Periyar Dasan

Abdullah Periyar Dasan
Center Mediater
Native name பெரியார் தாசன்
Born Seshachalam[1]
(1949-08-21)21 August 1949[2]
Agaram village, North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu
Died 19 August 2013(2013-08-19) (aged 63)[2]
Chennai, India
Cause of death Liver cancer
Residence Perambur, Chennai
Nationality Indian
Occupation Tamil Professor, Actor
Employer Pachaiyappa's College
Political party MDMK
Spouse(s) 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 around 15 Tamil-language films, starting with Karuthamma.

Early life

Born in a Shaivite family on 21 August 1949 at Agaram in Perambur, Dasan was attracted towards the rationalist ideals of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, the 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 was well-versed in Tamil literature, various religious studies, and English. He has authored around 120 books. He was served as a professor in his alma mater, Pachaiyappa’s College, for 34 years.

In 1991, Dasan embraced Buddhism and added Siddartha as a prefix to his name. He translated the Dhammapada, a compilation of Buddhist virtues, authored by B. R. 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 Periyar Dasan’. 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 Koran and the Arabic language. Since 2004, he stopped his propagation of atheism.[5]

Filmography

This film-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Year Film Language Role Notes
1994KaruththammaTamilMokkaiyanDebut film
1996Tamizh SelvanTamil
1996Aavathum Pennale Azhivathum PennaleTamilAmavasai
1996Mappillai Manasu PoopolaTamilDr. Kayalventhan
1999Kadhalar DhinamTamil
2001AzhagiTamil
2001AnandhamTamil
2005Amma Appa ChellamTamil
2005AyyaTamil
2005Oru Kalluriyin KathaiTamilCollege Peon
2008Arai En 305-il KadavulTamilMokkai's Father
2008Dindigul SarathyTamil
2008Malarinum MelliyaTamilCartman
2010Thamizh PadamTamilMokkai
2013Periyar Islathai Ettrara Ethirthara ?TamilAbdullah PeriyardasanDocumentary[1]
2014VeeramTamilBhaiPosthumous appearance

Death

He died on 19 August 2013 at the age of 63, after fighting liver cancer.[6] He is survived by wife Vasantha and two sons Valavan and Suratha.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Actor Periyardasan passes away". chennaionline.com. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Periyardasan takes final bow after multiple roles". newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  3. ↑ "FROM 'SLAVE OF PERIYAR' TO 'SLAVE OF ALLAH'". radianceweekly.com. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  4. ↑ "Periyar Dasan Dr. Abdullah". milligazette.com. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Periyar Dasan No More". indiaglitz.com. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  6. ↑ "Periyar Dasan Passes Away". kollytalk.com. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
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