Vayalar Ramavarma

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox writer Vayalar Ramavarma (25 March 1928 – 27 October 1975), also known as Rama Varma Vayalar and simply Vayalar,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and was an Indian poet and lyricist of Malayalam language. He was known for his poems, including Sargasangeetham, Mulankaadu, Padamudrakal, Aayisha, and Oru Judas janikkunnu, and for around 1,300 songs he penned for 256 Malayalam films. He received the National Film Award for Best Lyrics in 1972 and was the winner of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist in its year of inception which he received three more times. He was also a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1962.Template:Hsp<ref name="Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>"Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award" Template:Webarchive (in Malayalam). Kerala Sahitya Akademi. Retrieved 9 June 2013.</ref><ref>"Literary Awards" Template:Webarchive. Government of Kerala. Retrieved 9 June 2013.</ref> His collaborations with G. Devarajan produced the golden era of Malayalam film music and many songs written and composed by these duo remain classics in Malayalam. Ramavarma is regarded as one of the most successful and critically acclaimed lyricist in the history of Malayalam cinema.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Biography

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The memorial at poet's home Raghavaparambu, in Vayalar

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Bust of Vayalar Ramavarma in Manaveeyam Veedhi, Thiruvananthapuram.

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Vayalar handwriting

Ramavarma was born on 25 March 1928, at Vayalar, a small village in Alappuzha district of the south Indian state of Kerala<ref name="Vayalar Ramavarma: eTimes">Template:Cite news</ref> to Vellarappilli Kerala Varma and Raghavaparambil Ambalika Thamburatti.<ref name="Vayalar Ramavarma - Veethi profile">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He lost his father at an early age and his education in the traditional gurukula way, was supervised by his uncle, which was followed by formal education at the Sanskrit School as well as Cherthala English School.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He started writing poetry while in school, publishing the first poem in "Swarat" magazine, which he continued after discontinuing education after 9th standard and published poems in periodicals such as "Arunodayam" and "Chakravalam". He started a weekly in 1951, under the name, Janadhipathyam, but the weekly, which published articles promoting communist ideals, did not last long. Subsequently, he served as the editor of a publication from Madras.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" />

Ramavarma married Puthekovilakathu Chandramathi Thamburatti in 1951 but the couple were issueless.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> Subsequently, he married Bharathi Thamburatti, the younger sister of Chandramathi Thamburatti, and the couple had a son, Vayalar Sarath Chandra Varma, a noted poet and lyricist,<ref name="Walking in his father's footsteps">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> and three daughters, Indulekha, Yamuna and Sindhu.<ref name="Vayalar - Malayala Chalachithram profile">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His death came on 27 October 1975, at the age of 47, following a surgery at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram where he had been admitted for the treatment of Cirrhosis. Later revelations by poet, Ezhacherry Ramachandran, that the actual cause of death was medical negligence, created a controversy,<ref name="വയലാറിന്റെ മരണകാരണം: ഏഴാച്ചേരിയുടെ വെളിപ്പെടുത്തല്‍ വിവാദം ആവുന്നു">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but Ramachandran later refused to stand by his earlier statement.<ref name="Now, Ezhachery is not sure how Vayalar Ramavarma died">Template:Cite news</ref> The memoirs of his wife, Bharathi Thamburatti, titled Indradanussinte Theerathu,<ref name="Indradhanussin Theerathu">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> also became controversial due to certain remarks made in the book about K. J. Yesudas.<ref name="The Hindu : Life Kochi : A tryst with controversy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Legacy

As a poet

Ramavarma's first poetry anthology was Padamudrakal, in 1948 which reflected his affinity towards Gandhian ideals in those days. Later he changed his thought towards communism and keep close contact with the communist party of India. There are notable literature works against cast and communal systems in Kerala even though he is from an upper caste family. But he had a good affinity towards Indian culture which is reflected in the poem Sargga Sangeetham.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> Between 1950 and 1961, he published a number of anthologies including Konthayum Poonoolum (1950), Naadinte Nadam, Enikku Maramamilla, Mulankadu (1955), Oru Judas Janikkunnu (1955), Ente Mattolikavithakal (1957), and Sargasangeetham (1961), a khandakavyam titled Ayisha, two short story anthologies, Raktham Kalarnna Mannu and Vettum Thiruthum as well as a travelogue by name, Purushantharangaliloode,<ref name="List of works">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which detailed his experiences during his first trip to Delhi in 1956 to participate in the Asian Writers' Conference. With the popularity of his poems, he was known to have brought poetry to the common man's domain.<ref name="The Hindu : Remembering Vayalar">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

As a lyricist

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Ramavarma shifted his base to Madras to take up the editorship of a magazine and this move to the city helped him to get associated with Malayalam film industry which was based there during those days.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> In 1956, he got the opportunity to write the lyrics for Koodappirappu, a J. D. Thottan film, for which 10 songs composed by K. Raghavan were written by him.<ref name="Koodappirappu (1956)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Overall, he wrote over 1300 songs<ref name="List of Malayalam Songs by Lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> for 245 Malayalam movies, 135 songs for 29 music albums and for several plays,<ref name="Lists of lyricists in Malayalam movies">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of which 755 songs were composed by G. Devarajan.<ref name="List of Malayalam Songs by Musician G Devarajan, Lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> One among the three major lyricists of his times, P. Bhaskaran and O. N. V. Kurup completing the trio, Rama Varma's lyrics were known to have brought the Malayalam film songs closer to poetry.<ref name="Profile of Malayalam Lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards and honours

Ramavarma received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1962 for his poetry anthology, Sargasangeetham.<ref name="Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry" /> Kerala State Chalachitra Academy selected his songs for the films, Nadhi and Kadalpalam for the inaugural Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist in 1969; he would receive the award three more times, in 1972 for Chemparathy, in 1974 for Nellu and Athidhi and in 1975 for Chuvanna Sandhyakal and Swami Ayyappan.<ref name="Kerala State Film Awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In between, he received the National Film Award for Best Lyrics for the song, Manushyan mathangale srushtichu in the film, Achanum Bappayum in 1972.<ref name="Vayalar Ramavarma - Veethi profile" />

An annual literary award, Vayalar Award, has been instituted in his memory by Vayalar Rama Varma Memorial Trust.<ref name="Vayalar Award">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The award is given on 27 October, the poet's death anniversary and the recipients include Lalithambika Antharjanam, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Sugathakumari, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Ayyappa Paniker and K. Satchidanandan.<ref name="Winners of Vayalar Award">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The trust has constructed a memorial for Ramavarma at his residence in Vayalar, which houses a literary museum, library, office, auditorium, martyr square and conference room.<ref name="Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Vayalar Ramavarma Samskarika Vedi, another Thiruvananthapuram-based eponymous organization, has instituted an annual award, Vayalar Ramavarma award, to recognize excellence in television programmes.<ref name="Annie wins Vayalar Ramavarma Award - Times of India">Template:Cite news</ref> The organization has instituted two more awards, Vayalar Ramavarma Sangeetha Puraskaram and Vayalar Ramavarma Natya Ratna Puraskaram, music and dance awards respectively, in honour of the poet.<ref name="Celebrating the poet Vayalar Ramavarma - Times of India">Template:Cite news</ref> The Government of Kerala installed a bust of Rama Varma at Manaveeyam Veedhi, the road between Althara junction to the Museum-Vellayambalam road in Thiruvananthapuram, on 24 November 2005.<ref name="It is a dream-come-true for Devarajan">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Selected bibliography

Khandakavyam

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Song collections

• Ente Chalachitragaanangal in 6 parts

Poetry anthology

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Short story anthology

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Essay compilations

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Collected works

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See also

• List of Malayalam-language authors by category
• List of Malayalam-language authors

External links

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