S. S. Sarma is a Tamil-language journalist, playwright and theatre director. He has played a key role in the development of Tamil-language theatre in Singapore, writing and presenting plays sited firmly in Singapore themes and issues where previously there existed only India-centric dramas. His popularly received plays have been presented on stage, radio and television. The founder of the Indian Arts Centre (now known as Tamil Cyber Society), Sarma modernised Tamil-language theatre in Singapore, and has received accolades for his significant contributions.

Sambasiva Sarma’s father migrated from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to Pahang, Malaysia where Sarma was born, growing up in a Brahmin community. Sarma would begin his early education in Pahang, but be forced to relocate to Kuala Lumpur with his family as the Japanese invasion began during World War II.

Living under Japanese Occupation in Kuala Lumpur, Sarma learnt some Japanese in school. Later, following the wishes of his father who was a temple priest, Sarma studied under a guru and became an assistant priest at the Shree Mariamman Temple. At the same time, he developed an interest in Tamil-language newspapers and plays that were staged during the time.

At the end of the war, Sarma continued his education in Seremban, Malaysia. By then, he had a strong interest in journalism and had begun to submit articles to Tamil newspapers and Madras magazines where they were published. He moved to Singapore in 1946, and pursuing his passion for journalism, joined the editorial staff of Tamil Murasu three years later as a proof reader. He would spend almost a decade working at the Tamil daily.

In 1952, the Shaw Brothers Studio started the Indian Movie News magazine, and Sarma was appointed as its editor. He soon became the senior editor of the widely read magazine, and also started writing a syndicated story for the magazine which was very popular as well.

During that period of time, Tamil-language plays that were staged in Singapore were based on traditional scripts that were written by Indian playwrights and that reflected Indian issues and themes played out against Indian settings. Seeing this, Sarma suggested to the drama practitioners that they change the script to suit the local setting but was met with reluctance. Seeing the need for this, and encouraged by the reception of his syndicated story in Indian Movie News, Sarma decided that he would try his hand at writing and producing Tamil-language plays.

This began Sarma’s instrumental involvement with Tamil-language theatre in Singapore. He began writing and presenting Tamil-language plays that were firmly rooted in the Singapore experience with Singaporean themes and issues that resounded especially well with Singapore audiences. A modern thinker and an innovative playwright, he also helped modernise Indian society by weaving progressive ideas in his productions through humour and introduced science fiction themes in his work when the norm was social and mythological plays.

Sarma also helped to modernise the technical aspects of Tamil theatre in Singapore. Then, Tamil plays were frequently presented in multi-purpose stages in New World and Great World that were shared by productions of all kinds. In order to raise the production standards of Tamil theatre, Sarma moved his productions into the Victoria Theatre, resulting in more polished and higher quality presentations, and also in higher skilled Tamil theatre practitioners who now had to learn how to work in a modern theatre environment. Putting up regular performances in Singapore at various cultural and drama festivals, his troupes also travelled to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles.

Besides the stage, Sarma also wrote many plays that were broadcast on radio and television. Throughout his time as a playwright and director, Sarma also contributed his time towards the development of Indian culture and language in Singapore. In 1968, Sarma founded the Indian Arts Centre (now Tamil Cyber Society) and served as its president until 1979. He also served as honorary secretary of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and the social and cultural secretary of the Singapore Indian Association. He also continued in his journalistic activities, spending time as editor and publisher of the popular magazines Vel, Alai Osai, and managing editor of Singai Chudar.

Sarma also became the author of over 20 books. Sarma’s Stage Experience (2004) is a collection of Sarma’s stage plays and dance dramas from the 1950s to the 1990s covering 40 years of experience in writing, and directing plays and cultural programmes. His non-fiction book Tamil Culture: Beyond the Horizon (2011) is a collection of essays originally published in various periodicals as well as research articles presented at seminars on ancient Tamil culture in Southeast Asia.

For his contributions to Tamil theatre and culture, Sarma has received recognition such as the Kala Ratna (Gem of the Arts) Award from the Tamil Nadu Parthasarathy Internaional Academy, Chennai, India. In 2011, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Tamil Literature from the Chennai Kalai Magal Foundation, India.

Sarma currently serves as the vice president of Tamil Cyber Society, which he founded as the Indian Arts Centre, and continues to contribute and write for Indian Movie News.