Veteran screenwriter Aaroor Dass no more

He penned the dialogues for over 1,000 Tamil films, including Paasamalar and Anbe Va

Veteran screenwriter Aaroor Dass, who worked on over 1,000 Tamil films, including Pasamalar and Anbe Va, died in Chennai on Sunday. He was 91. 

Born as Yesudas in Tiruvarur, the screenwriter later changed his name to add the last part of his hometown (Aaroor) to his name. As someone always interested in writing, Aaroor Dass used to write from a very young age and later went on to start his own drama troupe at the age of 16. He entered the celluloid world as a dubbing assistant and he later went on to write the dialogues for dubbed version of the Hindi film Qaidi. 

The 1959 film  Vaazha Vaitha Deivam starring Gemini Ganesh and B. Saroja Devi was his first film as a full-fledged story and dialogue writer. The veteran screenwriter went on to work in several films starring actors M.G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. His dialogues in the 1961 film Pasamalar starring Sivaji Ganesan became extremely popular and are remembered till this day.

 Among the other films he has worked on include Thaai Sollai Thattadhe, Paarthal Pasi Theerum, Vettai Kaaran and  Deivamagan. He also directed the 1967 film Penn Endral Penn starring Gemini Ganesh.  

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condoled the death of Dass and said he was someone who had carved a niche for himself in the film industry through his work. “He captured the hearts of the public through his dialogues in Pasamalar. I had the honour of handing over the Kalaignar Kalaithurai Vithagar Award to the veteran screenwriter at his residence in T. Nagar earlier this year,” he said in a statement. Ends