Biography Jayakanthan-Tamil Writer

Name: Jayakanthan

Known As : JK

Father: Mr.M.Dhandapani Pillai

Date of Birth: 24th April 1934 –At Manjakuppam-Cuddalore, Tamilnadu

Date of Death: 8th April 2015 (At the age of 80 years) –At Chennai

Education: Elementary School- 5th Standard

Occupation: Tamil -Novelist, Short Story Writer, Tamil Cinema-Screenplay Writer, Cinema Director

Jayakanthan’s Literary career:

Jayakanthan’s father abandoned his family during Jayakanthan’s early age and he was taken care of by his mother and his maternal uncle. He dropped himself from his primary school after his 5th Standard.

At the age of 12 years Jayakanthan went from his native place to Chennai, the then Madras and became a composer in the printing press of the Communist Party of India/CPI.

Being influenced by the famous Tamil poet ‘Maha Kavi Subramania Bharathiar’, Jayakanthan was interested in writing and he started writing.

His writings were about the life of slum-dwellers, rag-pickers, prostitutes and common people  he met around him during his stay in the Communist party office and press.

Jayakanthan’s early writings were published in the Communist Newspaper-‘Janasakthi’.

Afterwards, his writings were published in various magazines, such as, Saraswathi, Thamarai, Santhi, Manithan, Sakthi and Samaran.

His first short story was published in the Tamil magazine-‘Sowbakyawathi’ in the year 1953.

Then, Jayakanthan started writing in the popular Tamil magazines, such as, ‘Ananda Vikatan’,’Kumudam’ and ‘Dinamani Kadhir’.

The following are some of the books written by Jayakanthan:-

Auto-Biographies:

  • “ Oru Ilakkiyavaathiyin Arasiyal Anubhavangal”/ Political experiences of a literary person in the year 1974
  • “ Oru Ilakkiyavaathiyin Kalaiyulaga Anubhavangal”/Experiences of a literary person in the world of art(cinema) in the year 1980

Novels and Short Novels:-

Name of the Novel/Year:

  •     Vazhkkai Azhaikkiradhu/ 1957
  •     Kaivilanggu/ 1961
  •     Yarukkaka Azhuthan?/ 1962
  •     Birammopadhesam/1963
  •     Piralayam/ 1965
  •     Karunaiyinal Alla/ 1965
  •     Rishimoolam. 1965
  •     Yosikkum Velayil/ 1982
  •     Parisukkup Po/ 1966
  •     Kokila Enna Seythu Vittal?/ 1967
  •     Sila Nerangkalil Sila Manitharkal/ 1970
  •     Oru Nadikai Nadakam Parkkiral/ 1971
  •     Cinemavukkup Pona Siththal/ 1972
  •     Oru Manidhan Oru Vidu Oru Ulakam/ 1973
  •     Jaya Jaya Sankara/ 1977
  •     Ganggai Engge Pogiral/ 1978
  •     Oru Kudumpaththil Nadakkirathu/ 1979
  •     Pavam, Ival Oru Pappaththi/ 1979
  •     Enggenggu Kaninum/ 1979
  •     Oorukku Nooruper/ 1979
  •     Karikkodukal/ 1979
  •     Munggil Kattu Nila/ 1979
  •     Oru Manidhanum Sila Erumaimadukalum/ 1979
  •     Ovvoru Kuraikkum Kizhe/ 1980
  •     Pattimarkalum Peththimarkalum/ 1980
  •     Appuvukku Appa Sonna Kadhaikal/ 1980
  •     Kaththirukka Oruththi/ 1980
  •     Karu/1981
  •     Aydha Pusai/ 1982
  •     Sunthara Kandam/1982
  •     Isvara Alla There Nam/ 1983
  •     O, Amerikka/1983
  •     Illadhavarkal/1983
  •     Idhaya Ranikalum Ispedu Rajakkalum/1983
  •     Karru Veliyinile/ 1984
  •     Kazhuththil Vizhuntha Malai/ 1984
  •     Andha Akkavaiththedi/ 1985
  •     Innum Oru Pennin Kadhai/1986

The following are the Novels of Jayakanthan, adapted into Tamil movies:

  •  ‘Unnaipol Oruvan’- in the year 1965- Jayakanthan co-produced, wrote the Screenplay and Directed the movie based on his own novel.  Though, the movie-‘Unnaipol Oruvan’ had been a commercially failure venture, it won the ‘President’s Certificate of Merit’ for the Third Best Feature Film for the year 1965.
  •  ‘Yarukkaga Azhudhan’– in the year 1966- Jayakanthan wrote the Screenplay and Directed the movie based on his own novel , with Nagesh playing the lead role.
  •  “Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal”– the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ winning novel of Jayakanthan was adapted by the Tamil Cinema Director&Producer A.Bhimsingh with Nagesh, Srikanth, Y.G.Parthasarathy and Lakshmi. Lakshmi who played the lead role won the ‘Best Actress Award’ for the movie for the year 1976
  • ‘Oru Nadigai Nadagam Parkiral’ was adapted and made into a movie by Director&Producer A.Bhimsingh  in the year 1977
  •  ‘Ooruku Nooruper’-was adapted and made into a movie in the year 2001, produced by Lakshman Suresh and directed by the Editor, Writer&Director  B.Lenin(Son of Director A.Bhimsingh) and the movie won 2 National Awards in the year 2002, for the ‘Best Direction’ Award and the ‘Best Feature Film’Award for the year 2002.

Awards Given to Jayakanthan:

  •  Sahitya Akademi Award’ for his novel “Yaarukkaga Azhudhan?”-in the year 1970
  • ‘The Soviet Land Nehru Award’ in the year 1978,
  • ‘Jnanpith Award’- for his life time contribution to Indian Lieterature (Tamil) in the year 2002
  • ‘Padma Bhushan’-Government of India-in the year 2009
  • ‘The Russian government’s Order of Friendship’ in the year 2011

In the year  2008, a documentary film on Jayakanthan, by the name-“Jayakanthan- The Writer Who Extended the Boundaries” was produced by ‘Isasignani Ilayaraja’ and directed by  Mr.Ravisubramaniyan.

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