Journey of Kalki, man behind evergreen epic novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’

Chennai

If the number of copies sold or its longevity on the bookshelf is a benchmark of a best-seller book, then Kalki Krishnamurthy undoubtedly wrote one. His Ponniyin Selvan still remains the highest-selling book in Tamil, as well as a much talked about topic.

70 years after it breaking ground, many millions of copies adorn the bookshelves across the State. It has been made into plays, comics and all, while a film and a web series are in the offing. But then how did the journey of this bestselling author start? Krishnamurthy, from a small village in Mayavaram taluk, would leave school in response to a call from the Mahatma but was in no way a member of the unlettered masses.

Well-read, his literary skills were surfacing. His scripting proficiencies were noticed by his mentor Congressman TSS Rajan who recommended him for a job with language disciplinarian Thiruvika, who seems to have accepted Krishnamurthy based only on his ability to write Tamil without mistakes. Kalki was looking forward to a creative job but ended up translating, editing and proof-checking in Navasakthi.

The one remarkable job he did during his Navasakthi days was translating the Mahatma’s articles in Young India. Kalki had found financial stability, even in expensive urban life, for Thiruvika paid him a princely salary of Rs 60 for his toil. Privately Kalki nursed ambitions of writing fiction. In the late 19th century, Tamil literature consisted predominantly of verse, thus excluding a vast slice of the population from either writing or reading it. Prathapa Mudaliar Charithram (The Life of Prathapa Mudaliar), published in 1879, was the first novel in the Tamil language.

It was a milestone in Tamil narratives, which had hitherto seen writings only in poetry. The book gave birth to a new literary genre — Tamil prose. In a parallel move, Madras was becoming the Mecca of the published word for the Presidency, with rapid advances in printing technology. Krishnamurthy wrote an anthology of eight stories, one with a heroine named after his wife’s baby cousin Saratha. The book was titled Sarathaiyin Thanthiram.

The year was 1927, a full quarter-century before he would write his bestseller. The author was only 28 years old. The entire publishing exercise was out of Kalki’s savings. He printed 1,000 copies and hung a publisher’s board ‘Saraswathi Prasuralayam’ outside his rented premises in Mylapore. The landlord, a lawyer, quoted several sections of the law and objected.

The board came off in just four days to gather dust in the corner of a room. It definitely was not an auspicious start to a career anyone would have said. But Rajaji had written the foreword for the anthology and had penned “does a flower shop need advertisement”, meaning an introduction was not needed for a good author. He even said he was reminded of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in one story.

Boosted by the foreword, Kalki would be optimistic of a roaring entry into the world of Tamil publishing. Kalki sent 60 books for reviews in all magazines. Many took a cue from Rajaji’s words and praised it. Some bashed him too. But either way, it did nothing for the sales. Sarathaiyin Thanthiram had a record sales of four copies. One buyer negotiated a half price. So the future bestseller of Tamil literature was stuck with 995 books stacked in his living room unsold. Seeing it daily also depressed him.

Four years later, in an article in Ananda Vikadan, Kalki, who seemed to have burnt his fingers, would advise those who nursed ambitions of a career in literature: “Brother, just don’t take a plunge into writing. Listen to my advice. Has anyone ever become rich or famous writing books and essays in Tamil Nadu?” These words of deterrence were ironically from the best selling author of Tamil literary history. When Kalki left for Tiruchengodu to work in Rajaji’s Gandhi ashram, vacating the house became an issue because of the unsold copies.

Luckily he had come into contact with SS Vasan who took the responsibility to dispose of the remaining books of ‘Saradaiyin Thanthiram’. Vasan, who had zeroed in on Kalki as the pilot of his literary ventures might have taken charge of selling these inertia-laden books just to soften Kalki. Kalki, however, laughed secretly at the mistake Vasan, who was reported to be a brilliant businessman, was making. He would even put that feeling in words. “An idiot for the impaling stick,” he would call Vasan. But, Vasan sold the remaining copies swiftly and even printed a second edition. With a fierce advertising campaign in Ananda Vikatan, he established Kalki as a fiction writer.

In fact, many of Kalki’s ardent supporters reached out to him after reading this book. Kalki realised the importance of a commercially smart escort in any literary enterprise and thereafter always partnered with one. It was Vasan initially and Sadasivam next. Kalki would make simplicity the backbone of his writings which marks the era in Tamil literature where the common man was targeted as an audience. He is best known for the revival of historical fiction in Tamil. Over a decade and a half, he brought back the Pallavas and Cholas to the forefront of Tamil fiction. The novels evoked pride in the past for the thousands who read them during the freedom struggle and thereafter. It would be ironic to some, but this was the author who could only sell ‘four and a half’ copies of his first fictional book.

 — The author is a historian