Solomon Pappaiah, the Tamil scholar, orator and actor who appeared in Rajinikanth’s blockbuster Sivaji: The Boss, died at a private hospital in Madurai on Friday. He was 90.
The veteran was reportedly suffering from age-related illnesses and chest pain.
Solomon Pappaiah was born as Sundaram Solomon Pappaiah on February 22, 1936, at Sathangudi near Madurai. He spent over six decades championing Tamil literature and oratory. He is survived by his daughter and son.
Pappaiah is a former Tamil professor at The American College in Madurai. He taught in the department for over three decades.
The octogenarian shot to fame across Tamil Nadu as the moderator of Pattimandram (Tamil debate sessions), which aired on several channels. Millions watched him spark conversations on social and academic issues on television through his razor-sharp humour, knowledge of Tamil literature and talkative demeanour.
The stalwart was awarded Tamil language Kalaimamani in 2000 and Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, in 2021, for his contributions to Tamil literature and culture.
He also penned a commentary on Thirukkural, created a new sequence for Purananuru and researched Sangam Tamil literary classic Kamban’s works.
Pappaiah had acted in just a handful of films including Shankar’s Boys (2003) and Rajinikanth’s Sivaji: The Boss (2007).
In the blockbuster Rajini starrer, Pappaiah played Thondaiman, the loquacious neighbour who doubles up as a comic contrast to the heroine’s uptight father. His bit role in the movie made him instantly recognisable to audiences.
Post the movie’s release, Pappaiah allegedly went on to receive over 200 offers. In a 2022 interview to The Hindu, he said that he declined most of the offers. ‘I harboured that desire and did some projects. I was treated with utmost respect in the film industry…I got more than 200 film offers after that, but I do not see myself there, but rather in literary and academic circles,’ he said.
Actor Rajinikanth, Pappaiah’s co-star in Sivaji: The Boss, commemorated the scholar’s death on X. ‘I pray to God that the soul of Professor Solomon Pappaiya, the great Tamil personality who took the literary tradition of Pattimandram from the educated elite to the common people and made it widely popular may rest in peace,’ Rajinikanth posted.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay wrote that he was ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ to learn about Pappaiah’s demise. He posted on X, ‘…took the pride of Tamil language and the lifestyle of Tamils to the world through debate stages’.
In his tribute, the Chief Minister said Pappaiah single-handedly revolutionised debates from entertainment-focused sessions to intellectual platforms. He called his death ‘an irreplaceable loss to the Tamil- speaking world’.
DMK president M K Stalin posted a lengthy tribute dedicating several sweet epithets for Pappaiah. Stalin wrote that with his ‘smiling face, captivating Tamil and the fragrance of the Madurai soil’, Pappaiah won the hearts of Tamils across the world.
Stalin wrote in his tribute that Tamils begin celebrating festivals like Pongal and New Year with Pappaiah’s Pattimandram debates airing on television. The DMK leader called the late Tamil scholar the ‘proud identity of modern Madurai’ and hailed his contribution in grooming several public speakers, which Stalin said could be referred to as ‘Pappaiah lineage’.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said Pappaiah’s demise is an ‘irreparable loss’ to Tamil literature and Tamil culture. ‘He impressed one and all with his excellent skills in oratory, his humour, love for Tamil language and deep knowledge of Tamil literature,’ the Governor posted on X. ‘With his efforts, he enriched the thoughts of the public at large and had the privilege of taking Tamil language and its greatness to several generations.’
Fellow Pattimandram speaker Bharathi Baskar, who debated alongside Pappaiah for more than two decades, posted that she last saw him four days before his death when they attended a programme together in Sivakasi. They were recording their television Pattimandram debate for Sun TV.
‘He was so alert in that debate. He spoke well. He gave a verdict for the youth. We did not expect this news so soon,’ Bharathi said. ‘I have been speaking in his Pattimandram team for the last 25 years. Without his support and love, I could not have become a speaker,’ she added.
Like Bharathi, Baskar also noted that Pappaiah passed away on poet Bharathiyar’s memorial day. He too often quoted Bharathiyar in his speeches. ‘Today we stand orphaned, having lost our father,’ Bharathi said.
Lyricist Vairamuthu also wrote a brief message lamenting Pappaiah’s death. Like others, Vairamuthu said that the Tamil scholar passed away on the same day as Bharathiyar’s death anniversary.
‘Kalaiivanar of the stage Pappaiperumasamy. Madurai now feels empty. My heart is crying,’ Vairamuthu said.
Solomon Pappaiah moderated over 12,000 debates in his career, reports said. He last appeared on television for Sun TV’s Pattimandram in Sivakasi on September 7. He died four days after the event.