Ramanan (play in verse)
Encyclopedia
Ramanan is the most celebrated work of Malayalam poet Changampuzha Krishna Pillai
. It is a play written in the form of verse. It is a pastoral
elegy
written after the death of his friend, Edappally Raghavan Pillai
. Written in 1936, it is the bestseller
of Malayalam literature
.
Changampuzha's Ramanan became such a big hit, the Kerala University prescribed it as a text book in Malayalam literature class. Ironically, Changampuzha himself was a literature student at Kerala University at that time.
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai was a celebrated Malayalam poet from Kerala, India, known almost exclusively for his romantic elegy Ramanan which was written in 1936 and sold over 100,000 copies...
. It is a play written in the form of verse. It is a pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
elegy
Elegy
In literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...
written after the death of his friend, Edappally Raghavan Pillai
Edappally Raghavan Pillai
Edappally Raghavan Pillai was a romantic Malayalam poet who committed suicide at a young age. He along with his close friend Changampuzha Krishna Pillai brought in a new breath of life into the Malayalam poetry of the 1930s...
. Written in 1936, it is the bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
of Malayalam literature
Malayalam literature
The term Malayalam literature refers to Literature written in Malayalam language. Malayalam is the language spoken by around 35 million people, mainly the inhabitants of the state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep Islands in India. Malayalam is a Dravidian language and thus has close...
.
Changampuzha's Ramanan became such a big hit, the Kerala University prescribed it as a text book in Malayalam literature class. Ironically, Changampuzha himself was a literature student at Kerala University at that time.
Adaptations
- Renowned Katha Prasangam artist Kedamangalam Sadanandan has performed this poem in many stages when Changampuzha was alive.
- In 1967, its film adaptation, RamananRamanan (film)Ramanan is a 1967 Malayalam romance film written, directed and produced by D. M. Pottekkat. It is a screen adaptation of Ramanan , a poem by Changampuzha Krishna Pillai. The film stars Prem Nazir and Sheela, the renowned on-screen pair in the lead roles...
was released. It was written and directed by D. M. Pottekkat, and starred Prem NazirPrem NazirAbdul Khader , better known by his stage name Prem Nazir , was an Indian film actor. He is considered one of the all time super stars in Malayalam cinema...
, SheelaSheelaSheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...
, MadhuMadhu (actor)Madhavan Nair , commonly known by his stage name Madhu is an actor in Malayalam cinema. He was a prominent lead actor during the 60s and 70s. He has also directed and produced films, and at one time he owned Uma film studio.-Early life:...
, Kottayam Chellappan, Kamaladevi, Meena, Ramu KariatRamu KariatRamu Kariat was a Malayali Indian film director for almost three decades from the 1950s to the 1970s. He directed many acclaimed films in Malayalam...
, Adoor BhasiAdoor BhasiAdoor Bhasi was an Indian film actor and film director from Kerala. Adoor Bhasi was almost always cast as the man who stands next to the hero. His hilarious actions and roles became the cynosure of comic scenes in the Malayalam films of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. He is also famous for his...
, Usha Kumari and Manavalan Joseph. It was a box office flop. - This famous poetry has been converted to electronic media as a music album by the Carnatic violinist Edappally Ajith Kumar and vocalist Srivalsan J. Menon with Manorama MusicManorama MusicManorama Music, is a music company of India. It owns probabily the largest music label of Kerala. The label has produced and distributed film soundtracks, poems, cartoon series, music albums etc. The company is owned by M.M. Publications Ltd, which also owns the Malayala Manorama....
and Santhosh Kumar Ketteth on the day of 60th death anniversary of the great poet (1911–1948). Prof. M. K. Sanu and Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri have launched the Audio CD at an event organised at Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram at EdappallyEdappallyEdappally is one of Kochi's well known neighbourhoods. Its name in English literally translates as 'The City with a Church in the Centre' . The famous church in the centre is St. George's Church which is quite old and is a pilgrimage centre. It is said to be one of the fastest growing areas in...
in 2008.