Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Jnanpith Award Awarded In 1984
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
Award Name : Jnanpith Award
Year of Award : 1984
Award for : Literature
Location : Kollam-Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai was a novelist and short story writer of Malayalam language. He is popularly known as Thakazhi, after his place of birth. He focused on the oppressed classes as the subject of his works, which are known for their attention to historic detail. He wrote several novels and over 600 short stories. His most famous works are Kayar (Coir, 1978) and Chemmeen (Prawns, 1956). Pillai, a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, was awarded India's highest literary award, the Jnanpith in 1984 for the epic novel Kayar. He was born on 17 April 1912 in Thakazhi, Alleppey, Travancore. He started his writings at a younger age and his hidden talents were found and nourished by his high school headmaster Kainikkara Kumara Pillai. He was introduced to modern European literature and thoughts by another popular writer of Malayalam, Kesari A Balakrishna Pillai.
His novel Thottiyude Makan (1947) considered a pioneer work in Malayalam realistic novel which beautifully portrays three generations of a working class family of Alapuzha. Randidangazhi (1948) was a political novel written by Thakazhi. This novel was later made to a film for which Thakazhi wrote the screenplay. The movie received a certificate of merit at the National Film Awards in 1958. Though Chemmeen is regarded as his most popular novel, Kayar got the position of calling it, classic. He won Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1958 for Chemmeen. The novel adapted as a movie is still regarded as the best movie ever produced in Malayalam screen and still leads in box office collection (if inflation figures are adjusted). The movie directed by Ramu Kariat won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1965.Other works of Thakazhi are categorized under short stories and autobiographies. His autobiographies are Ente Balykala Katha, Ormayude Theerangalil, Oru Kuttanadan Katha and Jeevitathinte Oru Edu.His short stories are Teranjedutta Kathakal, Inquilab, Pativrata and Kure Kathapatrangal.
