Tulu Literature Academy Awardee, senior Playwright Shimunje Parari Passes Away

By Rons Bantwal
Bellevision Media Network

Mumbai (RBI), Sept 15:  Well-known Tulu Kannada Poet, translator, dramatist, teacher, singer, artist and an actor who had been versatile with talents, popularly known as Simunje Parari ( Sitarama Muddanna Shetty ) aged 84, passed away on Sunday, 15 September 2024 at his residence at Aditya Nagar, Andheri West.  

 

Simunje was born in the Kakwa Village in Mulki. His parents were Shimunje Muddanna Shetty and Kalyani Shetty. He became quite famous as a poet with literary name of ‘Shimumje Parari’. 

 

Since several years Shimumje resided at Chakala in Andheri East with his wife Chandrika Shetty and children Archana and Aparna.   

 

Shimunje felt that the literature that he had read in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarathi should be spread among the people of his language and began translating some of the important literary works in those languages. He translated to Kannada and Tulu a number of Marathi plays and staged and acted in those plays. Some of these plays include: “Yaan Pinaye’, “Aulorthi-Moolorthi”, “Jokul-Baalelu” and others. Some of the plays translated into Kannada include: “Nava Prabhata”, “Yaaru Nannavaru”, “Sutra Suli”, “Yaarigu Helona Beda”. “Narabhakshaka” is the play translated from Hindi to Kannada. Simunje’s contribution to Tulu literature is quite significant. His book “Yaaan Panpini Incha” was quite popular among the Tulu speaking people. He also acted in plays such as “Guddada Bhoota” of Sundarnath Suvarna, “Ghataashraddha” directed by Girish Kasaravalli. His book “Jokulu Balelu’ gained him Tulu Sahitya Academic Award. He was honoured by a number of organizations and associations.  

Those who paid condolence to late Shimunje Parari included: President of Mumbai Bunts Sangha Presdient Pravin Bhoja Shetty, Mumbai Bunts Asssociation Presdient CA Surendra K. Shetty, Advocate Kadandale Prari Prakash L. Shetty, Shyam N. Shetty Vashi, Petri Vishwanath Shetty, Nityanand D. Kotian, Advocate Gunakara D. Shetty, Mohan Marnad, Dr. G.N. Upadhyaya, Sa Daya, Dr. Bharat Kumar Polipu, Ondas Kannangar, I-Lesa Mumbai Director Surendra Marnadu and admirers of Shimunje, students and many others.