Vairamuthu

Vairamuthu Ramasamy (born 13 July 1953) is an Indian lyricist, poet, and novelist who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. He is also a prominent figure in contemporary Tamil literature. After earning a master's degree from Pachaiyappa's College in Chennai, Vairamuthu worked as a translator while establishing himself as a poet. He entered the Tamil film industry in 1980 with Nizhalgal, directed by Bharathiraja with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has written thousands of film songs and poems. Vairamuthu has won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics seven times, the most by any lyricist. He received the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. He also received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 for his novel Kallikattu Ithikasam. In 2026, he received the 60th Jnanpith Award, conferred for the year 2025, in recognition of his contribution to Indian literature. The award was presented on 13 July 2026, his 73rd birthday.