- Source: C. V. Balakrishnan
C. V. Balakrishnan (born 24 September 1952) is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. 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). He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award thrice and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2002 for Cinemayude Idangal. In 2014, he won the Padmaprabha Literary Award.
Biography
Balakrishnan was born in Payyannur, Kannur district, Kerala. 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)
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."
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
= Novels
=Ayussinte Pusthakam (Kottayam: DC Books, 1984)
Aathmavinu Sariyennu Thonnunna Karyangal (Kottayam: DC Books, 1997)
Avanavante Anandam Kandethanulla Vazhikal (Kottayam: DC Books, 2006)
Disa (Kottayam: DC Books, 2001)
Ennum Njayarazhcha Aayirunnenkil (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2018)
Jeevithame Nee Enthu? (Kottayam: DC Books, 1987)
Kannadikkadal (Kottayam: DC Books, 1990)
Kamamohitham (Valapad: August Books, 1994)
Kalamezhuthu (Kottayam: N.B.S., 1981)
Librarian (Kottayam: DC Books, 2014)
Uparodham (Trivandrum: Chintha, 1981)
Varu Daivame Varu (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2016)
Arul (Manorama Books, 2023)
= Novellas
=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
= Short story collections
=Bhumiye Patti Adhikam Parayanda (Kottayam: S.P.C.S., 1993)
Daivam Piano Vaayikkumbol (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2020)
Edwin Paul (Trichur: Current, 2016)
Ente Bhranthan Kinavukal (Kottayam: DC Books, 2021)
Ente Priyapetta Kathakal (Kottayam: DC Books, 2009) (20 selected stories)
Katha (Calicut: Mulberry, 1999) (23 selected stories)
Kulirum Mattu Kathakalum (Calicut: Poorna, 1999)
Malakhamar Chiraku Veesumbol (Quilon: Imprint, 1994)
Makkalum Mattu Kathakalum (Kottayam: S.P.C.S., 2000)
Mamool (Trivandrum: Prabhath, 1999)
Marukara (Calicut: Mulberry, 1987)
Pranayakalam (Calicut: Mulberry, 1996)
Sareeram Ariyunnathu
Snehavirunnu (Trichur: Current, 1991)
Thiranjedutha Kathakal (Kottayam: DC Books, 2014) (51 selected stories)
Ulkrushtaraaya Manushyarum Undu
Urangan Vayya
Vishudha Chumbanam (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2014)
= Autobiography
=Paralmeen Neenthunna Paadam (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2012)
= Memoirs
=Saannidhyam
Sugandha Sasyangalkidayiloode
Vaathil Thurannitta Nagarathil
Aathmaavinodu Cherunnathu
= Travelogues
=Ethetho Saranikalil
Yathrapathangalil
Scottish Dinarathrangal
= Translations
=Parethan (Translation of D. H. Lawrence's novel The Escaped Cock)
Anyadesha Kathakal (Selected stories)
Vegetarian (Translation of Han Kang's novel The Vegetarian)
Vruddhanum Vankatalum (Translation of Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea)
= Others
=Cinemayude Idangal (Essays on Film)
Mechilsthalangal (Essays)
Thathyakal Mithyakal (Essays)
Nerkazhchakalude Neru (Selected Journalism)
Orma Mathram (Calicut: Mathrubhumi, 2012) (Screenplay)
Filmography
Story, screenplay and dialogues
Mattoral (1988)
Puravrutham (1988)
Sammanam (1997)
Kattathoru Penpoovu (1997)
Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (2000)
Orma Mathram (2011)
Vellivelichathil (2014)
Story
Irattakuttikalude Achan (1997)
Kottaram Veettile Apputtan (1998)
Thoramazhayathu (2010)
Segment Puzha in the anthology Cheraathukal (2021)
Awards
1994: SBI Malayalam Literary Award for Maalakhamaar chiraku veesumbol
1998: V. T. Bhattathiripad Memorial Award for Atmavinu Sariyennu Thonnunna Karyangal
2000: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Novel) for Atmavinu Sariyennu Thonnunna Karyangal
2001: Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal
2002: Kerala State Film Award (Best Book on Cinema) for Cinemayude Idangal
2008: Mayilpeeli Puraskaram
2010: Shantakumaran Thampi Award
2012: O. Chandu Menon Puraskaram
2012: Basheer Puraskaram
2012: Kalakeralam Award (Best screenplay) for Orma Mathram
2013: Muttathu Varkey Award
2014: Padmaprabha Literary Award
2014: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Biography and Autobiography) for Paralmeen Neenthunna Paadam
2015: Abu Dhabi Malayalee Samajam Sahitya Puraskaram
2017: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Travelogue) for Ethetho Saranikalil
2018: Mundur Krishnankutty Award
References
Further reading
C V Balakrishnan: Ezhuthinte Disakal (C V Balakrishnan: The directions of writings), edited by A. M. Sreedharan (DC Books, 2017)
"കഥ എന്ന സഹയാത്രികന്: സിവി ബാലകൃഷ്ണന് സംസാരിക്കുന്നു" (Interview). Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika. (in Malayalam).
External links
C. V. Balakrishnan at IMDb
"C. V. Balakrishnan – Profile, Biography and Life History". Veethi. Galaxy Infomedia. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
