Francis Kiruba, the Tamil poet, lyricist and writer, died on Thursday night after suffering from a seizure. His last rites were conducted in his hometown in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu on Friday evening.
The late poet was 50 and was undergoing treatment at Government Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai for liver-related illness and breathing issues. Kiruba was living alone in a rented room in the city.
Kiruba, who hails from Pathiniparai in Tirunelveli district, aside from being a renowned poet and writer, is also known for his selective work in the Tamil film industry. He has contributed lyrics to Tamil films such as Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009), Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai (2011), Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer (2013) and Kurangu Bommai (2017), among others. The poet has also served as story writer for the 2004 Tamil biopic of Kamaraj, named after the Indian politician. He has also penned a novel titled Kanni.
In 2018, Chennai police had booked the late poet on charges of murder after he was alleged to have pushed an unidentified man down and strangled him to death. However, the police had later discharged Kiruba after confirming through CCTV footage that he was innocent and had only intended to help the sick man.
Referring to this incident, writer and journalist Kavin Malar, while speaking to Silverscreen India, said, “After this, producer Gnanavel Raja had announced that he would rope in Francis as the lyricist for his banner Studio Green’s upcoming films. But, Francis did not go and meet him, and so, nothing came of it.”
Malar, who had known Kiruba for about 10-15 years, became closer to the poet after the 2018 incident. “I had received a missed call from him on Thursday morning. Before I could call him back, he had passed away. I feel terrible about not being able to attend that call on his last day. He was an affectionate person. He was never part of any groups in the literary world, but he was also a person who had no haters. He always encouraged me to write poetry,” she added.
Writer and researcher Stalin Rajangam mentioned to Silverscreen India that Kiruba’s works mainly concentrated on emotions and nature. Stalin also praised his poetic sense and added, “His words can make people imagine what he is trying to say. He had a free nomad-like life without any focus on material needs.”
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Writer Yuma Vasuki, who knew Kiruba as a close acquaintance in the 90s while working as a illustrator in Chennai, got to know him through filmmaker Ajayan Bala. He said, “We used to meet often and he would show me his poems. I suggested that he publish them as a collection and connected him to a few publishers, one of them being Vasanthakumar. Later, his book Messiahvin Kayangal was published. He went on to publish more books for Vasanthakumar, who also played a major role in encouraging Kiruba to write the novel Kanni. The novel was based on his own life experiences and mental troubles. He brought a new dimension to Tamil prose writing.”
“During his last days, he was mentally disturbed and had issues with his nervous system. Kavin Malar and a few others helped him a lot,” Yuma added.
Kiruba was unmarried and is survived by a sister and brother.