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| Shanmugalingam returned to Sri Lanka in 1957 and soon got a job as a teacher at Senkundha Hindu College. He also worked for 22 years as a teacher at St. Joseph's College, Jaffna.<ref name=":0" /> | Shanmugalingam returned to Sri Lanka in 1957 and soon got a job as a teacher at Senkundha Hindu College. He also worked for 22 years as a teacher at St. Joseph's College, Jaffna.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| He also rejoined the Thirunelvely Young Men's Hindu Association. Soon after the conclusion of a ] event at YMHA, he eventually decided to impress and make an impression in order to get the attention of ] who was regarded as one of the stalwarts of Tamil theatre and he practiced the lines from popular Indian play ''Raja Raja Cholan''.<ref name=":2" /> However, his efforts went in vain as Sornalingam left the event in a car much to the disappointment |
He also rejoined the Thirunelvely Young Men's Hindu Association. Soon after the conclusion of a ] event at YMHA, he eventually decided to impress and make an impression in order to get the attention of ] who was regarded as one of the stalwarts of Tamil theatre and he practiced the lines from popular Indian play ''Raja Raja Cholan''.<ref name=":2" /> However, his efforts went in vain as Sornalingam left the event in a car much to the disappointment of Kulanthai. However, his wish came true again after six months post the incident in 1958 when Kalai-Arasu Sornalingam himself wanted to meet him.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2014-11-12 |title=Kulanthai Shanmugalingam; a life spent in drama |url=https://eyeofthecylone.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/kulanthai-shanmugalingam-a-life-spent-in-drama/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Thulasi Muttulingam |language=en}}</ref> | ||
| Kulanthai became a playwright due to the situational demand mostly since the veteran writer of that time, ], had hectic schedules which forced him to be busy during most of the occasions.<ref name=":3" /> Saravanapavan |
Kulanthai became a playwright due to the situational demand mostly since the veteran writer of that time, ], had hectic schedules which forced him to be busy during most of the occasions.<ref name=":3" /> Saravanapavan's thought process encouraged Kulanthai to carry out the work of playwright and since then there had been no stopping Kulanthai as it was indeed a blessing in disguise for him to get limelight and recognition although becoming a playwright for him was merely an accident. He began his writing prowess for drama plays and he admitted he was never a genius although some of his plays made it to the school textbooks.<ref name=":2" /> Most of his writings were inspired by current events of the time. He predominantly worked on children's plays as his side job of being a school teacher was also a reason for the decision for him to cling onto work mostly on children's plays.<ref name=":2" /> | ||
| He completed his diploma in Colombo in 1976 especially he was the sole Tamil student of drama as the diploma |
He completed his diploma in Colombo in 1976 especially he was the sole Tamil student of drama as the diploma courses taught mostly by Sinhala dramatists. He came to know about their diploma program through his Jaffna friends. He subsequently learnt the art of drama at the age of 45 during that diploma course from the veterans of drama including ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| He inaugurated the school of drama and theatre way back in 1978 in Jaffna. |
He inaugurated the school of drama and theatre way back in 1978 in Jaffna. His reputation soon rose as the household name across Jaffna as he was the main provider of entertainment to the general public at a time when the area was marred by civil conflicts. Most of his dramas during the critical juncture of Sri Lankan civil conflicts served as timely healing to the people in Northern Province and most of his dramas emphasised the plight of the people faced in their daily lives.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| His most popular playwright work till this date is ''Enthayum Thayum'' which he wrote in 1991 albeit at the request of his son who at that time stayed in Canada and his son wanted that the play should cover a timely relevant topic for Canadian Tamils.<ref name=":2" /> The play is also based on the lifestyle of parents who send their children abroad and then the parents are being left alone in their last years. The play became popular in other countries and was staged in several countries where Tamil diaspora was present and was also staged in ] and ].<ref name=":3" /> He continued to make dramas with themes linking |
His most popular playwright work till this date is ''Enthayum Thayum'' which he wrote in 1991 albeit at the request of his son who at that time stayed in Canada and his son wanted that the play should cover a timely relevant topic for Canadian Tamils.<ref name=":2" /> The play is also based on the lifestyle of parents who send their children abroad and then the parents are being left alone in their last years. The play became popular in other countries and was staged in several countries where Tamil diaspora was present and was also staged in ] and ].<ref name=":3" /> He continued to make dramas with themes linking the concepts of home, migration and displacement which was a familiar territory indeed for the people living in Northern parts of Sri Lanka since 1980s. His play ''Man Sumantha Meniyar'' (Sweat and dust on their shoulders) is linked to the peasants caught in the 40 year ].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> | ||
| His drama ''Heaven with Hell'' also speaks |
His drama ''Heaven with Hell'' also speaks volumes about him being a canny operator in Tamil theatre history. The play was released in book form and it depicted the aspects of important topics such as migration and social mobility within the Tamil society while also combining philosophical aspects such as detachment and attachment.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-05 |title=Building ties through traditional knowledge |url=https://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2022/03/06/news-features/building-ties-through-traditional-knowledge |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Sunday Observer |language=en}}</ref> The book ''Heaven with Hell'' was translated into English by S. Pathmanathan and it was launched in February 2022 in Jaffna.<ref name=":4" /> | ||
| He was one of the recipients of the Governor's Award in 2004 as part of the Provincial Tamil Literary Festival organized by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Northeast Province.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plus |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/041010/plus/kala.html |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}</ref> | He was one of the recipients of the Governor's Award in 2004 as part of the Provincial Tamil Literary Festival organized by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Northeast Province.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plus |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/041010/plus/kala.html |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}</ref> | ||
Revision as of 02:52, 19 January 2025
Sri Lankan dramatist and playwright (1931–2025)Kulanthai M. Shanmugalingam (Tamil: குழந்தை ம. சண்முகலிங்கம்); (15 November 1931 – 17 January 2025), also sometimes spelt as Kulandai M. Shanmugalingam also known by his birth name Mayilvaganam Shanmugalingam was a Sri Lankan Tamil theatre artist and playwright. He received his stage name Kulanthai for his innocence. He was regarded as Sri Lanka's oldest living playwright and dramatist at the age of 92 as of 2023.
Shanmugalingam was well known for his mannerism in shunning publicity, accolades and rarely made public appearances and also rarely gave interviews. He vehemently refused a presidential award, an award conferred by the University of Jaffna. He was highly appreciated for his work ethics and for actively working for theatre not with the intention of seeking rewards in the form of awards or public recognition. He became a household name in Jaffna peninsula especially for his attitude and for his mutual respect for the sake of preserving art.
Early life
Shanmugalingam was born on 16 November 1931. He grew up as an introvert and a shy kid but also as a mama's boy being attached to his mother. He also learnt the diversity of Sri Lanka during his early childhood times as he spent his earliest childhood growing up in Bolawatta in the Negombo area among the Sinhalese. He was born in Jaffna but he was brought up in Bolawatta since three months as a toddler until the age of ten. His father worked as an estate official at Bolawatta.
Due to his exposure to Sinhalese people, he also learnt the art of Sinhalese language and also learnt English when he attended a Catholic school in Bolawatta. He grew up considering both Tamil and Sinhala to be his mother tongues. Kulanthai became familiar with Jaffna only after the age of ten.
His mother broke the shackles for him by sending him to join Thirunelvely Young Men's Hindu Association. He was never initially focused on or intended becoming a dramatist or as theatre artiste. He eventually befriended popular Indian theatre actor Cho Ramasamy when Kulanthai Shanmugalingam went to India to pursue his BA at Madras University although it was initially against his will as his mother wanted him to complete the degree. He specialised in economics, history and politics in the BA from the Madras University and later received admission to join Bangalore Mysore University.
Later life
Shanmugalingam returned to Sri Lanka in 1957 and soon got a job as a teacher at Senkundha Hindu College. He also worked for 22 years as a teacher at St. Joseph's College, Jaffna.
He also rejoined the Thirunelvely Young Men's Hindu Association. Soon after the conclusion of a bharathanatyam event at YMHA, he eventually decided to impress and make an impression in order to get the attention of Kalai-Arasu Sornalingam who was regarded as one of the stalwarts of Tamil theatre and he practiced the lines from popular Indian play Raja Raja Cholan. However, his efforts went in vain as Sornalingam left the event in a car much to the disappointment of Kulanthai. However, his wish came true again after six months post the incident in 1958 when Kalai-Arasu Sornalingam himself wanted to meet him.
Kulanthai became a playwright due to the situational demand mostly since the veteran writer of that time, Sitpi Saravanapavan, had hectic schedules which forced him to be busy during most of the occasions. Saravanapavan's thought process encouraged Kulanthai to carry out the work of playwright and since then there had been no stopping Kulanthai as it was indeed a blessing in disguise for him to get limelight and recognition although becoming a playwright for him was merely an accident. He began his writing prowess for drama plays and he admitted he was never a genius although some of his plays made it to the school textbooks. Most of his writings were inspired by current events of the time. He predominantly worked on children's plays as his side job of being a school teacher was also a reason for the decision for him to cling onto work mostly on children's plays.
He completed his diploma in Colombo in 1976 especially he was the sole Tamil student of drama as the diploma courses taught mostly by Sinhala dramatists. He came to know about their diploma program through his Jaffna friends. He subsequently learnt the art of drama at the age of 45 during that diploma course from the veterans of drama including Dhamma Jagoda, Henry Jayasena, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Ernest MacIntyre, Solomon Fonseka and K. Sivathamby.
He inaugurated the school of drama and theatre way back in 1978 in Jaffna. His reputation soon rose as the household name across Jaffna as he was the main provider of entertainment to the general public at a time when the area was marred by civil conflicts. Most of his dramas during the critical juncture of Sri Lankan civil conflicts served as timely healing to the people in Northern Province and most of his dramas emphasised the plight of the people faced in their daily lives.
His most popular playwright work till this date is Enthayum Thayum which he wrote in 1991 albeit at the request of his son who at that time stayed in Canada and his son wanted that the play should cover a timely relevant topic for Canadian Tamils. The play is also based on the lifestyle of parents who send their children abroad and then the parents are being left alone in their last years. The play became popular in other countries and was staged in several countries where Tamil diaspora was present and was also staged in Batticaloa and Colombo. He continued to make dramas with themes linking the concepts of home, migration and displacement which was a familiar territory indeed for the people living in Northern parts of Sri Lanka since 1980s. His play Man Sumantha Meniyar (Sweat and dust on their shoulders) is linked to the peasants caught in the 40 year Sri Lankan civil war.
His drama Heaven with Hell also speaks volumes about him being a canny operator in Tamil theatre history. The play was released in book form and it depicted the aspects of important topics such as migration and social mobility within the Tamil society while also combining philosophical aspects such as detachment and attachment. The book Heaven with Hell was translated into English by S. Pathmanathan and it was launched in February 2022 in Jaffna.
He was one of the recipients of the Governor's Award in 2004 as part of the Provincial Tamil Literary Festival organized by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Northeast Province.
Death
Shanmugalingam died at Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on 17 January 2025, at the age of 93.
References
- ^ "Kulandai Shanmugalingam treasure of Lankan Tamil theatre". Sunday Observer. 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ "Kulandai Shanmugalingham; connecting the north and south through drama | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ "Kulanthai Shanmugalingam: A life spent in drama | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ "Kulanthai Shanmugalingam; a life spent in drama". Thulasi Muttulingam. 2014-11-12. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ "Building ties through traditional knowledge". Sunday Observer. 2022-03-05. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- "Plus". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- "ஈழத்து தமிழ் நவீன நாடக உலகின் தாய் காலமானார்!". Ada_Derana (in Tamil). 2025-01-18. Retrieved 2025-01-18.