He is also the recipient of the Agni Aksra Award, the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association Award, the N.L.C. Award, and the Thamizh Thendral Thiru.V.Ka. Award, among others, and has been honored by the governments of Kerala, TamilNadu and India.
Don't want to read this novel again due to the high feeling this novel gave.
In one of the Chennai Book fair, before 5 or 6 years, At that time I have read almost all his works except "Peththavan". I asked him why Sedal or a lead character in Kovezhu kazhuthaigal didn't thought about sucide or attempted any. He asked whether I read Peththavan. Nope at that time i haven't. Later he said that sucide is not the solution and i was not convinced, I kept on insisting on how come sucide thought didn't came to their mind.
I dont know how to classify this novel.. It was a very hard read of what's happening in an hospital emergency ward of fire accident victims..
It tells the story of Revathy who is a well educated person but somehow falls for Ravi who comes from a poor family and is an auto driver.. She suffers with him and his family and comes as a burnt victim nto the hospital, it was not known till the last whether it was a suicide, accident or murder..
Revathy's family is a well to do and educated( her father keeps around 10 lakhs cash while coming nto the hospital, but it does not have value at all, as nothing can be done to save her)..
Why revathy behave like this, she also gave death statement as the fire caught her while cooking and her family too gave the same statement, when everyone was telling her family to move a case against Ravi..
Why her family is always on the top, not coming down to talk with her and Ravi( especially her father and brother).. Their respect in society and arrogance of being rich surpasses their love for daughter and sister..
The author talks about how everyone ( even the police) mentions that why educated women do like this? As much as they blame Ravi they equally blame Revathy too..
In the afternote, the author mentions that this.novel.is to depict the human emotions and thoughts that gets displayed in such situations, rather than a typical novel discussing on the front and behind stories of the incidents..
It may and will surely create an aversion on hospitals, at the same.time will also feel baf for the people working there..
So before I began this, I know what sort of a turmoil it would be. After acquainting myself with Imayam through Pethavan (The Begetter), I have understood that he will say things bluntly and dangerously raw. His story dumbfounded me with endless questions about an individual in the society and the societal standards perpetuated consciously by the victims around.
Selladha Panam, which won 2020 Sahitya Academy Award is about an educated girl, from an affluent background who tries to transcend her boundaries by choosing the "supposedly" inappropriate spouse. The resulting downfall that happens is the plot.
Revathi transcends the boundaries of caste, education and class. Unable to straddle between the two worlds, She sets herself on fire, the Self-immolation puts her life at stake. The fire that consumes her is the repercussion of the choice she makes.The ensuing ripples reflect the grim reality of caste and class.
There are too many intricate details. The narration is so gripping that the readers are at no Previlege to predict things earlier. We understand the reality only through the perceptions of Revathi and her husband Ravi's family.
The socio-economic divide and the stereotypes that follows imprints a set of strong, vehement prejudices against each other's community.
The title takes a jibe at how money can be valueless at a desperate situation. Even after the disaster, nothing changes, bigotry continues even more ferociously.
This book won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2020 . Imayam is a distinguished figure in Tamil literature. His works frequently delve into the lives of ordinary individuals, and language that is both accessible and engaging. This story set in Cuddalore and Virudhachalam, significant portions of the narrative unfold at JIPMER Hospital in Pondicherry. As readers immerse themselves in the text, they can vividly envision the hospital's wards, rooms, trees, benches, clocks, and the various personnel and their families present.
The story scrutinizes the egoistic dynamics within a family grappling with the aftermath of their daughter鈥檚 burn accident, here imayam prioritizing her perspective over assigning blame.
When director Vetrimaaran expressed interest in adapting the novel into a film, he sought to understand the background of the male character and his family, questioning the nature of the blame and the circumstances surrounding the fire.
Imayam clarified that his intent was not to disclose the family's background or to apportion fault, but to delve into the emotional state of the girl and the factors that led to her tragic situation. This exploration of her mindset is the heart of the narrative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Mostly when I read a Novel or a Short story I always see the craft and form of it, how does the writer use the language? how the writer bends the situation? or how do they explore the characters? But for me first time I am fully invested in the emotional part of the narrative, and also it has all the form and craft quality. While reading the novel I also had a lot of questions about the characters and their decisions thats the beauty of the novel, but I also have a lot of questions outside the narrative, the story is happening in 2016 not some in the 1970s or 1980s, it is 2016 and it has a lot of fire cases and mostly married womens literally one to two floor of the emergency building allotted for fire cases that creates a lot of questions in my mind. like before said I am totally invested in the emotional part of the narrative till the last part before the revelation in the back of my mind there is thought running that Revathi would cure and come back to her mother's house and stay with her mother and father, but that didn't happen that really makes my heart heavier.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Imayam presents the harsh realities of life without any sugar coating. His writing not only pulls you in but makes you feel every ounce of emotion that his characters experience. He brilliantly captures the casteist side of society, along with the pivotal role money plays in shaping individuals' lives. The way financial stability can make or break a person is a harsh truth that he explores. It raises the question: would Ravi have been different if he had a stable job and income? Could his relationship have been healthier?
Revathi, an educated, well-off woman, finds herself trapped in a toxic love marriage, despite her family's desire to find her a groom who matched her in status, education, and caste. In another situation, I might have rooted for her, but in this case, all I felt was pity. She endured so much, and I feel even greater sorrow for her two children, who will grow up exposed to such toxicity.
Ultimately, the question remains: was she burned literally before, or after being burned by words?