Balakumaran (5 July 1946 – 15 May 2018)[1] was an Indian Tamil writer and author of over 200 novels, 100 short stories, and dialogue/screenplay writer for 23 films.[2] He also contributed to Tamil periodicals such as Kalki, Ananda Vikatan and Kumudam.[3] His notable works as a dialogue writer in Tamil Cinema include Nayakan, Guna, Baashha and Pudhupettai.
Balakumaran was born in Pazhamarneri village near Thirukattupalli in Thanjavur district on 5 July 1946. He was married to Kamala and Santha. They have daughter Gowri and son Venkataraman aka Surya.[4] He was a disciple of Yogi Ramsurat Kumar. Balakumaran died at the age of 71 due to prolonged illness in a private hospital on 15 May 2018.[5] As a child, he was highly inspired by his mother, who was a Tamil scholar and a Siromani in Sanskrit, used verses of Sangam and other ancient literature to motivate him whenever he was emotionally down. This created a deep interest in Tamil literature which made literature his passion. Despite having a poor relationship with his father due to average academic performance especially Maths, he continued his deep interest in literature with his mother's support. After completing his studies at Wesley High School, he joined a tractor company TAFE in Chennai for a job like any middle class youth. But, with hunger for literature, he quit the job of stenographer in a tractor company and started work on poems first and gradually moved towards short stories & novels.[6] His first stories were published in a literary magazine called 'ka-ca-da-ta-pa-Ra' and for which he was also a founding member of KaChaTaThaPaRa, a self-anointed militant literary journal that had been launched with a mission to blaze new trails in modernist literature and later in Kumudam. Balakumaran's first novel — 'Mercury Pookaal' was serialized in Saavi and his second 'Irumbu Kuthirai' (Iron horse) was serialized in Kalki.[7]
Literary style and themesedit
Balakumaran's works majorly revolved around woman with great empathy. In his stories, women were not merely gendered cardboard cutouts but fully sentient individuals, with bodies, dreams, desires, yearnings and frustrations. This "legitimisation" of female existence earned him succeeding generations of devoted women readers who resonated with the female characters in his fiction. In an interview, he said that during his initial days in Chennai he spent his life amidst such people. This prompted him to develop a liking for them.[8] Balakumaran had the habit of experiencing characters by himself when writing a book. For instance, In 'Udayar' novel, he had traveled many places where Raja Raja Cholan visited in order to bring closeness towards the novel. Also, he traveled in trucks to longer distance for his 'Irumbu Kuthirai' (Iron horse) novel.[9] In an interview given to The Times of India, he said that after reading Kalki Krishnamurthy's novel Ponniyin Selvan he wondered why it was needed to write a fictional account of the Cholas when there was enough to write about the facts there. "The Raja Raja Chola of Kalki was a different person. He hadn't become the king yet. The Thanjai temple wasn't even in the picture. I went to the Thanjavur district and visited Pallipadai, dedicated to Panchavan Madevi. She was an anukkiyar, a category that is apart from the queens and concubines. She was a friend of Raja Raja Chola I. If you look at the paintings there, each face is unique. Whoever did it, has worked on it with real faces. I did a lot of research for my novel Gangaikonda Chozhan also. But I felt I did that work, visiting those places as a tourist. Udaiyar, a six-part novel, gave me satisfaction as a writer."[10]
Novels writtenedit
Udayar
Series about the Great Emperor Raja Raja Cholan, includes the details about how he built Thanjavur districtBrihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur and many more. It is a reference to the culture gradient between different kingdoms during Udayar period.
Mercury Pookkal
Irumbhu Kudhiraigal
Krishna Arjunan
Thayumanavan
Agalya
Kai Veesamma Kai Veesu
Endrendrum Anbudan
Udayar (novel)
Shenbagathottam
Pani Vizhum Malar Vanam
Kadal neelam
Naan Enna Solli Vittaen
Kadarpaalam
Pey Karumbu (on PattinathaarSwamigal)
Simmasanam (on Kumara Guruparar Swamigal)
Thangakkai (on Seshadiri Swamigal of Thiruvannamalai)
Guru (on Bhagawan Sri Yogi Ram Suratkumar of Thiruvannamalai)
Nigumbalai
Kadalora Kuruvigal
Karaiyora Mudhalaigal
Payanigal Kavanikkavum
Thunai
Meettadha Veenai
Vetrilai Kodi
Manja Kaani
Karnanin Kathai
Shakthi
KatruKondal Kutramillai
En Manathu Thamaraippoo
Kalyana Murungai
Peria Puranak Kathaigal
Kannaadi Koburangal
Kadigai
Ramayanam
Ammavum 10 Katturaigalum
Manam Uruguthey
Appam Vadai Thayirsatham
Ithuthaan Vayathu Kathalikka
Snegamulla Singam
Yeno Theriavillai
kathal Aragam
Neli Mothiram
Ean Mathil Tamarai Poo
Kathalperuman (On Arunagirinathar)
Vilvamaram
Marakal
idharkuth Thane Aasaippattaay Balakumara
Thalaiyanai Pookkal
En Kanmani Thamarai (On Abirami Bhattar)
Thozhan
Gangai Konda Cholan
Avani
Idhu Pothum
Mahabharatham
333 Ammaiyappan Theru
Kanne Vanna Pasungiliye
Brindhavanam (On Shri Ragavendra Swamigal)
Filmographyedit
Balakumaran's contribution to films was largely in the field of screenplay making and dialogue writing. His skills in crafting the dialogue for any conceivable character are noteworthy in Kollywood and his dialogues in Nayakan and Baasha are still popular and widely used. Surprisingly, he believed movies ware just a means to lift him from the lower middle-class to the upper middle-class. "For a writer of novels, cinema dialogues come easily because our mind has already been conditioned to think while writing novels."[11]
^""About me"". writerbalakumaran.com. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
^"Balakumaran about his Novels". The Hindu. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
^""About me"". writerbalakumaran.com. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
^""Popular Tamil novelist Balakumaran passes away"". The Hindu. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
^""About me"". writerbalakumaran.com. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
^""Stories from the heart"". The Hindu. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
^""Balakumaran (1946-2018) struck a chord with readers because he gave a voice to ordinary individuals"". scroll.in. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
^""portfolio"". writerbalakumaran.com. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
^"The time traveller – An interaction with writer Balakumaran". Madraswallah. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^"The time traveller – An interaction with writer Balakumaran". Madraswallah. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^. IndiaGlitz. 3 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
balakumaran, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, 202. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Balakumaran news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2023 Learn how and when to remove this message Balakumaran 5 July 1946 15 May 2018 1 was an Indian Tamil writer and author of over 200 novels 100 short stories and dialogue screenplay writer for 23 films 2 He also contributed to Tamil periodicals such as Kalki Ananda Vikatan and Kumudam 3 His notable works as a dialogue writer in Tamil Cinema include Nayakan Guna Baashha and Pudhupettai BalakumaranBorn 1946 07 05 5 July 1946Pazhamarneri Thirukattupalli Thanjavur Tamil Nadu IndiaDied15 May 2018 2018 05 15 aged 71 Chennai Tamil Nadu IndiaOccupationWriter novelistNationalityIndianSpousesKamalaShantaChildrenGowri Surya Contents 1 Biography 2 Literary style and themes 3 Novels written 4 Filmography 5 Literary works 6 Awards 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksBiography editBalakumaran was born in Pazhamarneri village near Thirukattupalli in Thanjavur district on 5 July 1946 He was married to Kamala and Santha They have daughter Gowri and son Venkataraman aka Surya 4 He was a disciple of Yogi Ramsurat Kumar Balakumaran died at the age of 71 due to prolonged illness in a private hospital on 15 May 2018 5 As a child he was highly inspired by his mother who was a Tamil scholar and a Siromani in Sanskrit used verses of Sangam and other ancient literature to motivate him whenever he was emotionally down This created a deep interest in Tamil literature which made literature his passion Despite having a poor relationship with his father due to average academic performance especially Maths he continued his deep interest in literature with his mother s support After completing his studies at Wesley High School he joined a tractor company TAFE in Chennai for a job like any middle class youth But with hunger for literature he quit the job of stenographer in a tractor company and started work on poems first and gradually moved towards short stories amp novels 6 His first stories were published in a literary magazine called ka ca da ta pa Ra and for which he was also a founding member of KaChaTaThaPaRa a self anointed militant literary journal that had been launched with a mission to blaze new trails in modernist literature and later in Kumudam Balakumaran s first novel Mercury Pookaal was serialized in Saavi and his second Irumbu Kuthirai Iron horse was serialized in Kalki 7 Literary style and themes editBalakumaran s works majorly revolved around woman with great empathy In his stories women were not merely gendered cardboard cutouts but fully sentient individuals with bodies dreams desires yearnings and frustrations This legitimisation of female existence earned him succeeding generations of devoted women readers who resonated with the female characters in his fiction In an interview he said that during his initial days in Chennai he spent his life amidst such people This prompted him to develop a liking for them 8 Balakumaran had the habit of experiencing characters by himself when writing a book For instance In Udayar novel he had traveled many places where Raja Raja Cholan visited in order to bring closeness towards the novel Also he traveled in trucks to longer distance for his Irumbu Kuthirai Iron horse novel 9 In an interview given to The Times of India he said that after reading Kalki Krishnamurthy s novel Ponniyin Selvan he wondered why it was needed to write a fictional account of the Cholas when there was enough to write about the facts there The Raja Raja Chola of Kalki was a different person He hadn t become the king yet The Thanjai temple wasn t even in the picture I went to the Thanjavur district and visited Pallipadai dedicated to Panchavan Madevi She was an anukkiyar a category that is apart from the queens and concubines She was a friend of Raja Raja Chola I If you look at the paintings there each face is unique Whoever did it has worked on it with real faces I did a lot of research for my novel Gangaikonda Chozhan also But I felt I did that work visiting those places as a tourist Udaiyar a six part novel gave me satisfaction as a writer 10 Novels written editUdayar Series about the Great Emperor Raja Raja Cholan includes the details about how he built Thanjavur district Brihadisvara Temple Thanjavur and many more It is a reference to the culture gradient between different kingdoms during Udayar period Mercury Pookkal Irumbhu Kudhiraigal Krishna Arjunan Thayumanavan Agalya Kai Veesamma Kai Veesu Endrendrum Anbudan Udayar novel Shenbagathottam Pani Vizhum Malar Vanam Kadal neelam Naan Enna Solli Vittaen Kadarpaalam Pey Karumbu on Pattinathaar Swamigal Simmasanam on Kumara Guruparar Swamigal Thangakkai on Seshadiri Swamigal of Thiruvannamalai Guru on Bhagawan Sri Yogi Ram Suratkumar of Thiruvannamalai Nigumbalai Kadalora Kuruvigal Karaiyora Mudhalaigal Payanigal Kavanikkavum Thunai Meettadha Veenai Vetrilai Kodi Manja Kaani Karnanin Kathai Shakthi KatruKondal Kutramillai En Manathu Thamaraippoo Kalyana Murungai Peria Puranak Kathaigal Kannaadi Koburangal Kadigai Ramayanam Ammavum 10 Katturaigalum Manam Uruguthey Appam Vadai Thayirsatham Ithuthaan Vayathu Kathalikka Snegamulla Singam Yeno Theriavillai kathal Aragam Neli Mothiram Ean Mathil Tamarai Poo Kathalperuman On Arunagirinathar Vilvamaram Marakal idharkuth Thane Aasaippattaay Balakumara Thalaiyanai Pookkal En Kanmani Thamarai On Abirami Bhattar Thozhan Gangai Konda Cholan Avani Idhu Pothum Mahabharatham 333 Ammaiyappan Theru Kanne Vanna Pasungiliye Brindhavanam On Shri Ragavendra Swamigal Filmography editBalakumaran s contribution to films was largely in the field of screenplay making and dialogue writing His skills in crafting the dialogue for any conceivable character are noteworthy in Kollywood and his dialogues in Nayakan and Baasha are still popular and widely used Surprisingly he believed movies ware just a means to lift him from the lower middle class to the upper middle class For a writer of novels cinema dialogues come easily because our mind has already been conditioned to think while writing novels 11 Some of Balakumaran novel names have been used in Tamil cinema as movie titles Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara Irumbu Kuthirai which are samples of Balakumaran s popularity He directed the 1988 K Bhagyaraj starrer film Idhu Namma Aalu List of the films to which Balakumaran contributed Writer Nayakan 1987 Guna 1991 Shenbagathottam 1991 Gentleman 1993 12 Kadhalan 1994 Kizhakku Malai 1995 Ragasiya Police 1995 Baasha 1995 Sivasakthi 1996 Ullaasam 1997 Velai 1998 Jeans 1998 Mugavaree 2000 Uyirile Kalanthathu 2000 Citizen 2001 Majnu 2001 Kadhal Sadugudu 2003 Adhu 2004 Jananam 2004 Manmadhan 2004 Vallavan 2006 Pudhupettai 2006 Literary works editEpic on Rajendra Cholan Monthly Novels on various themes Awards editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed September 2023 Learn how and when to remove this message Literary Awards won Irumbu Kudhiraigal Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiyar Trust Awards Mercury Pookal Illakkiya Sindhanai Awards Kadarpalam State Award II Prize Short Story Collection Sugajeevanam State Award I Prize short story collection Cinema Awards Won Guna Cinema Express Award Kaadalan Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Dialogue Writer Other Awards Honoured with Sindhanai Chemmal title From Lions Club Madras Kalaimaamani Award from Government of Tamil NaduSee also editList of Indian writersReferences edit Veteran Tamil novelist Balakumaran dies at 71 About me writerbalakumaran com Retrieved 17 May 2018 Balakumaran about his Novels The Hindu 30 June 2016 Retrieved 12 December 2017 About me writerbalakumaran com Retrieved 16 May 2018 Popular Tamil novelist Balakumaran passes away The Hindu 16 May 2018 Retrieved 16 May 2018 About me writerbalakumaran com Retrieved 16 May 2018 Stories from the heart The Hindu 30 June 2016 Retrieved 20 May 2018 Balakumaran 1946 2018 struck a chord with readers because he gave a voice to ordinary individuals scroll in 17 May 2018 Retrieved 20 May 2018 portfolio writerbalakumaran com Retrieved 20 May 2018 The time traveller An interaction with writer Balakumaran Madraswallah 16 April 2018 Retrieved 4 March 2019 The time traveller An interaction with writer Balakumaran Madraswallah 16 April 2018 Retrieved 4 March 2019 Balakumaran in Robot IndiaGlitz 3 May 2008 Archived from the original on 24 January 2014 Retrieved 29 June 2012 External links editOfficial Site Official Blog Balakumaran Thoughts Portals nbsp Biography nbsp India nbsp Literature nbsp Tamils Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Balakumaran amp oldid 1195850819, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
