Villayil Raman Gopala Pillai
Encyclopedia
VR Gopala Pillai was a Singaporean
novelist writing in Malayalam under the nom de plume G.P. Njekkad, after his natal village in Kerala.
from Kerala
, India
in 1947. He had five children including Singaporean poet Chandran Nair
.
Pillai worked as a manager-cum-accountant for Cathay Advertising in Singapore. An only child, Pillai had a fairly good education despite family objections based on astrological beliefs. He was formally schooled up to the age of 12. Pillai was a self-taught man, reading feverishly all kinds of books (especially Bengali
novels translated into Malayalam) from a young age. "An author or a novelist must be well-read before he attempts to write himself", he told "Asiaweek
" in an interview in 1981.
system.
He kept himself occupied with articles and short fiction
until 1962 when his first novel
was published. Entitled "Kaithapookal" (Tainted Flowers), it was set entirely in Kerala. This was followed by "Maruppachakal" (Barrier of Sand), "Vruthabhangam" (Unbalanced Life), "Thapasu" (Meditation
), "Agniparvatham (Volcano
),"Vazhiyariyathe" (Journey without Signs) and "Aavarthanam" (Repetition) which proved to be a best-seller. Many of these novels dealt with human relationships interwoven with the social fabric and were set in Singapore. His last novel, "Chirakudal Chalanangal" (Wings and Movements), was serialised by Kerala's then leading weekly, "Mathrubhoomi" (Motherland).
From 1949 to 1952 he took over the editorship of the Malayalam daily "Kerala Bandhu" (friend of Kerala) later known as "Malaysia Malayali" which had a combined Malaysia-Singapore circulation of about 2000.
Pillai will be remembered back in Kerala as a "popular" novelist. His nine novels, though mostly set in Singapore and Malaysia, appealed to Malayali readers because of their immigrant "rag-to-riches" leitmotif. His main characters were mostly from kerala but he often incorporated other communities too, like the Chinese, into the picture. The reader in relatively poorer Kerala was exposed to a world very different from what he was accustomed to. That was the attraction of Pillai's novels.
Another leitmotif of Pillai's works was the evident feminism
running throughout his works. "I am a woman's man; 75% to 90% of my characters are female", he confessed to "Asiaweek"'s Jagjit Kaur Nagpal on his hospital bed. Perhaps as a legacy of Kerala's historical matrilineal system under which Malayali women enjoyed high social status, or perhaps because of Pillai's experiences as a field assistant in a Keralan tea estate where tea-pickers were mostly women who toiled under appalling conditions, Pillai displayed a sympathetic attitude in many of his works towards the oppressive plight of women. "The female character is always growing in my mind", he said, "her actions and everything about her". . ."It is something (his feminism) very natural to me; it is a habit. For instance, if there are two persons in a race --a man and a woman-- my attention will automatically go to the woman!" He attempted to write against women once but in the end relented: His intention was to portray an unpleasant, grumbling female but his dedication finally read "to one who keeps honey in the heart and chili on the tongue".
Pillai died shortly after the interview with "Asiaweek
" of a second heart attack at the age of 66. He was remembered and regretted by the local Keralan community in Singapore who lost their prominent Malayam writer; one who managed to gain both critical appreciation and commercial success in India
's highly competitive literary circles.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
novelist writing in Malayalam under the nom de plume G.P. Njekkad, after his natal village in Kerala.
Background
Married to Bhargavi Pillai, he migrated to SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, 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...
in 1947. He had five children including Singaporean poet Chandran Nair
Chandran Nair
Chandran Nair is a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.-Background:Nair was born in Kerala, India in 1945. He left India for Singapore at the age of seven...
.
Pillai worked as a manager-cum-accountant for Cathay Advertising in Singapore. An only child, Pillai had a fairly good education despite family objections based on astrological beliefs. He was formally schooled up to the age of 12. Pillai was a self-taught man, reading feverishly all kinds of books (especially Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
novels translated into Malayalam) from a young age. "An author or a novelist must be well-read before he attempts to write himself", he told "Asiaweek
Asiaweek
Asiaweek, the English edition, was a news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. Based in Hong Kong, it was established in 1975, and ceased publication with its December 7, 2001 issue due to a "downturn in the advertising market," according to...
" in an interview in 1981.
Career
As a teenager, Pillai had several short stories rejected but he persevered, writing lighter satires. His first published story was in 1932 where he criticised the casteCaste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
system.
He kept himself occupied with articles and short fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
until 1962 when his first novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
was published. Entitled "Kaithapookal" (Tainted Flowers), it was set entirely in Kerala. This was followed by "Maruppachakal" (Barrier of Sand), "Vruthabhangam" (Unbalanced Life), "Thapasu" (Meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
), "Agniparvatham (Volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
),"Vazhiyariyathe" (Journey without Signs) and "Aavarthanam" (Repetition) which proved to be a best-seller. Many of these novels dealt with human relationships interwoven with the social fabric and were set in Singapore. His last novel, "Chirakudal Chalanangal" (Wings and Movements), was serialised by Kerala's then leading weekly, "Mathrubhoomi" (Motherland).
From 1949 to 1952 he took over the editorship of the Malayalam daily "Kerala Bandhu" (friend of Kerala) later known as "Malaysia Malayali" which had a combined Malaysia-Singapore circulation of about 2000.
Pillai will be remembered back in Kerala as a "popular" novelist. His nine novels, though mostly set in Singapore and Malaysia, appealed to Malayali readers because of their immigrant "rag-to-riches" leitmotif. His main characters were mostly from kerala but he often incorporated other communities too, like the Chinese, into the picture. The reader in relatively poorer Kerala was exposed to a world very different from what he was accustomed to. That was the attraction of Pillai's novels.
Another leitmotif of Pillai's works was the evident feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
running throughout his works. "I am a woman's man; 75% to 90% of my characters are female", he confessed to "Asiaweek"'s Jagjit Kaur Nagpal on his hospital bed. Perhaps as a legacy of Kerala's historical matrilineal system under which Malayali women enjoyed high social status, or perhaps because of Pillai's experiences as a field assistant in a Keralan tea estate where tea-pickers were mostly women who toiled under appalling conditions, Pillai displayed a sympathetic attitude in many of his works towards the oppressive plight of women. "The female character is always growing in my mind", he said, "her actions and everything about her". . ."It is something (his feminism) very natural to me; it is a habit. For instance, if there are two persons in a race --a man and a woman-- my attention will automatically go to the woman!" He attempted to write against women once but in the end relented: His intention was to portray an unpleasant, grumbling female but his dedication finally read "to one who keeps honey in the heart and chili on the tongue".
Pillai died shortly after the interview with "Asiaweek
Asiaweek
Asiaweek, the English edition, was a news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. Based in Hong Kong, it was established in 1975, and ceased publication with its December 7, 2001 issue due to a "downturn in the advertising market," according to...
" of a second heart attack at the age of 66. He was remembered and regretted by the local Keralan community in Singapore who lost their prominent Malayam writer; one who managed to gain both critical appreciation and commercial success in 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...
's highly competitive literary circles.
Novels
- "Kaithapookal" (Tainted Flowers), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala, 1962
- "Maruppachakal" (Barrier of Sand), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,
- "Vruthabhangam" (Unbalanced Life), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,
- "Thapasu" (Meditation), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,
- "Agniparvatham (Volcano), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,
- "Vazhiyariyathe" (Journey without Signs), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,
- "Aavarthanam" (Repetition), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,
- "Chirakudal Chalanangal" (Wings and Movements), Writers' Cooperative, Kerala,