Kumudam (Magazine)

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: குமுதம் ‎

Kumudam (1947) is a popular Weekly Magazine in Tamil, coming out from Chennai. Kumudam Group published many other magazines including Kumudam Reporter, Kumudam Theeranathi, Kumudam Snegithi, Kumudam Bakthi, Kumudam Jothidam, Kumudam Health Special and Malaimathi.

History

Kumudam Magazine was started in 1947 by S.A.B. Annamalai with Dr. M. Azhagappa Chettiar as honorary editor. In Thirty years, it was the third best-selling weekly magazine in India (Malayala Manorama, next to Rani weekly) and sold six lakh copies. S.A.B. Annamalai was its editor in chief and P.V. Varadarajan was publisher. When Kumudam Magazine became a limited company, one hundred percent shares were owned by S.A.B. Annamalai and his wife Kothai Achi.

Supplemental Magazines

Kalkandu, with Tamilvanan as its editor, emerged from the management of Kumudam magazine. Then different magazines came out,

• Malaimathi (Monthly Novel)
• Kumudam Reporter (Investigative Magazine)
• Kumudam Snegithi (Women's Magazine)
• Kumudam Bakthi (Astrology Magazine)
• Kumudam Health (Medical Magazine)
• Theeranathi (Literary Magazine)

Editors

Kumudam magazine's editor in chief S.A.B. Annamalai was a writer. With him Ra.Ki. Rangarajan, J.R. Sundaresan, Punithan were also part of the editorial board. They are said to be responsible for the success of Kumudam magazine. All three of them wrote in Kumudam magazine under different names. Later Sujatha, Malan, Priya Kalyanaraman asumed were editors of the magazine.

Kumudam's Uniqueness

There are many reasons given for the success of Kumudam magazine's sales.

• The popular magazines of that time like Kalaimagal, Kalki and Ananda Vikatan presented the Brahmin culture first and foremost. This is because the readers and writers were primarily Brahmins. Although Kumudam had Brahmins writing, it was conducted without the semblance of Brahmin culture. Hence it gained support from the educated and rising non-Brahmin communities of India after independence.
• Kalaimagal, Ananda Vikatan and Kalki confined themselves as family journals and restricted content on sexuality. Kumudam was consistently subtly transgressing the boundaries of sexual expression of the day. So it attracted younger readers.
• Kumudam formed itself through reactions. So it followed cinema very closely. It has adopted a style of presenting everything else using cinema along with messages about cinema. For example, when Kanchi Chandrasekhara Saraswati announced a Pidiyarisi thittam, the announcement was accompanied by a picture of the star of the day, Chaukar Janaki providing rice (Pidiyarisi).

Kumudam's Serials

After Kalki, Kumutham is the most successful weekly magazine that used serials.

• Chandilyan wrote a serial called Kannimadam. Later when Mannan Magal came out it received wider welcome. In continuation of it lengthy serials like Kadalpura, Yavanarani, Rajamuthirai, Rajathilagam, Jalatheebam, Raja Perigai came out in Kumudam. They brought huge readership to Kumudam.
• Ra.Ki. Rangarajan translated Henry Sharrier's Papillon novel and published it under the name Pattamboochi in Kumudam. It became one of the very liked serial.
• Mu. Karunanidhi's serial Romapuri Pandiyan was one of the famous serials.
• Sujatha made his Kumudam debut in August 1968 with the novel Nylon Kayiru. His Anitha Ilam Manaivi is his second successful serial. He continued to write detective stories in Kumudam. They were well received by the readers.

Kumudam's Columns

Kumudam's Columns are very famous.

Columns written by Kumudam's Editors

• Lights On - Vinoth (Cinema news written by Ra.Ki. Rangarajan)
• Arasu Bathilgal - Question & Answer section wrote by S.A.B.
• KisuKisu (Gossips about Cinema)

Columns written by Guests

• Variyar Virundhu
• Thirumbi Parkiren - Jeyakanthan