Solomon Pappaiah, the legendary Tamil scholar, orator, actor and television personality who transformed the centuries-old art of Pattimandram from an academic exercise into a living-room tradition for millions of Tamil-speaking people, died at a private hospital in Madurai at the age of 90 on Friday.

Shortly before his health deteriorated, he had recorded a special Vinayagar Chaturthi debate programme scheduled to air on Monday.

On Saturday, the veteran was laid to rest with state honours. Rajinikanth, shared on X, tweeted, “I pray to the divine that the soul of the great Tamil luminary, Professor Solomon Pappaiah, who elevated the literary forum from the realm of the educated to the common folk in a populist manner, attains peace.”

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Solomon Pappaiah’s memorable journey in the movies

Solomon Pappaiah never pursued an acting career. Cinema came to him because his face, his voice and his public persona were too large to ignore. His distinctive voice, expressive face and enormous public popularity caught the attention of film directors who saw in him something that professional actors could not provide: instant trust from the audience.

His entry into films began with a cameo in Mappillai, followed by a role in Pudhu Varusham. But it was director S Shankar who saw something in the scholar that other filmmakers had not thought to use.

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Shankar cast Pappaiah in three of his films. The first was Mudhalvan (1999), the political action drama starring Arjun Sarja, where Pappaiah appeared in a small but notable role. The second was Boys (2003), Shankar’s coming-of-age drama, where Pappaiah played a magistrate. He also appeared in Yes Madam (2003) in the same year. Both the Shankar roles were brief but memorable enough to establish him as a recognisable face beyond the Pattimandram stage.

The third Shankar film changed everything. In Sivaji: The Boss (2007), starring Rajinikanth, Pappaiah played Thondaiman, a wealthy father who invites Sivaji (Rajinikanth) to his home for a bride-seeing ceremony for his two daughters, Angavai and Sangavai. The comedic timing between Pappaiah and Rajinikanth became one of the defining highlights of the film. The humorous dialogue exchange, the back-and-forth between the scholarly orator and the superstar, left a lasting mark on Tamil pop culture and introduced Pappaiah to a global cinematic audience for the first time.

In the wake of Sivaji’s success, Pappaiah reportedly received over 200 film offers. He turned down every single one. The reason? First, he wanted to remain grounded in his true calling: Tamil literature and the Pattimandram stage. Second, and more revealingly, he expressed deep remorse about the Angavai-Sangavai sequence itself.

According to Deccan Chronicle, the scene featured a heavy amount of colourism and body shaming directed at the two characters. Pappaiah felt the comedy had crossed a line by insulting Angavai and Sangavai, names rooted in classical Tamil history, names that belonged to the Chola dynasty and carried cultural weight that a comedy sequence had no right to trivialise. He regretted his involvement in a scene that used historical Tamil names for cheap laughs and resolved not to participate in films again.

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In 2000, the Tamil Nadu government honoured him with the Kalaimamani award for his contributions to Tamil literature and public discourse.

In 2021, at the age of 85, he received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, for his contributions to Literature and Education. The award was widely seen as overdue recognition for a man who had spent six decades in service of the Tamil language.