Ashoka Mitran
Encyclopedia
Ashokamitran is one of the most influential figures in post-independent Tamil literature
. He began his literary career with the prize winning play "Anbin Parisu", followed by many short stories, novellas and novels. A distinguished essayist and critic, he is the editor of the literary journal "Kanaiyaazhi". He has written over 200 short stories, eight novels, some 15 novellas besides other prose writings. Most of his works have also been translated into English.
, Ashokamitran spent the first twenty years of his life here. His real name was Thyagarajan. He moved to Chennai in 1952 after the death of his father. He worked for more than a decade at the Gemini Studios. His experiences here and his interaction with people from the Tamil filmdom later took the form of his book "My Years with Boss". It was from 1966 that he became a full-time writer and he took up the pseudonym
of "Ashokamitran" . In the 1980s most of his works were translated into English and he and his works became well-known all over India
. Some of his works were translated into other European languages and most Indian languages as well.
The backdrop for most of his stories is either Chennai
or Hyderabad.
Tamil literature
Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...
. He began his literary career with the prize winning play "Anbin Parisu", followed by many short stories, novellas and novels. A distinguished essayist and critic, he is the editor of the literary journal "Kanaiyaazhi". He has written over 200 short stories, eight novels, some 15 novellas besides other prose writings. Most of his works have also been translated into English.
Life
Born in SecunderabadSecunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
, Ashokamitran spent the first twenty years of his life here. His real name was Thyagarajan. He moved to Chennai in 1952 after the death of his father. He worked for more than a decade at the Gemini Studios. His experiences here and his interaction with people from the Tamil filmdom later took the form of his book "My Years with Boss". It was from 1966 that he became a full-time writer and he took up the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of "Ashokamitran" . In the 1980s most of his works were translated into English and he and his works became well-known all over India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Some of his works were translated into other European languages and most Indian languages as well.
Writing Style
His works are charactersied by simplicity and satire. Though his works usually involve a detailed analysis of common incidents or common people, he handles bigger issues and subjects through them.The backdrop for most of his stories is either Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
or Hyderabad.
Works
- Anbin Parisu
- Thanneer
- Manasarovar
- Appavin Snegidhar
- 18-vadhu Atchakkodu
- My Years with Boss