Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai (17 April 1912 - 10 April
1999)
was a novelist and short
story writer of Malayalam. He is popularly known as Thakazhi,
after his place of birth. He focused on the oppressed classes as the
subject of his works, which are known for their attention to historic
detail. He has written several novels and over 600 short stories. His
most famous works are Kayar Chemmeen
(Prawns, 1956; film adaptation, 1965). He was awarded the Indian government's highest literary
award, the Jnanpith in 1984. (Coir, 1978) and
Born in the village of Thakazhi, in Kuttanad,
Alappuzha
district of Kerala, he started to write stories when he was a
schoolboy. His literary taste was nurtured by his high school headmaster
Kainikkara Kumara Pillai
(1900-1988) who exposed him to Indian literature. He met Kesari A
Balakrishna Pillai (1889-1960) while pursuing his law studies in Thiruvananthapuram. He introduced
Thakazhi to modern European literature and thought.
His novels and short stories basically discussed various aspects of
societies in Kerala in the mid-20th century. His novel Thottiyude
makan (Scavenger's Son, 1947) is considered a pioneer work in
Malayalam realistic novel. It is about modernity challenging the
rationale of the caste system, that one's profession should depend on
pedigree.
His love epic Chemmeen (Prawns, 1956) which was a departure
from his earlier line of realism, met with immense popularity. It told a
tragic love story set in the backdrop of a fishing village in Alappuzha.
The novel and its film adaptataion, also titled Chemmeen (1965)
earned him national and international fame. ChemmeenKendra Sahitya Academy Award in
1958. The film adaptation, directed by Ramu Kariat won the National Film Award for Best
Film in 1964. was
translated into 19 world languages and adapted as film in 15 countries.
Chemmeen won for Thakazhi the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1958. The film adaptation,
directed by Ramu Kariat won the National Film Award for Best
Film in 1964.
G. Sankara Kurup
G Sankara kurup (born June 3, 1901, Nayathode, Kerala, India - February 2, 1978, Trivandrum , Kerala) , better known as Mahakavi G (The Great Poet G), was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award , India's highest literary award . He won the prize in 1965 for his collection of poems in Malayalam Odakkuzhal (The bamboo flute, 1950). With part of the prize money he established the literary award Odakkuzhal in 1968. He was also the recipient of the Soviet Land Nehru Award , in 1967, and the Padma Bhushan in 1968.
After completing his education , Kurup worked as the Malayalam teacher in a secondary school in Thiruvillwamala in 1921 . Later he became a teacher in the Government Secondary Teacher Training Institute near Trichur. He worked as the Malayalam Pandit in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, and retired as Professor of Malayalam from the College in 1956. Kurup published his first poem, called Salutation to Nature in 1918 , while still a student. Apart from 25 collections of poetry, Kurup also wrote verse dramas and collections of literary essays -- in all about 40 works in Malayalam.
He also translated the Rubaiyat (1932) of Omar Khayyam, the Sanskrit poem Meghaduta (1944) of Kalidas , and the collection of poems Gitanjali (1959) of Rabindranath Tagore into Malayalam . Indeed, one often speaks of the influence of Tagore and Gandhi on the humanism and nationalism of Kurup. Interestingly, he has also been described as a “bard of science” who explores the role of science in achieving the human potential . He also penned the lyrics for P.J.Cherian’s Nirmala, (1948), the first Malayalam film to i ncorporate music and songs . Kurup also led an active public life as a member (1968-72) of Rajya Sabha , the upper house of the Indian parliament.
O.N.V Kurup
