Lyricist Piraisoodan passes away

Veteran

lyricist

and poet Piraisoodan, who has worked with leading composers like

MS Viswanathan

, Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman, has passed away. He was aged 65.

Born on February 6, 1956, in Nannilam, Piraisoodan made his debut as a lyricist with the 1985 film Sirai, directed by RC Sakthi. A deeply spiritual person, the lyricist has written over 1,5,00 songs in over 400 films in a career spanning 35 years. He has written the lyrics for hit songs like Meenamma Meenamma (Rajadhi Raja),

Kadhal Kavithaigal

(Gopura Vasalile),

Aattama Therottama

(Captain Prabhakaran), Vethala Pota Shokula (Amaran), Nadanthal Irandadi (Chembaruthi), Porkalam Ange (Thenali) and Rasiga Rasiga (Star) among others.

A three-time winner of the Tamil Nadu State Film Award For Best Lyricist, Piraisoodan was given the title

Kavi Gnani

by Mellisai Mannar MS Viswanathan. He was also the secretary of the South Indian Writers Association, and represented the Tamil film music industry in The Indian Performing Right Society (

IPRS

). He had been chosen to be part of the panel to select the Indian film to be nominated for the Oscars recently.

Piraisoodan had been unwell for the past few days, and passed away this evening, while he was with his family, by around 4.30pm, after her suffered a heart attack. He is survived by his wife and two children, who are both married. His son Dhaya Piraisoodan is a composer in the Tamil film industry while popular cinematographer R

Madhie

, who has shot hit films like Paiyya, Naan Mahaan Alla, Bhaagamathie and Saaho, is his brother.