Prabha Varma

Biography

Poet, littérateur, journalist and editor who works with traditional as well as electronic media, lyricist, student activist – Prabha Varma has been all of these. He has a master's degree and a degree in law. As a poet, Jnanpith award winner Prof. O. N. V. Kurup complimented him saying "He has inherited the subtle poetic richness of the eminent poet Vyloppilly sreedhara Menon, who himself picked up the quality from Kumaranasan'. The late Prof. M. Krishnan Nair, an eminent critic, wrote 'Prabha Varma is a born poet'. His poems are composed of a confluence of tradition and modernity. They have soft romantic emotions, a plethora of poetic images, original and innovative narrative skill, philosophical insights, and a deep understanding of the meaning of life. Prabha Varma is an Academy award-winning poet in Malayalam, He also works as the Resident Editor of the daily Desabhimani. The multi-faceted littérateur has published nine collections of poems, four books on the contemporary socio-political milieu and literature, four collections of essays in criticism, a study on the media, and a travelogue. He was born in 1959 at Kadapra, Thiruvalla as the youngest son of T.K. Narayanan Namboothiri and N. Pankajakshi Thampuratty. Before he became a poet of eminence, he was a student activist associated with the Students Federation of India when in college. During the interregnum of Internal Emergency between 1975 and 1977, he was the Chengannour taluk secretary of the SFI and was elected to the Kerala University Union during the academic year of 1979–80. His first anthology of poems was Sourparnika, published in 1990. It won for him the prestigious Vyloppilli Award and also the Ankanam Award. His second anthology Arkkapoornima came out soon afterwards, and at the age of 37, he won the Kerala Sahitya Academy award for it. This was followed by poetical collections like Chandananazhi, Aaardram, Kalaprayaga, Avicharitham, and Manjinotu Veyil Enna Poleyum.The film songs oru chembaneer pooviruthu(2003),poonthen etc..became instantaneous hits. His latest major work, Shyama Madhavam, a novel in verse, is a 15 chapter kaavyakhyayika. It revolves around Lord Krishna and the lives of those who come across him during his earthly sojourn, which the poet says is not a series of ecstasies as many believe, but agonies. It is the touching portrayal of the travails of a solitary soul and the rare courage with which Krishna deals with life. The work begins in a dramatically poignant and pensive mood and culminates in his swargaarohana, between which he lapses into a series of confessions and repentance. Shyama Madhavam offers a wide spectrum of Chhandas, Alankaaras and metric patterns such as Dandakas on the one hand and brings out the genuine concern of the lonely inner voice of the legendary hero against the backdrop of changing times.Vayalar Award(2013) was conferred on him for his magnum opus Shyamamadhavam.Shyamamadhavam won the prestigious Malayattoor Award(2013) too. He has been the honoured recipient of numerous awards. They include the Asan Prize, Vyloppilli Award (1990), Kunchupillai Award (1993), Krishnageethi Puraskar (1994), Mooloor Award (1995), Changampuzha Award (1997), Mahakavi P Puraskaram (1997), Kadavanad Award (1999), Abudhabi Shakthi Award (1988), Vennikulam Award (2003), A.P. Kalakkad Award (2006), Kannassa Puraskaram (2011), Kadathanad Udayavarma Puraskaram (2006) Mullanezhi Award (2012).and premji puraskaram(2012),Mahakavi Pandalam Keralavarma Kavitha Puraskaram (2016). Another facet of the poet is that of a journalist. He has been a media personality for the last 35 years. All these years, he has been contributing articles to various journals, both in Malayalam and English. He had excelled himself as a journalist too having won the State Government Award for the best general reporting in 1996. In 1988–90, the Trivandrum Press Club conferred on him the K. C. Sabastian Award and the K. Madhavan Kutty Award for the best feature in English.He also won the coveted media trust award. As a journalist, he has presented a paper on 'Emerging Democracies', at the Doha International Meet, held under the auspices of the United Nations.. He attended the world youth festival held in Pyongyang, North Korea in 80s and addressed the North American journalists conference held in New York in 2009. He has covered both the houses of Indian Parliament, Non- aligned Summit, Commonwealth Meet etc. for more than a decade. Awards have gone to him for his work as a journalist in the electronic audio-visual media too. He was the Director (News) of People TV, Kairali TV from 2001– 2010, and has won the State Government award, Drishya TV Award and the Media Trust Award. The weekly programme 'India Inside,' presented by him was an in depth analysis of the socio political labyrinth of the present day world. He has also published a book on the social influence of electronic media, titled Drishyamadhyamangalum Samskaravum. Prabha Varma has also been a lyricist. Sheelabathi, Saayahnam, Sthithi, Kalaapam, Gramapanchayath, Nagravadhu, Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, Varsha, Hareendran oru Nishkalankan etc. are some of the films for which he has written lyrics. He has won the State Government film award for the best lyrics in the year 2006 and 2013, the 'Film Critics Awards' for the best lyrics for the songs of 'Nagaravadhu' in 2008 and "Nadan" in 2013, the State Government Award for the best lyrics for professional dramas in the year 2009. Other works he has penned include a travelogue titled Diary of Malaysia, Paarayanathinte Reethibhedangal (essays in criticism), Kevalathwavum Bhavukathwavum (Poetics), Rethiyude Kaavyapadangal (Analytical Study of Poems), Innilekku Oru Jaalekam' (Political Essays), Electronic Media and Culture (Media Study), and Sandehiyude Ekanthayaathra (Reminiscences). He worked as the Press Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala for a period of five years from 1996 to 2001. Other public offices he has held are as a member of the General Council of the Kendra Sahitya Academy Delhi between 2007 and 2012, and as the Vice-President of the Kerala Sahitya Academy between 2008 and 2010.

His poetry collection Arkkapoornima won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1995.

Poetry

Others

Awards