Muttathu Varkey

{{Infobox person

| name = Muttathu Varkey

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1913|4|28}}

| birth_place = Chethipuzha, Kottayam district, Kerala, India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1989|5|28|1913|4|28}}

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| occupation = Novelist, poet

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| notable_works = {{ubl|Oru Kudayum Kunjupengalum|Paadaatha Painkili|Azhakulla Seleena|Mayiladum Kunnu}}

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Muttathu Varkey (28 April 1913 – 28 May 1989) was an Indian novelist, short story writer, and poet of Malayalam.[http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/author-detail.cgi?code=291 Muttathu Varkey] at puzha.com{{cite book |last=George |first=K. M. |title=A survey of Malayalam literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1VMZAAAAIAAJ&q=muttathu+varkey |year=1968|publisher=Asia Pub. House |isbn=9780210227350 }} He was best known for a genre of sentiment-filled romantic fiction known as painkili (janapriya) novel in Malayalam literature, named after his famous novel Paadatha Painkili.Ancy Bay 2015. "At the End of the Story: Popular Fiction, Readership and Modernity in Literary Malayalam", in Satheese Chandra Bose and Shiju Sam Varughese (eds.). Kerala Modernity: Ideas, Spaces and Practices in Transition, Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, pp. 92-108.

Life

Varkey was born in Chethipuzha, a small village near Changanassery in Kottayam district, Kerala. Completed his pre degree and degree from SB College Changanasserry, he began his career as a school teacher at Saint Berchmans High School, Changanassery. He then took up the job of an accountant in a timber factory. For a brief period, Varkey taught in a Tutorial College run by M. P. Paul. He then joined Deepika newspaper as an associated editor and remained there for next 26 years until his retirement in 1974.

Literary career

Muttathu Varkey emerged as one of the popular writers of Malayalam fiction.{{cite book |last=Azhikode |first=Sukumar |title=Malayalam short stories: an anthology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XlkKAQAAIAAJ&q=muttathu+varkey |year=1972|publisher=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |isbn=978-0-471-92452-4}} He along with Kanam EJ was prominent in popularizing a genre of sentiment-filled pulp fiction known as painkili novel in Malayalam literature.{{cite news|last=Vijayakumar|first=B.|title=Old is Gold: Inapravukal (1965)|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/old-is-gold-inapravukal-1965/article4301821.ece|access-date=24 January 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=13 January 2013}} He was a prolific writer and has penned a total of 132 books, including 65 novels. The rest of his works include collections of short stories, plays, and poetry. Many of his novels were adapted into Malayalam films,{{cite news

|title = PAADATHA PAINKILI 1957

|url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/02/14/stories/2009021453821200.htm

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629063350/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/02/14/stories/2009021453821200.htm

|url-status = dead

|archive-date = 29 June 2011

|date = 14 February 2009

|newspaper = The Hindu

|access-date = 2009-05-25

}} including the Prem Nazir starrer Padatha Painkili (1957), Inapravukal (1965), Velutha Kathreena (1968), Mayiladum Kunnu (1972) and the Sathyan starrer Karakanakadal (1971).

Selected works

Paadaatha Painkili
Oru Kudayum Kunjupengalum
Inapravukal
Karakanakkadal
Mayiladum Kunnu
Velutha Kathreena
Akkarappacha
Azhakulla Selina
Pattuthoovaala
Mriyakutty

Filmography

Padatha Painkili (1957)
Inapravukal (1965)
Velutha Kathreena (1968)
Mayiladum Kunnu (1972)
Azhakulla Saleena (1973)
Karakanakadal (1971)
Kottayam Kunjachan (1990)

Muttathu Varkey Award

Muttathu Varkey Foundation has instituted the Muttathu Varkey Award to be presented yearly to Malayalm writers. The winner is selected by popular vote with final decisions made by prominent judges.{{cite news

|title = Muttathu Varkey award for Zacharia

|url = http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/29/stories/2005042912210400.htm

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050513071157/http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/29/stories/2005042912210400.htm

|url-status = dead

|archive-date = 13 May 2005

|date = 29 April 2005

|newspaper = The Hindu

|access-date = 2009-05-17

}} The prominent winners of the award include, O. V. Vijayan (1992), Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1993), M. T. Vasudevan Nair (1994), Kovilan (1995), Kakkanadan (1996), VKN (1997), M. Mukundan (1998), Punathil Kunhabdulla (1999), Anand (2000), N. P. Mohammed (2001), Ponkunnam Varkey (2002), Sethu (2003), C. Radhakrishnan (2004), Zacharia (2005), Kamala Surayya (2006), T. Padmanabhan (2007), M. Sukumaran (2008), N.S. Madhavan (2009), P. Valsala (2010), Sarah Joseph (2011), N Prabhakaran (2012) C. V. Balakrishnan (2013), Asokan Charuvil (2014), K. Satchidanandan (2015), K. G. George (2016), T. V. Chandran (2017) and K. R. Meera (2018){{cite news|url=http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?tabId=0&programId=1080132912&contentId=9232597&contentType=EDITORIAL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815174609/http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?tabId=0&programId=1080132912&contentId=9232597&contentType=EDITORIAL|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 August 2011|title=Sarah Joseph wins Muttathu Varkey Award|date=28 April 2011|publisher=Malayala Manorama|access-date=2 May 2011}}

References

External links

[http://www.muttathuvarkey.com/ muttathuvarkey.com]
{{IMDb name|0890020}}
{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rangGHdXn4c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/rangGHdXn4c |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=Documentary Muttathu Varkey |last=Kid Athan |website=YouTube |date=2014-11-01 |access-date=2019-04-16}}{{cbignore}}
{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlChQrao_OI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/HlChQrao_OI |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=Asianet Report on Muttathu Varkey |last=Jolly George |website=YouTube |date=2013-04-09 |access-date=2019-04-16}}{{cbignore}}

Category:Dramatists and playwrights from Kerala

Category:Indian male short story writers

Category:Indian male novelists

Category:Malayalam-language dramatists and playwrights

Category:Malayalam poets

Category:Malayalam-language novelists

Category:Malayalam short story writers

Category:1913 births

Category:1989 deaths

Category:20th-century Indian novelists

Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights

Category:Indian male poets