Indian writer, Tamil Novelist, Journalist and Indian independence activists
Birth
Kalki was born as Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy to Ramaswamy Iyer and Thaiyal Nayagi on 9th September 1899 in Puthamangalam (near Manalmedu) in Thanjavur District of TamilNadu. His father Ramaswamy Iyer was an accountant in his village in Tanjavur. His pen name was Kalki. He got the name “Kalki” from the tenth avatar of Hindu God Vishnu.
Personal life
Kalki married Rukmani in 1924. He had two children Kalki Rajendran and Anandi Ramachandran.
School life
His primary education began in a village school. Later he went to the Municipal High School in Mayavaram. In 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi started his Non-cooperation movement, Kalki joined the Indian National congress by leaving the school. Kalki got imprisonment for one year prison for taking part in the independence struggle in 1922.
Life Career of Kalki
Kalki became the sub-editor on a Tamil periodical daily Navasakthi. He published his first book in 1927. In 1927, he released his short story “Saradhaiyin Thanthiram”. In 1928, he left Navasakthi and went to stay with C.Rajagopalachari in Tiruchengode Gandhi Ashram in Salem District. Kalki helped the latter in editing the Vimochanam. Later in 1931, Kalki was sent to jail for six months. Kalki had a good friendship with the Congress leader C.Rajagopalachari and T.Sadasivam. The latter T.Sadasivam was a partner in the journalistic prescription of Kalki.
He joined a weekly magazine Ananda Vikatan( whose Edition and Publication work done by S.S.Vasan) in 1932. In 1937, his first novel was “Kalvanin Kadhali” was published in Anandha Vikatan. Later in 1939, Kalki debut as the screenplay writer for the Tamil movie “Thayaga Bhoomi”. Regardless of the ban by the Government of British, this film got a huge success. Again he left the Ananda Vikatan in 1941, to join the freedom struggle. He was arrested again for his participation in the freedom struggle.
He spent three months in jail. After his release from jail, he began the new weekly Kalki along with Sadasivam. He wrote a novel “Sivagamiyin Sabadham” in 1944. In 1945, he wrote the lyrics for the Tamil film “Meera”. In 1950, he took interest on history and began to write the historical novels Ponniyin Selvan and Parthiban kanavu.
Apart from writing novels, he was a Tamil Writer, Poet, Journalist and Activist of Freedom. He had written 10 novellas, 120 short stories, 5 novels, 3 Historical romances, political and editorial contents. Then he wrote a hundred of music and movie reviews. Initially, almost all the novels of him got printed in serialized format, and then it was printed in the form of a book following the compilation of those contents.
He had written lyrics for many songs, out of which many got composed in Carnatic music. He wrote the commentary on film and music with the pen name “Karnatakam”. In 1963, his novel Alai Osai that came in Kalki magazine was gathered and made into a book.
Literary works of Kalki
He wrote about the Pallava dynasty in his famous novels, Sivagamiyin Sapatham and Parthiban Kanavu. His novel Ponniyin Selvan, for which he took three years to write, tells about the king of famous Cholas Dynasty. In his novel Solaimalai Illavarasiin 1947, he wrote about the Independence of India.
His social novels include the Thiyaga Bhoomi, Kalvanin Kaadhali, Magudapathi, Alai Osai, Abalayin Kaneer, Mohini Theevu, Devagiyin Kanavan, Poiman Karadu, Amara Thara and Punnaivanathu Puli.
His short stories were Otrai Roja, Subhathraiyin Sagodharan, Vasdhadhu Venu, Pudhu Ovarsiyar, Vasdhadhu Venu, Amara Vazhvu Theepiditha Kudisaigal, Thirudan magan Thirudan, Imayamalai Engal Malai, Sunduvi Sanyasam, Pushpa Pallaaku, Prabala, Pithalai Ottiyanam, Pongumaangkadal, Parisil Thurai, Arunachalathin Aluval, Kamalavin Kalyanam, Tharkolai, Susila MA, Saradhaiyin Thandhiram, Kanaiyazhiyin Kanavu, Governor Vijayam, Banker Vinayakarao, Punnaivanthupuli, number 888, Onbathu kulinilam, Zamindar Mahan, Kethariyin Thaayar, Srikandhan Punarjenmam, Chandramathi, Veenai Bhavani, Thappili cup, Kadithamum Kaneerum, Mayilak kalai, Idintha Kottai and Tiger King.
The story Tiger King is the story about a King whose death occurs, due to a Tiger as per the astrologers prediction. The end of this story makes the readers to laugh, which proved that Kalki was brilliant in writing innovative stories also.
In his novel Ponniyin Selvan, he narrates the story of Arulmozhivarman (Rajaraja Chola I). This was one of the greatest novels in Tamil literature since 1950. He had written on the political career and power endeavor of the Chola King. Many of them from Tamil cinema made a strive, to feature a film based on this novel. In 1958, then top star of Tamil Cinema MGR made an attempt to make film based on this novel, which was later put off due to the accident.
His novel Sivagamiyin Sabatham (The vow of Sivagami) is again one of the historical novel which is based with the themes spy, romance and thriller. This novel narrates the historical happenings and characters in the 7th century in South India. He wrote this novel based on themes like love, honor and friendship . This novel tells about the historical happenings faced by Pulakeshin II (who is the Chalukya King) and Narasimhavarman attack on Vatapi.
His novel Parthiban Kanavu tells about the historical story of Chola King Vikraman, the son of Chola King Parthiban. Kalki narrates on the efforts made by the Chola King Vikraman to gain freedom from the Pallava King Narasimhavarman-I.
Award and Honors of Kalki
On the centenary celebration of Kalki, a postal stamp was released to honor him. The Government of Tamil Nadu declared the nationalization of the works of Kalki. In 1953, Kalki won the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani award from the Indian Fine Arts Society. Kalki Krishnamurthy has won the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Alai Osai.
Death
On 5th December 1954, Kalki died in Chennai due to Tuberculosis at the age of 55. His last editorial work and special issue of magazine for Annai Sarada Devi came on the day of his death.