Biography

Jayakanthan was born in 1934 in a family of agriculturists in Cuddalore

Cuddalore

Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...

, in the South Arcot district of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

. He quit school after completing grade 3 education. He was then considered a problematic child. He was close to his mother and grandfather. He had a rocky relationship with his father. Unable to bear the harsh treatment meted out to him at home and in the village, he ran away from home at the age of 12 to Villupuram. There, he grew up under the aegis of his uncle from whom he imbibed communist ideologies and was also introduced to the works of Subramanya Bharathy

Subramanya Bharathy

Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar was a Tamil poet from Tamil Nadu, India, an independence fighter and iconoclastic reformer. Known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar , he is celebrated as one of South India's greatest poets...

. At this stage, his mother took him to Chennai and requested a friend/family member associated with Communist Party of India

Communist Party of India

The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...

 (CPI) to bring some sense to him for she was frustrated that he was a school dropout. It was here where Jayakanthan first worked as a minion in the CPI party office. Jayakanthan has written a lot about his days in the office and seems to cherish his boyhood days there. During this period, he became acquainted with some great CPI leaders of Tamil Nadu such as Mr. Jeeva Jeevanandam and Mr. Baladandayutham and many others. Thus, the CPI office in 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...

 became his primary school, the members of the communist party his immediate family.

Jayakanthan grew up listening to the discussions of these leftists during his formative years. It can be seen that this had a serious impact on his outlook and literary works. Jayakanthan once wrote that Mr. Jeeva was horrified to read his Tamil with full of grammar mistakes. This led to Jeeva offering the fee needed for proper education under a Tamil pandit. Thus he learned proper Tamil from a pandit. Later he moved around in various jobs forced by circumstances. He worked in the party's printing press and spent his evenings selling the magazine JanaSakthi on street corners. But in 1949, unexpected political developments resulted in extreme restrictions on the activities of the CPI. Jayakanthan was forced to work in a shoe shop in Thanjavur for a short period of time, after which he came back to Chennai. This period was an important phase for Jayakanthan as he found more time to think and read. During this period, the CPI also was eclipsed by the emergence of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar...

 (DMK) and the DK

Dravidar Kazhagam

Dravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...

, whom Jayakanthan termed "fascists".

Internal rifts within the CPI and his difference of opinion on many political issues forced him to gradually withdraw from CPI and active politics. His frustration with CPI can be seen through his short story "Karungali" (The traitor). Equally he broke ranks with his fellow Tamil writers in opposing E.V. Ramasamy Naicker (a noted rationalist movement leader in Tamil Nadu) and his view of brahminism in Tamil Nadu. Only a personality like Jayakanthan who could have the courage and wisdom to oppose Mr. E.V. Ramasamy openly in a public forum. Jayakanthan was greatly praised for his public speech in Tiruchi. Before this, he also tested waters in other political philosophies including Congress. He was fascinated with the former Chief Minister and Congress party leader Kamaraj and briefly served as a member of that party and actively compaigned for him and his party members during election time. He also served as the editor of "Nava-Shakthi" a daily with leanings towards Congress party philosophy.

Jayakanthan himself has accepted that he had no patience to do a systematic research and do a complete work. It was this lack of scholarly approach to his work led to more short stories than fiction writing. It was only later he matured enough to write fictions. Once Jayakanthan wrote that all his true friends lived in Soviet Russia. Of course Russia loved it and invited him as a state guest and gave him a "Nehru literary award".

His lack of scholarship in matters of religion can be seen in his writings. Jayakanthan started his literary work at a young age. He started writing from around 1953 in Tamil magazines such as Saraswathi, Thamarai, Grama Uzhiyan and Anantha Vikatan. He called himself "the first Tamil writer to earn a living by writing". He went on to become one of the most prolific and powerful Tamil writers of the twentieth century. He also had a stint in Tamil Cinema

Tamil cinema

Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...

 and tried his hand at making films. He made a film based on his novel, Unnaippol Oruvan, which became the first Tamil film to get an award at the national level in India. It was awarded the President's award (third prize) in "The Best Regional film" category .

It was then that he developed a relationship with a stage actress. Jayakanthan was already married to his uncle's daughter. This chapter in his life was fictionalized in the novel Oru Nadigai Naadagam Paarkkiral(An actress witnesses a play).

His stories are vivid portrayals of life as he sees them and they embrace humanity as a whole. His later works also witnessed a strong dose of his philosophical musings. He is considered as one of the most influential writers Tamil Literature has ever produced.

Critics

Jayakanthan is infamously known for his arrogance and his multi-dimensional personality. Significantly, his personality became ideal characters of a writer—many movies and writers later adopted such characters as protagonists for their creations.

Though he is not a brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

, he orated "Why I am a Brahmin", explaining why Brahminism was a concept.

Autobiographical

• Oar Ilakkiyavaadhiyin Arasiyal AnubavangaL Oct 1974
• Oru Ilakkiyavaadhiyin Kalaiyulaka AnubavangaL Sep 1980 L

Biographical

• Vazhavaikka Vandha Gandhi 1973 (Translation of Romain Rolland
  Romain Rolland
  Romain Rolland was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.-Biography:...
  
  's French biography of Gandhi)
• Oru Kadhasiriyarin Kadhai May 1989 ( Life of Munshi Premchand
  Munshi Premchand
  Munshi Premchand , was a famous writer of modern Hindi-Urdu literature. He is generally recognized in India as the foremost Hindi-Urdu writer of the early twentieth century...
  
   )

Novels and novelettes

Name Name A name is a word or term used for identification. Names can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. A personal name identifies a specific unique and identifiable individual person, and may or may not include a middle name...	Release Date
Vazhkkai Azhaikkiradhu	Aug 1957
Kaivilangu	Jan 1961
Yarukkaga Azhuthan	Feb 1962
Brahma Upadhesam	May 1963
Piralayam	Aug 1965
Karunaiyinal Alla	Nov 1965
Parisukkup Po!	Dec 1966
Kokila Enna Seythu Vittaal?	Nov 1967
Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal	Jun 1970
Oru Nadigai Naadagam Paarkkiral	Jan 1971
Oru Manidhan Oru Vidu Oru Ulagam	Apr 1973
Jaya Jaya Sankara...	Sep 1977
Gangai Engey PogiraaL	Dec 1978
Oru Kudumbaththil Nadakkirathu	Jan 1979
Pavam, Ival Oru Paapathi!	Mar 1979
Engengu Kaaninum	May 1979
oorukku Nooru Per	Jun 1979
Karikkodugal	Jul 1979 N
Moongil Kaattunile	Sep 1979
Oru Manidhanum Sila Erumaimaadugalum	Dec 1979
Ovvoru Kooraikkum Kizhe	Jan 1980
Paattimaargallum Peththimaargalum	Apr 1980
Appuvukku Appa Sonna Kadhaigal	Aug 1980
Indha Neraththil ival	1980
Kaaththirukka Oruththi	Sep 1980
Kaaru	Apr 1981
Ayudha Poosai	Mar 1982
Sundhara Kaandam	Sep 1982
Isvara Alla Tere Naam	Jan 1983
O, America!	Feb 1983
Illaadhavargal	Feb 1983
Idhaya Ranikalum Ispedu Raajakkalum	Jul 1983
Katru VeLiyinile	Apr 1984
Kazhuththil Vizhundha Maalai	Sep 1984
Andha Akkaavaiththedi	Oct 1985
Innum Oru Pennin Kadhai	Jul 1986
Rishimoolam	Sep 1965
cinemavukkup Pona siththaal	Sep 1972
Unnaippol Oruvan	Oct 1989
arputham	2008

Movie Adaptations

oru nadigai nadagam parkiral

Yaarukkaga azhudhaan

Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal

cinemavukkup Pona siththaal

Short stories

• Oru Pidi Soru Sep 1958
• Inippum Karippum Aug 1960
• Dhevan VaruvaarA 1961
• Maalai Mayakkam Jan 1962
• Yugasandhi Oct 1963
• Unmai Sudum Sep 1964
• Pudhiya Vaarppukal Apr 1965
• Suyadharisanam Apr 1967
• Irandha Kaalangal Feb 1969
• Gurupeedam Oct 1971
• Chakkaram Nirpathillai Feb 1975
• Pugai Naduvinile... Dec 1990
• Sumaithaangi
• Kansimittum Vinmeengal
• Naan Irukkiren, July 23, 2000
• Illathathu Ethu, Aug 20, 200
• Poo Uthirum, Aug 27, 2000
• Thuravu, Sep 24, 2000
• Pommai, Oct 08, 2000
• Irandu Kuzhanthaigal, Dec 03, 2000
• Yanthiram, Mar 04, 2001
• Kuraip Piravi, Apr 07, 2001

Awards

• 2009 -'Padma Bhushan' -very first time for Tamil Literature was given to Mr.D.Jayakanthan.
• 2002 - Jnanpith Award
  Jnanpith Award
  The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
  
  : The 2002 Jnanpith Award was announced for D. Jayakanthan. His works were described as one that delicately unveiled every depth of human emotion and equations. Announcing the award, L. M. Singhvi
  L. M. Singhvi
  L. M. Singhvi लक्ष्मीमल सिंघवी was a, Indian jurist, parliamentarian, constitutional expert, scholar, distinguished diplomat...
  
   said "He has not only enriched the high traditions of literary traditions of Tamil language but has also made outstanding contribution towards the shaping of Indian literature. His literature presents a deep and sensitive understanding of complex human nature and is an authentic and vivid index of Indian reality." (The Hindu)
• 1996 - Fellow of Sahitya Akademi (Sahitya Akademi)
• 1972 - Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize: He awarded Sahitya Akademi translation prize in 1972 for his work on Tamil novel Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal. (Sahitya Akademi)

Notable quotes

• There was a time when I numbered among my close friends rickshaw- drivers, prostitutes, rowdies, pickpockets and cigarette-butt scavengers. Perhaps because of that fact I can never work up disgust towards their kind. There is a sense of involvement among them. Sometimes I even wonder whether I wouldn't have been happier if I had decided to live among them as one of the family. Truly, an attraction for their life came to be planted in my youthful mind . . . There is in the life of such people a flaming passion, a liveliness, and truth!

• They hold a notion that I have all along been writing about people of the lower strata. But haven't I really been writing about high level people among the so-called lower strata. Who belongs to the higher strata and who to the lower strata? That cannot be determined by their position or by their place of living. It is by how they are - how they live - that a determination should be made.

• However lowly and decadent are the matters that I have to take up broadly for depiction in my story, I tend to place special emphasis on whatever is elevating and meaningful for life embedded in them. And thus I sing of the glory of life

External links

• T.Jeyakantan - Life and Works
• Jayakanthan Page - With photos and other info
• Collection of Short Stories of Jayakanthan - Part-1 and Part-2 at Project Madurai
  Project madurai
  Project Madurai is a voluntary initiative to publish free versions of ancient Tamil literature on the Internet. Texts are published in both TSCII and Unicode formats. The project was led by Dr. K. Kalyanasundaram, Lausanne, Switzerland and Dr. P. Kumar Mallikarjunan, Blacksburg, Va, USA Project...
  
  , a free Tamil e-text
  E-text
  An e-text is, generally, any text-based information that is available in a digitally encoded human-readable format and read by electronic means, but more specifically it refers to files in the ASCII character encoding.E-text has the broad meaning of something electronic that represents words, a...
  
  collection project
• Jayakanthan @ Tamil Friends