Renowned Tamil writer A Madhavan passes away

Renowned Tamil litterateur Kalaimamani A Madhavan passed away at the age of 87 in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. Tamil Nadu State Government had bestowed him with the State’s highest honour ‘Kalaimamani’ for his immense contributions to Tamil literature.

Thiruvananthapuram: Popular Tamil litterateur Kalaimamani A Madhavan died at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on Tuesday at the age of 87.

A Madhavan had won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award for ‘Ilakkiya Chuvadukal’ a collection of his proses, in 2015.

Tamil Nadu State Government had bestowed him with the State’s highest honour ‘Kalaimamani’ for his immense contributions to Tamil literature.

Apart from being a writer, Madhavan, used to run a utensil business in Chala market of Thiruvananthapuram.

His close observations on the intricacies of the life and culture of people around him, Tamils and Keralites, have reflected naturally in his writings in Tamil.

Avudanayakam Madhavan was born into a Tamil immigrant family in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in 1934, as the son of Avudanayakam Pillai and Chellammal, an immigrant couple originally from Thirunelveli, in Tamil Nadu.

Though Madhavan had learnt Malayalam as his main language during his formal education in LP school and High School in Chala, he was always passionate about Tamil. His writings were all in his favourite language Tamil.

Madhavan, who supported the Dravidian movement in his life and his writings had got his literary works published in Murasoli, the mouthpiece of the Dravida Munnetra Katchi (DMK), alongside those written by Karunanidhi and the party founder C N Annadurai.

As he is well versed in Malayalam, Madhavan had translated famous literary works in Malayalam including Yakshi by Malayattur Ramakrishnan, Uroob’s Sundarikalum Sundaranmarum, Ini Njan Urangatte by PK Balakrishnan, besides presenting other Malayalam works by Kamala Surayya and SK Pottakkad to Tamil literature.

His popular novels are Punalum Manalum (1974), Krishna Parunthu, Thoovanam, Sathaan, Thiruvasanam, and Thoovanam (1987).

Madhavan has penned more than 500 short stories and 150 proses too.

He is survived by his two daughters Kalai Selvi and Malar Selvi. His wife Santha and son Govinda Rajan had died earlier.

A Madhavan’s mortal remains would be cremated at the Thaikkadu Crematorium in Thiruvananthapuram at 10 am on Wednesday, the family has informed.