Solomon Pappaiah of Pattimandram fame dies at 90: Vijay, Rajinikanth, Sethupathi mourn loss of scholar-TV personality

Tamil scholar Solomon Pappaiah died in Madurai at the age of 90. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and film personalities mourned his passing.

Tamil scholar and television personality Solomon Pappaiah, known best for hosting the debate show Pattimandram, died at the age of 90 in Madurai on Friday. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, and film personalities such as Rajinikanth and Vijay Sethupathi expressed grief upon his passing. They took to social media to pay homage to the scholar.

Rajinikanth expressed grief at Solomon Pappaiah's death on September 11.

Vijay mourns Solomon Pappaiah’s death

Actor-politician Vijay posted a picture of Solomon on X (formerly Twitter) and paid tribute to him, writing, “Upon learning of the passing of Tamil scholar Professor Solomon Pappiah, who, through forum platforms, made the world aware of the greatness of Tamil and the way of life of Tamils, I am filled with immense sorrow and pain.” He also offered condolences to everyone grieving his death.

He also added, “Through his speeches infused with humour, his profound mastery of Tamil, and his ability to bring social thoughts to the people in a simple manner, Professor Solomon Pappiah not only achieved this but also transformed forums from mere pastime events into platforms that provoke thought—his contribution therein is monumental. His departure is an irreplaceable great loss to the Tamil-speaking world.”

Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi express grief

“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,” wrote Rajinikanth on X.

Sethupathi wrote, “A golden era of the Tamil stage has vanished. The demise of Mr. Solomon Pappiah, who took the forum from home to home, speaking Tamil simply and beautifully to make it understood, is a great loss to Tamil and the Tamil people. His words will live on directly within Tamil. My deepest condolences to his family.”

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Solomon Pappayya Sir. A great voice of Tamil, forever remembered,” wrote Prabhu Deva, while R Sarath Kumar wrote, “Through the channel of that loving voice, Professor Solomon Pappiah entered the hearts and homes of Tamils, transforming platform stages into grand arenas of culture with his sweet speech and charming Tamil laced with humour. The news of his passing brings immense sorrow.”

About Solomon Pappaiah

According to PTI, Solomon died due to an illness on Friday in Madurai. He was 90 years old. ANI wrote about how he had popularised the traditional debate format, Pattimandram, and brought up discussions on everything from classic literature to everyday social issues.

Alongside his public role as a debate moderator, Solomon had a long academic career. He served as a Tamil professor at The American College in Madurai for more than three decades. He was also familiar to Tamil cinema audiences through memorable cameo appearances. His film credits included Mudhalvan, Boys and Sivaji: The Boss.

Solomon received the Kalaimamani award in 2000 for his contribution to literature and was conferred India's civilian honour, the Padma Shri, in 2021.