Balakumaran

Biography:

Indian Tamil author Balakumaran, who lived from 5 July 1946 to 15 May 2018, wrote more than 200 books, 100 short stories, and the dialogue and screenplays for 23 motion pictures. Additionally, he wrote for Tamil magazines including Kumudam, Ananda Vikatan, and Kalki. His dialogue writing credits in Tamil cinema include Pudhupettai, Baashha, Guna, and Nayakan.

On July 5, 1946, in the Thanjavur district, Balakumaran was born in Pazhamarneri hamlet, close to Thirukattupalli. Kamala and Santha were his wives. Their son, Venkataraman, also known as Surya, and daughter, Gowri, are their children.

It was Yogi Ramsurat Kumar who trained him. In a private hospital on May 15, 2018, Balakumaran, then 71 years old, passed away from a protracted illness. His mother, a Tamil scholar and Siromani in Sanskrit, greatly inspired him as a youngster and would frequently utilize passages from the Sangam and other ancient texts to lift his spirits when he was feeling depressed.

As a result, he developed a keen interest in Tamil literature, which became his love. His mother encouraged him to pursue his intense interest in literature, even if his average academic performance—particularly in math—led to a strained relationship with his father. Like any young person from the middle class, he joined TAFE, a tractor firm in Chennai, after graduating from Wesley High School.

However, his passion for reading drove him to leave his position as a stenographer at a tractor business, where he began by writing poetry before advancing to short stories and novels. His first pieces appeared in the literary magazine “ka-ca-da-ta-pa-Ra.” He was also one of the original members of the self-anointed militant literary newspaper KaChaTaThaPaRa, which was established with the goal of breaking new ground in modernist literature and later in Kumudam. “Mercury Pookaal,” Balakumaran’s debut book, was serialized in Saavi, while “Irumbu Kuthirai,” or “Iron Horse,” was serialized in Kalki.