Thukha (, ; 14 January 1910 – 7 December 2005) was a six-time Burmese Academy Award winning

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

song writer A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

, script writer,

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

and film producer. His film production company, Thukha Films Company, won Best Picture Award for twice. Thukha directed 33 films and is considered the most successful Burmese film director.

Biography

Born Thein Maung in the Irrawaddy delta in

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

, Thukha began writing poems as a middle school student. He became familiar with classical Burmese music at an early age thanks to his grandfather, a

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual string (music), strings running at an angle to its sound board (music), soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing ...

. Thukha studied at Kyaiklat and

Pyapon Pyapon (; , ) is a town and seat of Pyapon District as well as Pyapon Township in the Ayeyarwady Region of Myanmar, along the Pyapon River, a distributary of the Ayeyarwady River. It is located about inland from the Andaman Sea, about south of ...

National Schools. Thukha began his writing career at age 19 with a short fiction work "Zabe Pwint" ("Jasmine Petal") in ''Kawi Myetmhan'' magazine under the pen name Sein Thein Dan. He began using the pen name ''Thukha'' – meaning "pleasure" when he began writing fiction for ''Shwin-Pyaw-Pyaw'' magazine. Of his novels, ''Gon-Ye-Matu-Lo-La'' (''Am I Not an Equal for You?'') and ''Di-Saung-Hayman'' (''This Winter'') were the most successful. He also wrote many books on Buddhism, including Loka Niti,

Mangala Sutta Mangala (, IAST: ) is the personification, as well as the name for the planet Mars, in Hindu literature. Also known as Lohita (), he is the deity of anger, aggression, as well as war. According to Vaishnavism, he is the son of Bhumi, the eart ...

Metta Sutta The Mettā Sutta is the name used for two Buddhist discourses (Pali: '' sutta'') found in the Pali Canon. The one, more often chanted by Theravadin monks, is also referred to as ''Karaṇīyamettā Sutta'' after the opening word, ''Karaṇīyam' ...

and Dhamma Rasa. Thukha wrote more than 100 novels and 200 short stories. Thukha started his film career in 1938. His script for '' Chitthamya'' (''As Much As I Love'') brought widespread fame and won respect and acknowledgment from the filmmaking community. The Myanmar Writers’ Association awarded him an honorary prize for his first directing project. Out of the 33 films he made over the course of his career, six of them won the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization's best director award. Thukha was also a talented songwriter. " Bawa Thanthaya" (; "Life, Samsara or The life in Samsara") and " Gon" ("Status") were among his most popular songs. "Bawa Thanthaya" compares people to travelers on a train getting on and off at every station, illustrating the cycle of death and rebirth. "Gon" poked fun at people’s devotion to money and status. Thukha was a devout

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and included Buddhist morals and concepts in all his films and novels. He directed three documentaries related to

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

for Burmese television. Although he received success and recognition for both his writing and directing work, Thukha's first priority was always writing. His former pupil and close colleague, director Maung Hnin Moe, said: "He preferred writing to other jobs. He always put the title Writer and Director before his name." "Because he could not read or write in his old age," Maung Hnin Moe said, "he was thinking all the time and it is a great loss that he could not transform his thoughts into a form of work such as a book or film." Thukha was profoundly respected for his altruistic attitude and works. He was the founder and president of the Free Funeral Service Society, which volunteers its funeral services to any family regardless of race, religion or social standing. He was also known for his efforts to rename the full moon day of Pyatho (which normally falls in January) as

Mothers' Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Marc ...

, as well as for his campaign for younger generations to pay more respect to their mothers. On October 26, 2000,

Yangon University The University of Yangon (also Yangon University; , ; formerly Rangoon College, University of Rangoon and Rangoon Arts and Sciences University), located in Kamayut Township, Kamayut, Yangon Region, Yangon, is the oldest university in Myanmar's m ...

conferred the

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

(Honoris Causa) degree on U Thukha for his significant and outstanding contributions and abilities.

Partial filmography

*''Chitthamya'' (''As Much As I Love'') (1938) *''Chit Anumyu'' (''Love Atom'') (1948) *''Aw Meinma'' (''Oh Woman'') (1954) *'' Bawa Thanthayar'' (''Life's Samsara'') (1956) *'' Zagar Pyaw Thaw Athe Hnalone'' (''Talking Heart'') (1968) *'' Kyun Ma Mhar Main Ma Thar'' (''I'm the Girl'') (1970) *'' Aww Main Ma Main Ma'' (1972) *'' Bal Thu Pyaing Lo Hla Par Taw Naing'' (''Who Can Be More Beautiful?'') (1973) *''Shwe-Chi Ngwe-Chi Tan-Ba-Lo'' (''Gold and Silver Ribbons'') (1975)People Magazine Online - people.com.mm
/ref> *'' Ta Oo Ka Saytanar Ta Oo Ka Myittar'' (1976) *'' Chit A Mhya'' (1979) *'' A Kar Ka A Chit A Hnit Ka Myittar'' (1979)

References

{{authority control 2005 deaths 1910 births Burmese film directors Burmese male film actors Burmese Theravada Buddhists Burmese writers Burmese screenwriters 20th-century Burmese male actors People from Ayeyarwady Region Recipients of the Alinkar Kyawswar 20th-century screenwriters