Sujatha, the well-known author of several novels and short stories, who has also penned the dialogues for several movies, passed away earlier today. A great loss to Indian literature indeed.

His true name was Rangarajan, Sujatha being a pseudonym. He has written over 100 novels, 250 short stories, ten books on science, ten stage plays, and a slim volume of poems. His very first story featured in a magazine called Sivaji in 1953. His short story, Idadhu Orathil, was published in a Tamil magazine in 1962 and he soon became a regular contributor. His writings are well known and much-read.

His writing expertise took to the silver screen with movies such as Gayathri, Priya and Vikram, and eventually he became a popular writer in filmdom as well. Some of his recent works in cinema include Anniyan and Sivaji. The soon-to-release Anandha Thandavam is the onscreen adaptation of a novel by Sujatha. He was also working on the script for Shankar's much-anticipated Robot.

However, nature's course has changed his. Today, we have lost one of the most revered writers of South India. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved.