Periyar Dasan
Abdullah Periyar Dasan | |
|---|---|
பெரியார் தாசன் | |
 | |
| Born | Seshachalam[1] 21 August 1949[2] Agaram village, North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu |
| Died | 19 August 2013 (aged 63)[2] |
| Cause of death | Liver cancer |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Tamil Professor, Actor |
| Employer | Pachaiyappa's College |
| Political party | MDMK |
| Spouse | Vasantha[2] |
| Children | Valavan Suratha[2] |
Periyar Dasan (21 August 1949 – 19 August 2013) was an eminent speaker and activist from Tamil Nadu. He was a Tamil Scholar and thinker. He propagated Atheism and Rationalist ideologies for most part of his life. He has also appeared in Tamil-language films. He had acted in around 15 films, starting with Karuthamma.
Early life
Born in a shaivite family on 21 August 1949 at Agaram in Perambur, he was attracted towards the rationalist ideals of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy founder of the Dravidian movement. During his days in Pachaiyappa’s college, he changed his original name Seshachalam to Periyar Dasan ('Ardent follower of Periyar').[3] He well versed in Tamil literature, various religious studies and English and he has authored around 120 books. He was served as a professor in his alma mater, Pachaiyappa’s college, for 34 years.
In 1991, Periyar Dasan embraced Buddhism and added Siddartha as a prefix to his name. He translated the Dhammapada, a compilation of Buddhist virtues, authored by BR Ambedkar, into Tamil. This took him to learn Pali and Sanskrit.
Taking everyone by surprise, he embraced Islam as his way of life on 11 March 2010 during a visit to Mecca and rechristened his name as ‘Abdulla Periyardasan’. Thereafter, he started giving a series of lectures on Islam.[4] Before embracing Islam, he spent 10 years in knowing the key aspects of that religion and learning the Holy Quran and the Arabic language. Since 2004, he stopped his propagation of atheism.[5]
Filmography
 |
| Year | Film | Language | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Karuthamma | Tamil | Mokkaiyan | debut |
| 1996 | Tamizh Selvan | Tamil | ||
| 1996 | Aavathum Pennale Azhivathum Pennale | Tamil | Amavasai | |
| 1999 | Kadhalar Dhinam | Tamil | ||
| 2001 | Azhagi | Tamil | ||
| 2001 | Anandham | Tamil | ||
| 2005 | Amma Appa Chellam | Tamil | ||
| 2005 | Ayya | Tamil | ||
| 2008 | Dindigul Sarathy | Tamil | ||
| 2010 | Thamizh Padam | Tamil | Mokkai | |
| 2013 | Oru Kalluriyin Kadhai | Tamil | College Peon | |
| 2014 | Veeram | Tamil | Bhai | Last film[1] |
| 2008 | Arai En 305-il Kadavul | Tamil | Ganja Karuppu's Father |
Death
He died on 19 August 2013 at the age of 63, after fighting cancer.[6] He is survived by wife Vasantha and two sons Valavan and Suratha.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Actor Periyardasan passes away". chennaionline.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Periyardasan takes final bow after multiple roles". newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "FROM 'SLAVE OF PERIYAR' TO 'SLAVE OF ALLAH'". radianceweekly.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Periyar Dasan Dr. Abdullah". milligazette.com. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ "Periyar Dasan No More". indiaglitz.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Periyar Dasan Passes Away". kollytalk.com. Retrieved 10 December 2014.