'''Ayyamperumal Marudakasi (1920-89)'''


Tamil film lyricist born in Melakudikadu, TN;
farmer’s son. Influenced by musician
Rajagopala Iyer, brother of composer
Papanasam Sivan. Worked as a village
official; left his government job to join the
famous Tamil theatre troupe TKS Brothers.
Also worked in Nawab Rajamanikkam’s theatre
group and for Devi Drama, for which he wrote
his first songs. Film début as songwriter in T.R.
Sundaram’s Mayavathi (1949). First hit
number is Varai ... varai in Manthiri Kumari
(1950). Wrote over 3000 songs in c.300 Tamil
films, reaching the pinnacle of his career in the
50s and 60s. At this time, his lyrics were often
sung by playback singer T.M. Soundararajan
and composed by M.S. Vishwanathan. Known
mainly for his use of rural and folk idioms. A
compilation of his film songs was published in
1988.

[[Music]]