Ponniyin Selvan-Kalki

[s ramaswamy]

(some corrections to my earlier posting)

Hi, I am new to this forum, but I am a kalki fan out and out from my childhood and have read ponniyin selvan, sivakimiyin sabadam and paarthiban kanavu endless no of times and also possess copies of these novels, thankfully sold at a very reasonable price, at home.

Ponniyin Selvan is easily Kalki's magnum opus and the last major completed novel he wrote before he died of asthma in 1954 aged 55. He died very young, but had accomplished ten times what people double that age would accomplish in their lifetime!

Since this topic relates to PS, I would mention a few things that have struck me about this extraordinary novel. It's one of the major works of world literature, whether anyone else agrees to this or not. The twists and plots in this novel, as also its predecessor Sivakamiyin Sabadam (correction), take the breath away every time one reads it.

The sweep of the novel is so vast and the characters so many that one may excuse Kalki had he not done justice to even a minor one like vaithiyar magan pinakapani. But he has done justice to all, including the reprehensible character Pinakapani who, I think, deserves the way he dies finally, killed by the spear thrown at him by (sorry got it wrong first) Kandamaran who thinks the man crossing the river is his bete noire vandiyathevan.

The other characters who come to be hated by the readers are Kandamaran (Kandan Maravel) and Pallava Parthibendran. Both are drawn to the extraordinary beauty of Nandini, a male version of Neelakesi (naganandi adigal of Sivakimiyin Sabadam), like moths to the flame and are consumed totally, making them look like total idiots to the reader's eyes.

One of the finest characters in this novel is Chinna Pazhuvettarayar, who stands by his brother throughout though is constantly trying to warn him about Nandini. His is an outstanding character of fierce loyalty to his elder brother and the chola kingdom.

What abt Nandini? Another outstanding piece of work by Kalki, as good, if not better, as Naganandi, the Budha Bikshu in Sivakamiyin Sabadam. Both are crucial to the plot of the two novels.

And what about Kalki's fertile imagination> Can any one come near his art of tying fiction with fact in his own inimitable style? I have read Chandilyan's novels. They are good, like Kadal Pura and Yavana Raani, but pale in comparison to Kalki's magnificent double whammy.

And one more pice of info. Kalki wrote Parthiban Kanavu, which actually is a continuation of Sivakamiyin Sabadam, before the latter novel.

[s ramaswamy]

Some more stray thoughs on Kalki's works. I would recommend his short story collections, especially Saarathayin Thanthiram and Kanayaniyin Kanavu. One of his finest short stories of his is titled Kedariyin Thayar. Kindly read it. The story ends with these lines...
"Kili endru soneen allava, antha kilikku mottaiyum mukkadum pottirindhadu" (he's referring to widowhood of those days).

Kalki strove for social justice through his works, including women's liberation and literacy. Imagine his novel Tyaga Bhoomi (serialised in ananda vikatam in the late thirties by carrying photographs of the film simultaneously being made of that novel and directed by K Subramaniam (father of danseuse Padma, Abaswaram Ramji and S Krishnaswami who made the documentary Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi).

I had been told by my father that the ananda vikatan copies used to sell like hot cakes as soon as they hit the stands when the novel was being serialised. Incidentally Kalki was the editor of AV then, with founder and Gemini Studios owner S S Vasan being its
publisher.

The novel and the cinema, banned by the British in 1938-39 period because of its strong nationalitic outlook, talks about the heroine Savitri divorcing her husband and becoming a top social worker. Unimaginable in those days!

Coming back to his literary works, I would suggest reading the Sahitya Academy winner "Alai Osai", a fine novel written with the freedom struggle as its background. There's suspense in this novel too, in typical Kalki style, and if I will bet the readers would start hating the hero of the novel (Raghavan) when they finish it!

Kalki's novels and short stories, including Poiman Karadu (made into the film Pon Vayal in the 1950s), contain vivid descriptions of nature. Ponniyin Selvan, Sivakamyin Sabadam and Paarthiban Kanavu carry a no of such passages.

And the underlying hunour in all these works need to be mentioned too.

I have read Ponniyin selvan and Sivakamiyin Sabadam many times over and on each occasion have experienced tears in my eyes hen I come to the last chapter - with Manimegalai dying in the arms of Vandiyathevan in PS and Sivakami dancing to the Appar hymn "Munnnam avanudaya naamam kettal, moorthi avanirukkum Vannam Kettal" with her entire focus on Lord Shiva even as her one-time lover Mamalla Narasimhan watches the performance with tears in his eyes. Truly touching endings! Can't get better than these!

[s ramaswamy]

Some more stray thoughs on Kalki's works. I would recommend his short story collections, especially Saarathayin Thanthiram and Kanayaniyin Kanavu. One of his finest short stories of his is titled Kedariyin Thayar. Kindly read it. The story ends with these lines... "Kili endru soneen allava, antha kilikku mottaiyum mukkadum pottirindhadu" (he's referring to widowhood of those days).

Kalki strove for social justice through his works, including women's liberation and literacy. Imagine his novel Tyaga Bhoomi (serialised in ananda vikatam in the late thirties by carrying photographs of the film simultaneously being made of that novel and directed by K Subramaniam (father of danseuse Padma, Abaswaram Ramji and S Krishnaswami who made the documentary Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi).

I had been told by my father that the ananda vikatan copies used to sell like hot cakes as soon as they hit the stands when the novel was being serialised. Incidentally Kalki was the editor of AV then, with founder and Gemini Studios owner S S Vasan being its
publisher.

The novel and the cinema, banned by the British in 1938-39 period because of its strong nationalitic outlook, talks about the heroine Savitri divorcing her husband and becoming a top social worker. Unimaginable in those days!

Coming back to his literary works, I would suggest reading the Sahitya Academy winner "Alai Osai", a fine novel written with the freedom struggle as its background. There's suspense in this novel too, in typical Kalki style, and if I will bet the readers would start hating the hero of the novel (Raghavan) when they finish it!

Kalki's novels and short stories, including Poiman Karadu (made into the film Pon Vayal in the 1950s), contain vivid descriptions of nature. Ponniyin Selvan, Sivakamyin Sabadam and Paarthiban Kanavu carry a no of such passages.

And the underlying hunour in all these works need to be mentioned too.

I have read Ponniyin selvan and Sivakamiyin Sabadam many times over and on each occasion have experienced tears in my eyes hen I come to the last chapter - with Manimegalai dying in the arms of Vandiyathevan in PS and Sivakami dancing to the Appar hymn "Munnnam avanudaya naamam kettal, moorthi avanirukkum Vannam Kettal" with her entire focus on Lord Shiva even as her one-time lover Mamalla Narasimhan watches the performance with tears in his eyes. Truly touching endings! Can't get better than these!

[aadhirai]

Boss vandhiyathevanum , kundhavaium ennagalai kalki's thamizh mattumae uyirrodu konduvarum. U should try and read it in tamil to get the total glimpse of it. I think u will enjoy it.

[ramyap]

The story starts and ends with vandhiyathevan

Rajaraja chozhan introduction scene was classic.

I was upset whole day on reading karikala chozha's death.

of ocurse Kalki was simply great. Though Poniyin sevan was historic novel, nearly 80% of the story was kalki's imagination only. there is no proof that there was a character called nandini was there in history.

Writing mere history won' t stand any one's mind. i started reading poniyin selvan at the age of 8, until now i would have read it hundred times. But never get bored towards reading it. Just a wonderful presentation.

Really kalki's imagination, makes us to go really to the historic age.

The character Madagini is the one who can never been comapared with any one in the story. She is the one who saved our great Raja raja and mad him as Poniyin selvan.

Of ocurse, nandini's cahracter can unbelievable and great. she has to be pittied. Whenever i see recent padaiyapa film, i will remember kalki's nadini character.

[ramyap]

I have read

Sivagami sabatham
parthiban kanavu
ponniyin selvan
alai osai

can anyone tell me other interesting kalki novels

thyiaga poomi, mogini thivu are also very good novels.
u can see this link
http://www.chennailibrary.com/kalki/kalki.html

[kannanmathi]

80% imagination ???

Come on. PS is the story which has lot of historic facts compared to his other novels. One cannot expect any historic 'novel' to say what exactly happened during that time. It is just the presentation of facts and events which need to be studied to see if its real or imagination. PS has lot of historical facts and events that way. Nandini is the one key character which is fictitious. Even Senthan Amuthan becomes a real character in Maduranthagan later. Following are the key facts of Chola history woven in the novel

- Adita Karikala constructing the Pon Maligain at Kanchi
- Arulmozhi's ilankai padai eduppu
- Confusion among the chola lords as who should succeed Sundara chola
- Killing of Adita Karikala by Ravi Dasan & Co.
- Arulmozhi's sacrifice of the throne to Utthama Chola etc.

[sipi]

Dear All...

Ponniyin selvan was written by Kalki Krishnamurthy

His first historical novel was Sivakamiyin sabadham ...its about Pallavas and Chalukyas
Indeed a splendid write up about the 5th century
This was followed by Paarthiban kanavu...

no balaji.. his first historical novel is parthiban kanavu (1941) after that he starts sivagami sabadham at 1944.

and before ponniyin selvan, he wrote mogini theevu & solaimalai ilavarasi. the story is in historical period but its full and fully imagination story..

atlast he write ponniyin selvan (1950 - 55)

[sipi]

Infact Kamal had plans to make a movie on Ponniyin selvan but could not make it...It remains one of his dreams

not only kamal balaji.. before to kamal, mgr interested to make it as a movie with 2 intervals & in dual role (both arul mozhi & vandhiyadevan) but, kalki said that this story didnt suitable for movie because of the imaginations...

and kamal, he is interested to make it as serial and he talked with doordarshan...(private channels ellam varradhu ku minnadi) but, the doordarshan interested finish up with in 50 episode.. so, adhuvum mudiyama poidichi...

[sipi]

His otherwork includes AMARADHARA, and 1 more social novel I forgot the name

AMARADHARA??? i think u mean "ALAI OSAI" It happens in the period of nation movement.

i think, u mention about "AMARA VAZHVU" Its a short story and very nice one...