PA Vijay is a leading young Tamil film lyricist. The National Award-winning poet failed in his 10+2 examinations in 1993.
Born in a village near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, Vijay was a fair enough student with a passion for poetry. His family and friends thought he would get through his exams with ease. For his +2, he opted for computer science. His father had clear plans for his son: he wanted Vijay to become a civil engineer. But the boy failed in physics.
“There is a saying in Tamil - Vaathiyaar paiyan makku (a teacher's son will be a fool). My mother was a schoolteacher. I was reminded of this saying when I found my name missing from the list of those who had passed. I went home expecting a mouthful from my father. But he asked me not to worry. I have come this far only because of those words," says Vijay.
Abandoning his studies, Vijay headed straight to Kodambakkam, the home of Tamil cinema, to chase his dreams. Not only is he now a hugely successful lyricist, he is also playing hero in an upcoming film, besides having written dialogues for a Tamil production.
“To be truthful, I was really upset when I failed in my exams. But I would today say that marks don’t really matter. So never ever berate a student for not doing well in an examination. Life always gives you a second chance. If one door is slammed shut, look for another one and you’ll find it,” says Vijay.
It is easy to see why the poet’s memories of his school days don’t fill him with any happiness. He even contrived to misplace his +2 mark sheets. We now have reason to suspect that it was a deliberate act.
Born in a village near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, Vijay was a fair enough student with a passion for poetry. His family and friends thought he would get through his exams with ease. For his +2, he opted for computer science. His father had clear plans for his son: he wanted Vijay to become a civil engineer. But the boy failed in physics.
“There is a saying in Tamil - Vaathiyaar paiyan makku (a teacher's son will be a fool). My mother was a schoolteacher. I was reminded of this saying when I found my name missing from the list of those who had passed. I went home expecting a mouthful from my father. But he asked me not to worry. I have come this far only because of those words," says Vijay.
Abandoning his studies, Vijay headed straight to Kodambakkam, the home of Tamil cinema, to chase his dreams. Not only is he now a hugely successful lyricist, he is also playing hero in an upcoming film, besides having written dialogues for a Tamil production.
“To be truthful, I was really upset when I failed in my exams. But I would today say that marks don’t really matter. So never ever berate a student for not doing well in an examination. Life always gives you a second chance. If one door is slammed shut, look for another one and you’ll find it,” says Vijay.
It is easy to see why the poet’s memories of his school days don’t fill him with any happiness. He even contrived to misplace his +2 mark sheets. We now have reason to suspect that it was a deliberate act.
