Aaroor Dass

Aaroor Dass Biography

Aaroor Dass is a screenwriter and dialogue writer associated with Tamil cinema. He was introduced to the world of cinema by screenwriter and lyricist Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass, who took him as an assistant under his wing. Gemini Ganesan's Vaazha Vaitha Deivam (1959) was his debut film as a writer, and made an impressive debut. Since then over 4 decades, he wrote the story and dialogues for over 1000 films. He remained a prominent writer in Tamil cinema during his active years of 1960s and 1970s, and later. He is a recipient of numerous honours including Kalaimamani Awards, Kavingnar Vaali Award (2016) and Makkal Kavingnar Award.

Aaroor Dass’ real name is Yesudas. He was born on 10 September 1931 in Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam of Madras Presidency, British Raj. Because of his poor financial conditions, he couldn’t complete his college studies. Yet he continued his passion of writing, and frequently associated with many magazines. When he was 16, he started a drama troupe, Chinnappa Nataka Mandram, named after his favourite actor, P.U. Chinnappa. His activities in the world of theatre took him to the world of films.

He joined as a writing assistant to Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass, and initially helped him in dubbing scripts written in other languages. Vaazha Vaitha Deivam was his first film as a full-fledged writer. Palum Pazhavum was his first movie for Sivaji Ganesan. He wrote for 28 Sivaji films and 25 MGR films, apart from penning scripts for Gemini Ganesan and other lead actors of classic era. He directed one film titled Penn Endral Penn (1967). The film’s failure disappointed him, and he never directed films later. He fully concentrated on his writing career.

Published: January 04, 2020

Updated: January 04, 2020