28ĭuring his time at Radio Singapura, Krishnan mentored many staff and young people. The themes of these musicals centred on anti-smoking, family planning and other topical issues. Krishnan produced and acted in many musicals that addressed contemporary social issues in a hilarious and entertaining manner. However, as he was limited to a one-hour time slot, some scenes from the play were omitted. He is the first local writer to attempt a Tamil translation of a Shakespearean play. In 1961, Krishnan’s Tamil translation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth was broadcast over the airwaves. The episodes of Adukkuveettu Annaasamy have since been compiled into two volumes, published in 2000. The play examined social issues such as National Service, queuing at bus stops, road-crossing etiquette and interaction with neighbours. 24 Adukkuveettu Annaasamy, a comedic radio play based on life in a Housing and Development Board flat in the 1960s, 25 was broadcast over Singapore radio from 9 March 1969 to 6 March 1970. 23 Both were named after the titular characters.
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One of Krishnan’s most popular works is the 52-episode drama serial Adukkuveettu Annaasamy, which is a sequel to his previous work, Maadiveettu Mangalam. 21 The subject matter was addressed in Krishnan’s uniquely humorous style, which proved popular with audiences. 20Īs part of his job at Radio Singapura, Krishnan wrote radio plays, focusing on current social issues and documenting the trials and tribulations of the Tamil community in post-independent Singapore.
He became a full-time announcer for the Indian section in 1962. In 1953, Krishnan joined Radio Singapura as a part-time artiste for the Indian programmes section and the Tamil Schools broadcast unit. When he read Shakespeare’s works as a student, he vowed that he would one day translate the bard’s plays so that more people could read them. Krishnan also had a passion for the works of William Shakespeare. Puthumaipithan, who was at the forefront of the new wave of Tamil literature in the 1940s, wrote stories that involved social satire, progressive thinking and outspoken criticism of social conventions – themes that are also reflected in Krishnan’s works. Krishnan adopted the pen name Puthumaithasan due to the high regard he held for Indian author Puthumaipithan. In 1954, Krishnan was appointed assistant editor of Tamil magazines, Munnetram and Sinthanai. Krishnan is also a founding member of the Singapore Tamil Writers’ Association (now known as the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers) established in 1953, and briefly served as the association’s secretary. 14 His story, Thaai, was praised by renowned critic, Suba Narayanan, as having “great finesse and conciseness”, as well as for its clarity in presentation. Some of Krishnan’s works produced during this period include Thanga Sangili (Golden Chain) (1953), 12 a story about a hardworking man who was denied a loan for his wife’s medical treatment Vaazha Mudiyaathaval (Destitute) (1953), 13 about life in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945) and Shanthi (1953), a tale about love and arranged marriage in the Indian community. 10 His stories for Tamil Murasu generally depicted the daily lives of the middle and lower classes, with themes focusing on social issues like adultery, hooliganism and poverty.
From the 1950s, Krishnan began writing regularly, 9 and was a frequent contributor of short stories and articles to newspapers such as Tamil Murasu and Tamil Nesan published in Singapore and Malaysia respectively. Krishnan’s earliest job was as an assistant storekeeper at an Ayer Rajah military base, where he sold household goods to British soldiers and their families. Chinnappanar, Krishnan subsequently became a Tamil language and literature scholar in his own right. 7Through self-study in libraries and with the help of an Indian scholar, S. 6 Krishnan developed a love for the Tamil language while he was still a student. 5 He took the Senior Cambridge examination and subsequently settled in Singapore. 4 In 1947, he left for Singapore to continue his education, which had been put on hold due to World War II. Krishnan was born in Johor, Malaya, in 1932. He was conferred the Cultural Medallion for Literary Arts in 2008. Krishnan has received many awards for his contributions to Tamil literature.
1 He is a prolific short-story writer, playwright, poet and radio broadcaster, with an oeuvre comprising more than 40 stories, 100 essays and 360 plays. 1932, Johor, Malaya–), also known as Puthumaithasan, is regarded as one of Singapore’s Tamil literary pioneers.