Padmarajan- A master story teller

No, it is not because I have caught up with another of his masterpiece movies on any of the satellite channels, it is because I have read for the first time a novel (in fact, two) of his- the highly acclaimed “Rathinirvedham” and the fabulous “Manju kaalam notta Kuthira” “Rathinirvedham” first published in 1970 is a work that has stood the test of time and many would agree with me on this. A highly acclaimed novel that was later made into an equally acclaimed movie, Rathinirvedham has the writer focusing on a 17 year old teenager and his wet dreams! The diva of his dreams is his next door neighbor, the young, attractive and sexy Radhuvechi. Radhuvechi is married to a soldier and after a few days of marriage, her husband has returned to the borders. Pappu, our teenage hero is mad about her and dreams about sleeping with her all the time. How he finally manages to seduce Radhuvechi and what happens from there on forms the rest of the story! A brief outline of the story might sound like the many teenage erotic novels and short stories that one might have come across but what sets this one apart is the sheer class and identifiablity that Padmarajan lends to it. The setting of the story in an old Nair tharavaadu complete with the parambu, sarpakavu et al makes the journey easy for the writer. The snakes have been used as symbolically to convey eroticism in the novel what with the opening sequence itself describing Radhuvechi and Pappu witnessing two snakes in the act! The characters are very few and almost all the time the focus is on the two protagonists. The characterization is brilliant and the narrative style adds to the attraction of the plot. Rathinirvedham is truly a classic since it has stood the test of times and is as popular as when it was first published even after 38 years of the first edition. Add to it, the fact that the book was first published when its author was barely 25 is immense proof of the powerhouse of talent that Padmarajan was! Manjukaalam notta Kuthira (MNK) on the other hand deals with grown up people- a married couple on the verge of divorce, their daughter who is all out to unite them and an engineer who lands up in the middle of this disjointed family form the crux of MNK. This one is set somewhere in Mysore and starts with Prashanth, an architect landing up to renovate the old bungalow that belongs to Khan Sahib the protagonist. Khan Sahib is a rich businessman who is now leading a retired life. He has his set of friends and spends his evenings listening to music. He is helped out by Sarah, his caretaker who takes a bit too much care of him. Khan Sahib is charged up about his daughter’s wedding and wants his bungalow to be renovated before the wedding. Prashanth is the man on the job and the first assignment that Khan Sahib gives him is to renovate the stable so that it can house the new race horse that he has procured- Julie. The job is done and Julie is brought in. Along with Julie comes in Ms. Urmila Khan, Khan Sahib’s wife. Things are not really good with the two of them and they have been living separately. The only reason Urmila lands up is because their daughter would not get married unless she sees her parents together. The daughter lands up in the bungalow and along with her lands Sukanya, Prashanth’s assistant and the Architect on the job. The rest of the story focuses on the family and how Prashanth and Sukanya observe and comment on the inter relationships within the 3 family members. MNK has the kind of plot that could easily make a pulp fiction but trust Padmarajan to lend it a charm that is so characteristic of him. The plot unfolds in layers with the author explaining very clearly each and every character as they are introduced and establishing them very clearly in the minds of the readers. All the characters are modern, fiercely independent and highly unapologetic of their ways. It is here that one realizes the maturity that the writer has gained especially when compared to Rathinirvedham. Of course, MNK was first published in 1990, 20 years after Rathinirvedham. If snakes were symbolic of eroticism in the former, it is the horse that symbolizes it in the latter. Urmila’s passion for horse racing is what separates her from Khan Sahib in the first place and to have her back in his life what Khan Sahib resorts to is to presenting her with one! Padmarajan also tries to focus on how relationships get affected in modern day marriages where the husband and wife do not have enough time to spend with each other and what effect it has on the children.

What struck me most about MNK were the shades of the characters and the very simple narrative style. It is to Padmarajan’s credit that he could make a mundane plot feel extremely interesting! This definitely is a good read from start to finish!