C. V. Balakrishnan (born 24 September 1952) is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature.[1] His novels and short stories encompass the emotional issues related to mass culture, sexual politics, fate of the marginalised and institutionalised religions. An author of more than 60 literary works along with a few film scripts and film criticisms, his best known work is the novel Ayussinte Pusthakam (The Book of Passing Shadows).[2] He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award thrice[3] and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2002 for Cinemayude Idangal. In 2014, he won the Padmaprabha Literary Award.[4][5]

C. V. Balakrishnan
Born (1952-09-24) 24 September 1952 (age 72)
Payyannur, Kerala, India
OccupationWriter
LanguageMalayalam
NationalityIndian
GenreNovel, novella, short story, essay, screenplay
Notable worksAyussinte Pusthakam
Disa
Kamamohitham
Atmavinu Sariyennu Thonnunna Karyangal
Notable awardsKerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Kerala State Film Award

Biography

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Balakrishnan was born in Payyannur, Kannur district, Kerala.[6] After completing his school education, he took training in teaching and worked in various schools before shifting to Calcutta in 1979 where he worked as a freelance journalist. It was in Calcutta he began writing Ayussinte Pusthakam.

Ayussinte Pusthakam (The Book of Passing Shadows)

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Ayussinte Pusthakam is considered one of the major works in the post-modernist Malayalam literature. Balakrishnan began writing this novel when he moved to Calcutta in late-1970s. An old edition of the Bible at St. Paul's Cathedral in Calcutta triggered the book in him. It took him three years to complete the novel. Says the author: "All the characters and villages of Christian settlers were in my mind long before I began thinking about writing Ayussinte Pusthakam. The characters are based on people I met during my course as a school teacher in a village in Kasaragod. I wrote Ayussinte Pusthakam at a time when I was going through an emotionally difficult period; my relation with my father was strained and I was feeling very lonely. Ayussinte Pusthakam is about loneliness." The book is also about sin and sadness, written in a style and language that have been judiciously borrowed from The Bible."[7] The novel was successfully adapted for the stage by suveeran in 2008. It won many Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Awards including one for the best play.

Bibliography

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Novels

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Novellas

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  • Aadhi
  • Aavanakkinte Oru Poovu Allenkil Erikkinter Oru Poovu
  • Aagola Grameenar
  • Ozhiyabadhakal (Calicut: Poorna, 1996)
  • Drushti
  • Asthikalile Venal
  • Eenthappanayude Thottam
  • Ellinpadangal Poovidumbol (Trivandrum: Prabhath, 1999)
  • Globinte Ee Vasath
  • Irattakkuttikalude Achan
  • Parimalaparvatham (Kottayam: DC Books, 2003)
  • Vilakkumadam
  • Manassinu Ethra Thiraseelakal
  • Manjuprathima
  • Meen Pidikkaan Poya Gabriel
  • Narthanasala
  • Amen Amen
  • Prappitiyan
  • Sari, Pisachineppatti Samsarikkam
  • Tharangaleela
  • Vishadakala
  • Viva Goa (Kottayam: DC Books, 2012)
  • Vellivelichathil
  • Ithivritham (Trichur: Current, 1994)
  • Kadal Guhakal
  • Oru Gothra Katha, Oru Charitra Katha, Oru Chalachitra Katha
  • Maranam Ennu Perullavan
  • Ottakkoru Penkutty (Trichur: Current, 1989)
  • Jwalakalapam (Kottayam: DC Books, 1996)
  • Etho Rajavinte Prajakal (Trichur: Current, 1985) (collection of five novelettes)
  • Ente Pizha Ente Pizha Ente Valiya Pizha (Kottayam: DC Books, 1985) (collection of novelettes: Mazha Nanayunna Pavam, Daivame Ente Pizha Ente Pizha)
  • Bhavabhayam (Kottayam: DC Books, 1997)
  • Rathisandratha[13]

Short story collections

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Autobiography

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Memoirs

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  • Saannidhyam
  • Sugandha Sasyangalkidayiloode
  • Vaathil Thurannitta Nagarathil[23]
  • Aathmaavinodu Cherunnathu[24]

Travelogues

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  • Ethetho Saranikalil[25]
  • Yathrapathangalil
  • Scottish Dinarathrangal[26]

Translations

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Others

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  • Cinemayude Idangal (Essays on Film)
  • Mechilsthalangal (Essays)
  • Thathyakal Mithyakal (Essays)
  • Nerkazhchakalude Neru (Selected Journalism)
  • Orma Mathram (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2012) (Screenplay)[28]

Filmography

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Story, screenplay and dialogues
Story

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "'ആയുസ്സിന്റെ പുസ്തകം' ഇനി ഇംഗ്ലിഷിലും".
  2. ^ Venkiteswaran, C. S. (11 December 2021). "C.S. Venkiteswaran reviews C.V. Balakrishnan's 'The Book of Passing Shadows'". The Hindu.
  3. ^ "Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards". Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Novelist C V Balakrishnan chosen for Padmaprabha award". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 24 September 2014.
  5. ^ "Malayalam novelist C V Balakrishnan chosen for Padmaprabha literary award". The Economic Times.
  6. ^ "പൊളിച്ചു മാറ്റിത്തുടങ്ങിയ തറവാടിന്റെ വരാന്തയിൽ, കണ്ഠമിടറി കഥാകാരൻ." Mathrubhumi. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  7. ^ "The Hindu : Friday Review Thiruvananthapuram / Interview : Book of life". 20 July 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  8. ^ Pramod P. Seban (1 August 2011). "അസാധ്യമായ സ്വപ്നങ്ങൾ" (in Malayalam). Puzha.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  9. ^ Rahul Radhakrishnan (31 May 2021). "അശാന്തിയുടെ ഭൂവിടം" (in Malayalam). Asianet. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  10. ^ K. B. Prasannakumar (15 June 2019). "എന്നും ഞായറാഴ്ച ആയിരുന്നെങ്കില്‍: സിവി ബാലകൃഷ്ണന്റെ നോവലിനെക്കുറിച്ച്". Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  11. ^ "എന്നും ഞായറാഴ്ച ആയിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ".
  12. ^ "അവന്റെ രക്തത്തിന്റെ ശബ്ദം ഭൂമിയിൽ നിന്ന് എന്നോടു നിലവിളിക്കുന്നു".
  13. ^ "രതിസാന്ദ്രത അവസാനിക്കുന്നില്ല".
  14. ^ "ദൈവവും പിശാചും മനുഷ്യരും പിയാനോ വായിക്കുമ്പോൾ". 4 June 2020.
  15. ^ "പിയാനോ മീട്ടുന്ന അദൃശ്യവിരലുകൾ". 20 June 2020.
  16. ^ Pramod P. Seban (26 October 2016). "എഡ്വിനും പോളും സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നതെങ്ങനെ?". Malayala Manorama (in Malayalam). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Edwin Paul". Current Books.
  18. ^ "ചങ്ങലയുടെ ഭാരമില്ലാത്ത ഭ്രാന്തൻ കിനാവുകള്‍".
  19. ^ "സി.വി ബാലകൃഷ്ണന്റെ 20 ചെറുകഥകള്‍". DC Books. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  20. ^ "THIRANJEDUTHA KATHAKAL - C V BALAKRISHNAN". DC Books. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  21. ^ "SPCS - NBS - National Book Stall - Kottayam".
  22. ^ "ഓർമ്മകളുടെ പരൽമീൻ".
  23. ^ "You are being redirected..." dcbookstore.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  24. ^ "അർബുദമെന്ന ശത്രുവിനോട് യുദ്ധംചെയ്ത് തന്റെ ശക്തിയൊക്കെ പോയെന്ന് പരിഭവിച്ച കക്കാട്". 14 July 2022.
  25. ^ "പുസ്തകപരിചയം: ഏതേതോ സരണികളിൽ". 22 November 2019.
  26. ^ "സ്‌കോട്ടിഷ്‌ ദിനരാത്രങ്ങൾ".
  27. ^ "You are being redirected..." dcbookstore.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  28. ^ "ഓര്‍മ്മ മാത്രം സി വി ബാലകൃഷ്‌ണന്‍". Kerala Book Store. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  29. ^ "Cheraathukal: A new Malayalam anthology". The New Indian Express. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  30. ^ "കേരള സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമി അവാർഡുകൾ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു; വി.ജെ.ജയിംസിന്റെ 'നിരീശ്വരൻ' മികച്ച നോവൽ". ManoramaOnline. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.

Further reading

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