Tamil poet and lyricist Vaali, who was undergoing treatment for a respiratory illness at a hospital in Chennai, died on Thursday. He was 81. Vaali had not been keeping well for the last two months. He was put on ventilator on Wednesday when his condition worsened.

Vaali wrote more than 10,000 Tamil songs in a career spanning over six decades.

Vaali was born to Srinivasa Iyengar and Ponnammal in Srirangam on October 29, 1931 and came to Chennai in the 1950s seeking an opportunity in Kollywood. He became a sought after lyricist in 1960s and 1970s thanks to the patronage he got from MGR.

Vaali, whose real name is TS Rangarajan, has been known for his fighting spirit. According to Chennai-based political commentator and columnist Sudhangan, a friend of the lyricist, Vaali came to the city from Srirangam in the 1950s, trying to catch a break in Kollywood.

After a few years of dead ends, Vaali was so disillusioned at not being able to break the stranglehold that lyricist Kannadasan had over the film industry, he had decided to pack his bags and leave.

'Playback singer PB Srinivas - who passed away recently - happened to see Vaali packing up and decided to sing him the song Mayakama Kalakama from the 1962 movie 'Sumai Thangi'. It was written by Kannadasan. It apparently inspired Vaali so much that he decided to stay back in Chennai,' says Sudhangan.

Clearly a good decision,.