M. Achuthan
{{Short description|Indian academic (1930–2017)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = M. Achuthan
| image = എം. അച്യുതൻ.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Photo published in Malayalam Sarvavignana Kosam
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|6|15}}
| birth_place = Vadama, Thrissur, Kerala, India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2017|4|9|1930|6|15}}
| death_place = Ernakulam, Kerala
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = {{ublist|Literary critic|orator}}
| alma mater = {{ublist|St. Antony's Higher Secondary School, Mala|Maharaja's College, Ernakulam|University of Madras}}
| spouse = Radha
| domesticpartner =
| children = Three daughters
| parents = {{ublist|Alakkattu Narayana Menon (father)|Mukkuttiparambil Parukutty Amma (mother)}}
| website =
| awards = {{ublist|1976 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism|1998 Padmaprabha Literary Award|2001 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions}}
}}
Mukkuttiparambil Achuthan (15 June 1930 – 9 April 2017) was an Indian academic, orator, and literary critic of Malayalam literature. Known for his works viz. Swathanthrya Samaravum Malayala Sahithyavum, Paschathya Sahitya Darshanam and Cherukadha Innale Innu, Achuthan was a recipient of several literary honours including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism and for Overall Contributions as well as the Padmaprabha Literary Award.
Biography
M. Achuthan was born on 15 June 1930 at Vadama, a small hamlet near Mala, in Thrissur district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Alakkattu Narayana Menon and Mukkuttiparambil Parukutty Amma.{{Cite web |url=https://malayalam.samayam.com/latest-news/kerala-news/literary-critic-m-achuthan-passed-away/articleshow/58094270.cms |title=സാഹിത്യനിരൂപകന് എം അച്യുതന് അന്തരിച്ചു |date=2017-04-09 |website=samayammalayalam |language=ml |access-date=2019-02-24}} His schooling was at St. Antony’s High School, Mala after which he joined Maharaja's College, Ernakulam{{Cite web |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/literary-critic-m-achuthan-no-more-1.1858973 |title=Literary critic M Achuthan no more |date=9 April 2017 |website=Mathrubhumi |language=en |access-date=2019-02-24}} to earn a master's degree in Malayalam literature with gold medal from the University of Madras.{{Cite web |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/100417/literary-critic-professor-m-achuthan-passes-away.html |title=Literary critic Professor M Achuthan passes away |date=2017-04-10 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en |access-date=2019-02-24}} Subsequently, he started his career as a lecturer of Malayalam at St. Albert's College.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/professor-m-achuthan-passed-away-1.1858948 |title=സാഹിത്യ നിരൂപകന് എം അച്യുതന് അന്തരിച്ചു 2 |website=Mathrubhumi |language=en |access-date=2019-02-24}} He also worked at a number of other institutions such as Government College, Meenchantha, Government Victoria College, Palakkad and Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College Pattambi before serving his alma mater, Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, from where he retired from service as a professor. Post retirement, he continued his academic career as a visiting professor at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit and sat in the director board of Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society. He also served as a member of the executive panel of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and the academic councils of the Universities of Kerala and Calicut, managed Mathrubhumi publications and presided Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/m-achuthan-passes-away/article17897631.ece |title=M. Achuthan passes away |date=2017-04-09 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-02-24}}
Achuthan was married to Radha, daughter of Jnanpith award winning poet, G. Sankara Kurup and the couple had three daughters, B. Bhadra, Nandini and Nirmala; Bhadra would later become the deputy Mayor of the Corporation of Kochi. He died on 9 April 2017, aged 86, at a private hospital in Kochi, succumbing to age related illnesses.{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/literary-critic-achuthan-passes-away-in-kochi/articleshow/58099036.cms |title=Literary critic Achuthan passes away in Kochi - Times of India |website=The Times of India |access-date=2019-02-24}} His mortal remains were cremated at Ravipuram crematorium.{{Cite web |url=http://www.madhayamam.com/en/kerala/2017/apr/9/eminent-literary-critic-m-achuthan-passes-away |title=Eminent literary critic M Achuthan passes away |website=www.madhayamam.com |access-date=2019-02-24 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Legacy and honours
Achuthan started his literary career by challenging the views of established literary figures like Kuttikrishna Marar and Joseph Mundassery and was the first critic to write on the poetry of Edasseri Govindan Nair.{{Cite web |url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2017/04/09/literary-critic-m-achuthan-passes-away.html |title=Literary critic M. Achuthan passes away Manorama |website=OnManorama |access-date=2019-02-25}} He authored a number of books including Paschathya Sahitya Dharshanam, a critique of the philosophies of a number of western scholars. Cherukadha Innale Innu, published in 1973, is a book that covers the history of Malayalam short story and short story writers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.indulekha.com/study-cherukatha-innale-innu-m-achuthan-short-story |title=Cherukatha: Innale Innu @ indulekha.com |date=2019-02-24 |website=www.indulekha.com |access-date=2019-02-24 |archive-date=24 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224231348/http://www.indulekha.com/study-cherukatha-innale-innu-m-achuthan-short-story |url-status=dead }} Kavithayuṃ Kalavuṃ, Samanvayaṃ, Novel - Prashnangalum Padangalum, Vivechanam, Vimarshalochanam, Nirdharanam, Swathanthrya Samaravum Malayala Sahithyavum, Prakaranangal Prathikarangal and Vangmukham are some of his other works.{{Cite web |url=https://www.asianetnews.com/news/professor-m-achuthan-passess-away |title=Asianet News |website=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd |access-date=2019-02-25}} He also translated One Thousand and One Nights into Malayalam under the title, Ayirathonnu Raavukal.
Achuthan received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism in 1976 for his work, Cherukadha Innale Innu,{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/ksa/Awards/Criticism_Studies.htm |title=Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism |date=2019-02-24 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705154427/http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/ksa/Awards/Criticism_Studies.htm |archive-date=5 July 2017 |url-status=dead }} followed by Padmaprabha Literary Award in 1998.{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralaculture.org/padmaprabha-award/614 |title=Padmaprabha Literary Award - Padma Prabha Puraskaram |date=2019-02-24 |website=www.keralaculture.org |language=en |access-date=2019-02-24}} Kerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him again in 2001 with the award for overall contributions.{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/ksa/Awards/total.htm |title=Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions |date=2019-02-24 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705154814/http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/ksa/Awards/total.htm |archive-date=5 July 2017 |url-status=dead }} He was also a recipient of the Sahitya Pravarthaka Benefit Fund Award.
Bibliography
= Essays =
- {{cite book|author=M. Achuthan|title=Paschathya Sahithya Darshanam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fJIRAQAAIAAJ|year=1962|publisher=Sāhityapr̲avartaka Sahakaraṇasaṅghaṃ}}
- {{cite book|author=M. Achuthan|title=Kavitayuṃ Kālavuṃ: upanyāsaṅgaḷ|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJgRAQAAIAAJ|year=1965|publisher=Sāhityapr̲avartaka Sahakaraṇasaṅghaṃ}}
- {{cite book|author=M. Achuthan|title=Samanvayaṃ|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FH4RAQAAIAAJ|year=1969}}
- {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=73188&query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520m.%2520achuthan |title=Vivechanam |last=Achuthan |first=M. |date=1971 |publisher=Current Books}}
- {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=65316&query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520m.%2520achuthan |title=Kattil Parathiya Sanmargam |last=Achuthan |first=M |date=1979}}
- {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=78729&query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520m.%2520achuthan |title=Vangmukham |last=Achuthan |first=M. |date=1980 |publisher=Poorna |location=Kozhikode}}
- {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=83504&query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520m.%2520achuthan |title=Swaathanthryasamaravum malayalasaahithyavum |last=Achuthan |first=M. |date=1994 |publisher=Kerala Sahitya Academy |location=Thrissur}}
- {{cite book|author=M. Achuthan|title=Cherukadha Innale Innu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mVBIPgAACAAJ|date=2007|publisher=DC Books|isbn=978-81-264-1513-7}}
- {{Cite book |title=Novel - Prashnangalum Padangalum |last=M. Achuthan |date=2010 |publisher=DC Books |isbn=978-8126433919}}
= Translations =
- {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=103948&query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520m.%2520achuthan |title=Ayirathonnu Ravukal |date=2011 |publisher=Mathrubhumi Books |isbn=9788182650978 |editor-last=Achuthan |editor-first=M. |edition=2nd |location=Kozhikode}}
See also
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{{Portal|India||Literature}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Im7_EYgfe4 |title=M. Achuthan - Interview |last=Sreedharan Mathuramattom |date=2011-10-29 |website=YouTube |access-date=2019-02-24}}
- {{cite book|author=Jagran Josh|title=Current Affairs May 2017 eBook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d9zNDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA261|date=8 May 2017|publisher=Jagran Josh|pages=261–|id=GGKEY:Y4CQWLA4NWA}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Achuthan, M.}}
Category:People from Thrissur district
Category:Indian literary critics
Category:Malayalam literary critics
Category:Maharaja's College, Ernakulam alumni
Category:Academic staff of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam
Category:University of Madras alumni
Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Category:Malayalam-language writers