Veteran Tamil director, script and dialogue writer Erode Sounder passed away on Saturday due to age-related ailments. He was 62. An award-winning writer, Sounder had assisted blockbuster director K. S. Ravikumar during the early 1990s. The veteran writer eventually transitioned to directing films and made Muthal Seethanam in 1992, Simmarasi in 1998, including a school subject titled Ayya Ullen Ayya most recently. 

Erode Sounder is known among fans primarily for his association with director K. S. Ravikumar in films such as Cheran Pandiyan, Putham Pudhu Payanam, Nattamai and Samudhiram. Among their collaborations, Cheran Pandiyan, Nattamai and Samudhiram with 'Supreme Star' Sarath Kumar turned out to be major box office successes. Sounder was credited with writing the story and dialogues in these films, which not only included strong sentimental values, but also appealed to both the masses and the classes in the urban and rural areas. 

Nattamai released in 1994 became a raging blockbuster hit earning Sarath Kumar the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor, with the film subsequently going on to be remade in Telugu, Hindi and Kannada. Erode Sounder's association with Sarath Kumar turned out to be a successful outing once again in 1998 when the actor bagged the State Award for Best Actor for his performance in Simmarasi. Sounder is also credited with playing a supporting role in his directorial debut Muthal Seethanam. His association with K. S. Ravikumar along with reputed producer RB Choudhary's Super Good Films turned out to be a powerful partnership during the early to late 90s, with Sarath Kumar in the lead roles in most of the ventures.