Ashokamitran

Ashokamitran [J. Thyagarajan] (22-9-1931 – 23-3-2017) was one of the notable Modern Tamil writers who wrote about the everyday lives of the metropolitan middle class in his characteristic detached style of prose. His works followed a minimalistic narrative style and had a unity in form and structure that are the defining features of Modernism in literature. His works reveal that he was fascinated by existentialism and J. Krishnamurthy’s philosophy.  In his lifetime, he won many awards and acclamations including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award. He was the editor of the literary journal “Kanaiyaazhi” and is considered one of the pioneers of Modernism in modern Tamil literature.

Personal life

Ashokamitran’s ancestors on his mother’s side were from Mayavaram and on his father’s side from Vattalakundu. He had written that he was related to the writers B. R. Rajam, C. S. Chellappa and B. S. Ramiah. 

Ashokamitran was born on 22-09-1931 in Secunderabad, which was, during the period, under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad. His mother’s name was Balambal. His father, Jagadisa Iyer, was a railway employee. Ashokamitran grew up in the Lancer Barracks where the railway employees were quartered. Lancer barracks constituted a major backdrop for Ashokamitran’s stories. During the Second World War, he spent a few years of his youth in a village called Polagam near Thanjavur.

In 1948, the Nizam of Hyderabad refused to accede to the Union of India. Following unrest caused by a group of religious fundamentalists known as Razakars within the Nizam, then Home Minister Vallabhai Patel ordered a direct “police action” (Operation Polo) to take over Hyderabad. The events surrounding the annexation of Hyderabad had a great effect on a young Ashokamitran. His novel ‘Padinetavadhu Atchakodu’ (The Eighteenth Parallel) was set in this political milieu.

Shortly after the death of his father in 1952, Ashokamitran relocated to Chennai with his mother and sisters. With the help of his father’s friend, he found work as a production assistant at the Gemini Studios. He worked as S. S. Vasan’s aide. He chronicled his experiences during this period in The Illustrated Weekly of India magazine, which was later compiled into a novel called My Years with Boss. This was also translated into Tamil. Several notable stories including Puli Kalaignan (Tiger Meister/Artist) were written in this setting.

Ashokamitran worked at the Gemini Studios for thirteen years after which he quit in 1966, citing inequities and hierarchic practices within the film industry. He did not hold a steady job after leaving Gemini Studios and simply relied on translations and other odd jobs to get by.

Ashokamitran had three sons.

Literary life

Ashokamitran became acquainted with modern literature through his friend Ramanarasu while working at the Gemini Studios (1952-1966). He took up a minor role in the play ‘Vanavil’ (Rainbow) written and enacted by Ramanarasu. He later adopted the character’s name ‘Ashokamitran’ as his pen name. The radio play ‘Anbin Parisu’ (love’s gift) published in 1954 was his first work. It was influenced by Luigi Pirandello’s 'Six Characters in search of the Author'

Tamil writer Nakulan followed Ashokamitran’s writings attentively and promoted his aesthetic outlook. Ashokamitran dedicated his first short story collection Vazhvile Oru Murai (Once in a Lifetime) to Ramanarasu and Nakulan, with the words “To Ramanarasu who said that I can write and to Nakulan who said that I do write”. Though he wrote for popular magazines such as Ananda Vikatan and Kalki, Ashokamitran reserved his major, more serious works for Tamil literary magazines. From – he worked as the chief editor of the literary magazine ‘Kanaiyaazhi’. Several of his short stories written in the 70s were published in the Kumudam magazine.

Ashokamitran attended a writer’s workshop at the University of Iowa, USA. He recorded a fictionalized account of his experiences during this period in his short story collection Otran (Spy).

Narmada Publications published his first short story collection Vazhvile Oru Murai. It featured several notable stories such as Prayanam (Journey), Ainooru Koppai Thattugal (500 saucers) and Vazhvile Oru Murai. They were critically acclaimed by critic and writer Ka. Naa. Subramanyam and writer Nakulan.

Ashokamitran’s second collection ‘Kaalamum Aindhu Kuzhanthaigalum’ (Time and its five children) was published in 1974. ‘Vidudhalai’ (freedom), a collection of novellas that came out next was also well received. These early collections contain accurate, realistic depictions of life while retaining a humorous tone. However, there is an evolution of style seen in his second collection. Several stories including Kaalamum Aindhu Kuzhanthaigalum exhibit an abstract and metaphorical style. He employed this technique in a few stories from other collections, before reverting back to his characteristic style of realistic narration.

The annexation of Hyderabad by the Union of India forms the background for Ashokamitran’s first novel ’Padinetavadhu Atchakodu’ (The Eighteenth Parallel). He drew on his experiences at Gemini studios for his second novel, ‘Karainta Nilalkal’ (translated to English as Star Crossed, by V. Ramnarayan). His third novel, ‘Thaneer’ (Water), details with water scarcity in Chennai which is a parallel to the spiritual poverty of the characters, as a trait of the modern age.  

Ashokamitran had a fascination for sages, siddhas and astrologers. Writer, playwright and director S. D. S. Yogi (Sa Du Su Yogiyar) and writer K. R. Gopalan (Ki Ra Gopalan), who also worked at the Gemini Studios, introduced Ashokamitran to a few siddhas and occulists. They were both interested in siddha mysticism and philosophy. K. R. Gopalan also showed interest in Vedantic philosophy. These experiences made their way into Ashokamitran’s stories ‘Manasarovar’ and ‘Agaya Thamarai’.

Later in life, Ashokamitran wrote memoirs of his youth. His final novel ‘Iru Nagarangal’ (Two Cities) has autobiographical elements and can be read as a continuation of his memoirs.

Ashokamitran received K. K. Birla Fellowship for a thesis on comparative Indian literature. From 1973-74 he was awarded a fellowship twice at the University of Iowa for creative writing.

Ashokamitran wrote detailed critical essays introducing American literature and other amusing little essays about the world of filmmaking, Hollywood cinema, Hindi songs and the transformation of Chennai as it developed into a metrocity, in a charming, lucid language.

Editor of the “little magazine” Kanavu, Subrabharathi Manian, published a special edition of critical essays on Ashokamitran in 1991, for his 60^th birthday. These were authored by writer Jeyamohan. Ashokamitran won the 1996 Sahitya Academi award for his collection of short stories called ‘Appavin Snegidhar’ (Father’s friend).

Death

Ashokamitran passed away on 23-03-2017 while in his son’s home, in Velachery, Chennai. He was eighty six.

Biographical references

Ashokamitran had written many autobiographical notes which were compiled and published later on.

There are three different documentaries about Ashokamitran made by:

• Amshan Kumar, 2003
• Sa. Kandasamy
• Gnani

Literary Legacy, Aesthetics

Ashokamitran had a candid and simplistic way of writing. Among Tamil writers, the influence of Na Pichamurti and Pudhumaipithan’s stories like ‘Chellamal’ are quite discernable in his works. He was also influenced by Ernest Hemmingway and William Sarovan among others. There is influence of Sarovan’s 'My name is Aram' stories on Ashokamitran’s pieces on his youth. (‘Ilakiya munodigal’ – Jeyamohan)

Ashokamitran was a practising Hindu but his stories do not reveal his faith. Philosophically, they reserve a modernist, existentialistic view. (‘Ilakiya munodigal’ – Jeyamohan)

Ashokamitran was of the opinion that there has to be considerable distance between modern literature and tradition, traditional ideas and practices that exist in literature, religion and culture. His skepticism and disbelief in tradition is apparent in stories such as ‘Innum Sila Natkal’ (A few more days) and ‘Prayanam’ (A journey).

‘Viduthalai’ (Freedom) and ‘Kaalamum Aindhu Kuzhanthaigalum’ (Time and its five children) show his fascination with the philosophy of J. Krishnamurthy. Ashokamitran’s work ‘Gandhi' reveals his profound admiration for Gandhism, although it does come across as his admiration for Gandhi, the individual, in the story.

Ashokamitran’s stories exhibit strong individualism. The voice of the individual’s strife against political, religious institutions and other power structures rings through his works. The individual, isolated and forsaken, is left to deal with his day-to-day struggles. His misery and disillusionment is discussed in Ashokamitran’s stories. However these grave subjects are dealt with wit, whimsy and a sort of detached, satirical tone.

Ashokamitran did not believe in theorizing, generalizing and forming concepts about art. His essays on literary and film criticism were entirely subjective aesthetic appreciations. He was against any form of objective theoritical criticism and did not engage with his contemporaries in critical debates.

Critics record that Ashokamitran’s style is modernistic with its simplistic skeletal prose, without elaborate description and its concise structure and symbolism. He wrote conversations in a standard prose but later adopted a generalized colloquial language, although he never used local dialects.

Controversies

• Saavi, the editor of Dinamani magazine published a truncated version of Jayakanthan’s story called ‘Rishimoolam’. Venkat Swaminathan condemned the heavy editing in the magazine ‘Yathra’. Several other writers including Jayakanthan himself expressed their dissatisfaction. Ashokamitran wrote in favor of Saavi, telling Venkat Swaminathan and others “not to cry, and keep [their] mouths shut”.
• Venkat Swaminathan wrote an article by the title ‘Sweet stolen mangoes’ accusing Ashokamitran’s story ‘Prayanam’ of being an imitation.
• In a Sunday magazine interview, Ashomitran wrote that Tamil Brahmins are being mistreated like the Jews. This prompted several writers who subscribed to the Dravidian ideology to express their contempt.

Short stories

• Vazhvile oru murai
• Vimosanam (Liberation)
• Vidudhalai
• Unmai Vetkai (Zeal for truth)
• Appavin Snegidhar
• Kaalamum Aindhu Kuzhanthaigalum
• Thanthaikaga (For Father)
• Nadagathin Mudivu (End of the play)
• Biplup Chowduryyin kadan (Biplup Chowdury’s debt)
• Muraipen

Novels

• Aagayathamarai
• Indru (Today)
• Otran (Spy)
• Karainta Nilalkal
• Thaneer (Water)
• Padhinettavadhu Atchakodu
• Manasarovar

Novellas

• Iruvar (Duo)
• Vidudhalai
• Dheebam (Lamp)
• Vizha Maalai Podhil (Eve of the festivities)

Other

• Ashokamitran Kadhaigal (Ashokamitran stories) collections 1 & 2

Essays

• Ashokamitran Katuraigal (Essays of Ashokamitran) collections 1 & 2

Works in English

• Fourteen years with Boss
• The Ghosts of Meenambakkam

Translations

English

• Still Bleeding from the Wound
• Eighteenth Parallel
• Water
• Shoot at Sight

Malayalam

• Padhinetavadhu Atchakodu translated into Indian Languages by Aadan Pradan, National Book Trust, India.
• Karainta Nilalkal has been translated into Malayalam.

Awards

• Ilakiya Sindhanai Virudhu 1977
• Ilakiya Sindhanai Virudhu 1984
• Lily Memorial Award 1992
• Ramakrishna Jaidayal Harmony award by Dalmia Trust 1993
• Akshara Award 1996
• Sahitya Academi Award 1996
• The MGR Award 2007
• NTR National Literary Award by NTR Vignan Trust 2012
• National award by Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad 2013