Alangudi Somu

Born on 12th December 1932, in the Alangudi village of Pudukkotai district, Tamil Nadu, Alangudi Sonu was a renowned lyricist in Tamil cinema. He worked vigorously till his death in 1997. Alangudi Somu was introduced to the film industry by his friend Puratchidasan. ‘Yanai Paagan,’ a 1960 film by M.A. Thirumugam, marked his entry into the cinematic scene where he pitched in as a lyricist for the song Aambalaikku Pombalai Avasiyandhaan. In the movie ‘Iravum Pagalum,’ Somu is credited with six songs. As a child, Alangudi found happiness in music and subsequently devoted his life to writing meaningful songs. His lyricism deals with praises of Hindu gods as seen in the film songs: Kanda Un Vasalile, Avani Ellaam Pukazh Manakkum Amman Arul, etc.

Out of all his projects, one song that stood out from the rest is none other than Andavan Ulagathin. The song gained fame as a result of it being part of the Tamil film ‘Thozhilali’ by the director M.G. Ramachandran. In this movie, Somu is credited for writing three songs in total. This project can be seen as a stepping stone towards the collaboration between the renowned director and the brilliant lyricist as the two join hands in other films as well. His song Ponmagal Vandaal from the movie ‘ Sorgam Sorgam was aired on Sun TV between the years 2003 >> Read More... ’ was another song that gained immense popularity. After that, the celebrated Indian singer A. R. Rahman sang a remixed version of the song in 2007. His talents do not stop there. Alangudi Somu also tried his hands at the art of writing poetry and producing films.

‘Patham Pasali’ (1970) and ‘Varaverpu’ (1972), which he worked on along with his wife Sankari Somu, are the two films he produced. During his lifetime, Alangudi Somu has been recognized for writing about 170 songs in 80 films since his debut in 1960. He has also been honoured with the title Kalaimamani (1974), which is an award given by the Tamil government in recognition of one’s achievement, and contribution to literature, music and drama. It is the highest civilian award given by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram.