"Karthik,
I do reply interesting mail like yours. It is a good idea to make shortfilms based on short stories. Modern Tamil literature is full of filmworthy short stories. Ray's teen konya is a masterpiece. Try and see Fellinis Yesterday Today andTomorrow and also Puttanna's "katha sagara" in kannada.
with best wishes
Sujatha"
This e-mail will go to my grave as one of my proudest possessions. I met him at a play in Mylapore fine arts and took down his e-mail address. I wrote to him the next day, saying I wanted to make a film of a short story by Ray. This reply came back in minutes.
Months after this, I was reading his 'vignana siru kathaigal' (science fiction short stories) and was intrigued by one titled "computeray, oru kathai sollu" (computer, tell me a story). The intrigue had to do with the central character of the story, 'Thambu' - a robot that takes news papers as input and gives short stories as output. An 'expert system', pretty much. This story was published in the mid sixties and expert systems were not a reality until the early seventies. I immediately started writing an e-mail to him, asking him whether he ever realized the significance of what he had done.
I also wanted to tell him that I have finished 'haze'.
I also wanted to ask him about his health and whether I can send the dvd to him sometime.
I never finished that e-mail. Now, I will never be able to send it. Ever.
I am on page 26 of "Kanavu Thozhirchalai" - Factory of dreams.
5 comments:
Very Touching.
I have grown up hearing a lot of good things about 'Sujata'. When I hear people speaking about him with so much regard, I severly regret not being able to read Tamil easily ... I know I am missing a whole world of delight..
My dad is such a huge fan and thru him i have heard so much about Sujatha. I totally relate to the previous person's regret on not being able to read Tamil too easily. But i am so thrilled u actually corresponded with him K.....you really have something to cherish.
Hats off Karthik! '... sorry if I sound condescending - I'm proud of you my son! ;)'
first time here.. I have not read much of Sujata but am a huge fan.. he was such a versatile person.. a scientist, writer, he wrote devotional stories, science fiction, movie scripts. He is a big loss to all of us Tamilians.
He was my distant relative... I got the chance to meet him a couple of times and speak to him.. Great person... Amazing writer...
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