Ramayanam,’ ‘Tevaram’ and ‘Tiruvachagam.’
As a child she was moved to tears when her father recited ‘Tevaram’ verses. "The verses have a cadence, a musicality that makes them appealing even to a child," she observes. In later years, when Soundara had become an accomplished speaker and writer, letters from father to daughter were often about something interesting he had read.
Judge at 17
When Soundara was 17 years old, she was asked to judge a poetry contest in Pachaiyappa’s college. The other two judges were Muktha and Dandapani Desigar. Over-awed by the standing of these established musicians Soundara refused the invitation. "But my husband coaxed me into accepting it. I consider my husband, my guru. He encouraged me to become a public speaker and writer. When I spoke at Pachaiyappa’s, the students applauded heartily."
Encouraged by the response, she began to accept invitations to speak at other colleges. "Kamaraj would tease me saying, ‘Students usually clap when they want a speaker to wind up his speech. But in your case, they clap at the end to indicate they want more.’" Her first short story was published in Dinamani. Her stories had a rural flavour. "I grew up in Chettipalayam, a village near Karur, and I was familiar with village life."
Experiences with AIR
In 1947, All India Radio asked her to speak on ‘Sollin Vanmai’ (‘The power of words’). "Later on I became a regular speaker on their morning programme - ‘Arulvaakku.’ Although it was a religious programme, I always ended with ‘Vaazhiya Sentamizh.’"
She recalls the popularity of the programme. She had gone to Kumbakonam on a pilgrimage, with her husband Justice Kailasam. As they came out of the hotel, where they’d had breakfast, they saw a temple priest, and Soundara asked him if the temples had opened for worship. The priest said, "You are Soundara Kailasam, aren’t you? I know that voice. I begin the day by listening to your programme!" She has also given lectures on the ‘Tiruppavai’ over the radio.
Despite the TV having displaced the radio in most homes, it has the pride of place in Soundara’s house. Rather than watch television news, she prefers to listen to news on the radio. She used to lecture at the Kovai Nanneri Kazhagam, where Justice Sengottuvelan and D.Ramawamy Iyengar were regulars. Soundara is not just a scholar or one given only to philosophical speculation. Cinema, music, dance and theatre interest her. I was president of the Film Fans’ Association and I was on the Board of Film Censors for 12 years.
A recent film she liked? I loved ‘Periyar.’ Periyar was a family friend, and when I saw Satyaraj in the film, it was as though Periyar had come back to life! So good was Satyaraj’s acting.
She is a great admirer of lyricist and poet Kannadasan. Kannadasan said he would never sing in praise of a human being. I felt there were many who deserved to be praised. So I wrote a rejoinder in Kumudam, in which I praised Kannadasan himself - ‘Thadumaarum bodaiyilum kavi paadum medhai avan’ - ‘One who writes excellent poetry even when he is intoxicated.’
Ten books of her poems have been published. Do any of her children write? "Nalini recently tried her hand at ‘Pudhu Kavidhai.’ None of the others has written anything."
When the Congress party asked her to contest elections, she refused. "Annadurai even offered not to field a candidate opposite me. But I was afraid that in the long run, participation in politics would alienate my friends in other political parties. Tamil brought us all together. I didn’t want politics to come between us."
Daughters Vimala Ramalingam is a well known doctor, Nalini Chidambaram is a lawyer and Padmini Sivasubramanian is a businesswoman, and Sadaiyavel, her only son, is an orthopaedic surgeon. But Soundara doesn’t live with any of her children. She likes being independent, and spends most of the day in contemplation and meditation. "There is pleasure in solitude too," says the worldly-wise orator and writer.
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