This lesson highlights briefly the
literary contribution made by Prapanjan as a short story writer,
novelist and essayist. Born in Pondicherry and aged 56, he now lives
in Madras and regularly contributes to all magazines and journals
in Tamil.
He is a prized writer and a winner
of many an award. He has been honoured with the Best writer Award
both by the Government of Tamilnadu and Government of Pondicherry.
His Vaanam Vasappadum ‘வானம் வசப்படும்’
got him the Sahitya Akedmi Award. Oru Ooril Rendu Manitharkal (ஒரு
ஊரில் ரெண்டு மனித்ர்கள்), Netru manitarkal (நேற்று
மனிதர்கள்), Brammam (பிருமம்),
Iruttin Vaasal (இருட்டின் வாசல்),
Veetu Viduthalaiyaki (வீட்டு விடுதலையாகி)
are some of his collection of short stories which have enjoyed a
wide readership, having won the critical acclaim.
A prolific writer, Prapanjan contributes
regularly to established magazines in Tamil from the light-veined,
commercially-prone ones to the seriously-committed literary ones
His short stories are mainly an exposition
by virtue of their structural organization of the socio-economic
lopsidedness and the criminality of a mal-adjusted society which
is responsible for the basic goodness of all men getting marred.
He knows how to handle his themes
and he very deftly organizes his narrative. He has an identity of
his run which his style and diction inevitably reflect.
Prapanjan’s characters are real people
as we see then in the day-to-day life. They speak as naturally;
as they would like to and act as they would like to, as victims
of their own circumstances. They are men and women in their respective
roles. There are women who suffer in silence, Tied to the yoke of
male domination and also those who try to prove their feminist wrath,
putting up a fight. There are men who serve the society expecting
nothing in return and also there are self-serving money grabbers
and wolves in cow’s clothes and con-men among sadhus.
Prapanjan’s approach to the human
crises is a balanced one. He neither hates nor loves but views both
sides of the coin. He has an eye for detail and the finesse of his
narrative depends on his ability to use the right word in the right
context. His language is simple and direct, commanding a descriptive
compactness. His harmless sarcastic under-tone suffuses his organization
of his material and the note of satire never fails to claim your
attention.
