Nisha Rathode (Editor)

S Ramakrishnan

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Spouse
  
Chandra Prabha

Movies
  
Dhaam Dhoom

Role
  
Writer

Name
  
S. Ramakrishnan

Children
  
Hari Akash


S. Ramakrishnan chennai365comwpcontentuploadsgeneral2012Jan

Born
  
13 April 1966 (age 57) Tamil Nadu, India (
1966-04-13
)

Padithathil pidithathu s ramakrishnan tamil writer may 9


S. Ramakrishnan is an influentially important writer of modern Tamil literature. He is a full-time writer who has been active over the last 27 years in diverse areas of Tamil literature like short stories, novels, plays, children’s literature and translations. He has written and published 9 novels, 20 collections of short stories, 3 plays, 21 books for children, 3 books of translation, 24 collections of articles, 10 books on world cinema, 16 books on world literature including seven of his lectures, 3 books on Indian history, 3 on painting and 4 edited volumes including a Reader on his own works. He also has 2 collections of interviews to his credit.

Contents

Karl marx history s ramakrishnan speech


Early life

Born in 1966, he is a native of Mallankinar village of Virudhunagar district of Tamilnadu. His father N.Shanmugam was a veterinary doctor. His mother is S.Mangayarkarasi. He studied M.A in Senthilkumar Nadar College, Virudhunagar, Tamilnadu. And he did his M.Phil in Madurai Kamarajar University and Ph.D in Calicut University. But he left before submitting the thesis.

Writing career

About his first book he says: “I was not a writer when my first book ‘veLiyil oruvan’ was published. Until then I was just writing whatever I wanted to write, but I was not a writer; even after my first book came out…” and “…but now I know the direction, purpose and strength of the written word. I didn’t know that then. It is like how a child with a camera takes pictures of whatever she sees… I was like that child."

His short stories and articles have been translated and published in English, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and French.

His novel Upa Paandavam, written after a deep research into Mahabharata, was selected as the best novel in Tamil. It was widely well received by the readers.

The novel Nedum Kuruthi, which spoke of the dark and tragic existential experiences of the tribe of oppressed people cruelly stamped as criminal tribe by the British, secured the Gnanavaani award for the Best Novel.

His novel Yaamam, written with Chennai city’s three hundred years history as back drop, is another widely appreciated creation.

His Urupasi is a novel that conveys the stirring mental agonies of a young man who was unemployed because he took his degree majoring in Tamil language.

He became a celebrated author to lakhs of readers through his series of articles like Thunai Ezhuthu, Desandhri, Kathavilaasam, Kelvikuri and Siridhu Velicham which appeared in the highly circulated Tamil weekly, Ananda Vikatan. He is the first writer in Tamil to have created a broad circle of readers for his columns. The compilation book of the articles, Thunai Ezhuthu, has created a new history by selling almost a lakh of copies.

Writing style

His short stories are noted for their modern story-telling style in Tamil. He says in an interview: “As a storyteller, it’s vital that I observe people, their mannerisms and keep myself aware of present trends…” and “…I keep myself surrounded by youngsters who I learn a lot from. I think it is such company that keeps me revitalised to write more and more stories.”

He explains the magical nature of his stories quite simply – “The reason why my stories have a magical aspect is because I am unable to separate Magic from Realism.”

Literary activism

A great story-teller, he has organized over thirty story-telling camps for school children, all over Tamilnadu. He has organized a special story-telling camp for children with dyslexia-related learning disabilities.

He says in an interview: “We have a rich tradition of PaaNans and Koothars going around places singing and creating poetry in the Sangam period. I am just a modern day PaaNan who goes to places, meets people, talks to them and tells their stories.”

He had, as Editor, brought out the literary publication, Atcharam for five long years.

His website www.sramakrishnan.com serves as a resource for serious literature for young readers. It has become an important website where contemporary literary innovations, world literature and world cinema congregate in a fertile ambience. It has secured 5 million visits from readers all over the world.

Films and other adoptions (contributions in movie and theatre performances)

A connoisseur of world cinema, he has compiled an introductory compendium on world cinema with thousand pages called Ulaga Cinema. He has written ten important books on cinema such as Ayal Cinema, Pather Panchali, Chithirangalin Vichithirangal and Paesa Therindha Nizhalgal. Irul Inithu Oli Inithu, Chaplinudan Pesungal.

He has organized screenplay writing camps for short film directors and students of cinema creation in important cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, etc.

His collection of 9 plays, Aravaan (Uyirmmai Publications), 3 plays, Sindhubaadhin Manaivi (Kayalkavin Publications) and Sooriyanai sutrum boomi (translated plays, Kayalkavin Publications) create new possibilities for theater space on facing power, breaking up historical and cultural images and focusing on psychological eccentricities. These plays have received good appreciation while they were staged and have been performed at the national drama festival of Sangeetha Natak Academy. The play 'Aravaan', included in this collection has been translated in to English, Malayalam and Kannada.

The short film Karna Motcham with his screenplay won the National Award for Best Short Film and went on to win, so far, 27 important awards in Indian and International Film Festivals.

Another short film Matraval has won three coveted awards as the best Tamil Short Film.

He has worked as Screenplay and Dialogue writer in Tamil feature films like Baba, Album, Chandaikkozhi, Unnale Unnale, Bhima, Dhaam Dhoom, Chikku Bukku, Modhi Vilaiyadu , Yuvan Yuvathi and Avan Ivan, Samar and Idam PoruL EvaL.

Personal life

S. Ramakrishnan lives in Chennai with wife Chandra Prabha and sons Hariprasad and Akash.

He has travelled all over India and has experienced living in different parts of the country.

He says, in an interview: “I am a full-time writer and so I mark my holidays in red in my calendar. I wander in the path of my desire. For this, I have paid dearly and suffered disgrace. Inspite of all that, I like this life only. From my childhood, I have this habit of observing nature closely. Because of that, I started moving out of my home. At my young age, the doorstep was far away from me. Then, I crossed our doorstep. The street was far away and I was allowed in the street. Then I could move around the village freely, but was forbidden to go to other villages. I crossed that barrier. Then my family allowed me to go to small towns but not large cities. I crossed that too. Now I have no distinction between my home and this entire world. Journey without destination and people unknown are my interests.”

Rewards and Recognition

Three Doctorates and 21 M.Phil. Degrees have been awarded to scholars for researching into his writings. His books have been prescribed as part of syllabi of 2 Universities and 9 Autonomous Colleges.

  • Actor Rajinikanths speech at S.Ramakrishnan's felicitation function
  • Vairamuthu speech at S Ramakrishnan felicitation function
  • KARNAMOTCHAM-short film
  • Kokkarako-short film
  • Tharamaniyil Karapaanpoochigal-short film
  • S.Ramakrishnan speech about Dostoyevsky
  • S.Ramakrishnan speech about Hiroshima
  • Ki.Ra is a True Indian Writer - S.Ramakrishnan Speech
  • Karl Marx History - S.Ramakrishnan speech
  • References

    S. Ramakrishnan Wikipedia